Technical Plastic engine blocks?

I was thinking something along the lines of a 3-D printer to make these dummy blocks/transmissions; they don't even have to be true-to-shape/size, but it's the mounting surfaces are what's really important. Probably cost prohibitive however. When I see a display in a store/shop that is using one of these dummy blocks, I'd like "repossess" one.
I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I cut a head into a lot pieces so I could see the back side of the ports, I used a Milwaukee band saw. Cast iron cuts really easy with a good blade, gutting out a block wouldn't be that hard with an electric hacksaw.

 

I am redoing a model A, it had a SBC,going from a automatic to a stick.Put in pedals from a noted builder,put in a plastic SBC I borrowed from a buddy that he had used many times,made sure everything cleared.Had the frame and everything powder coated. I started to assembled the engine I am going to use, and the clutch pedal hit the brodix heads. My buddy was able to bend the clutch pedal to clear them.

 

I have 2x SBC, BBC removable heads. If you value your time $/hr..., small shop.. space claim, it pays for it self many times. My truck swap has found clearance issues, remove heads, metal shape, reinstall. Not banging my head on a cherry picker boom.

 

When I was dropping the BBC in my '63 Falcon gasser I wanted to figure out where the fenderwell headers would sit, and how much firewall modification I'd need to do. But I also didn't want to mess with a complete engine, or pay for a plastic block.
So I laid plywood against the front and rear of my BBC engine, and traced the outline of the block using a straight edge off the block to get head flanges, and general shape of the block. Then cut out two patterns, and used 2x6 boards to screw the two plywood ends together. Put a header gasket on each board, and after tracing the gasket I drilled a few holes on each side to allow my headers to bolt to the mockup block. It worked fantastic, and was cheap, and easy to make.

 

Looks good that works, my Gasser sbc had no room on either end, water pump, bellhousing, oil filter, z bar, distributor. I needed every fastener within 1/2inch in all directions. I paid a welder $20/hr, chassis was done in 8hrs. Eng, trans, rear set.

 

I'd feel a bit nervous getting an engine to fit this tight with something that was not made on the same engine line as the real engine was....

(this thing had to fit extra tight to the firewall, for a few reasons)

 

My Truck project it super tight, I am working the firewall lightly stretching with ball pein to get clearances, little room for error. I also have to trim top side of frame C channel for ex manifolds.

 

Picked up the Plastic 6-71 blower at a swap meet..... few years back, be nice if they made Hilborn top.

 

I had this one from Earls during my frame mock-up.

 

I bored and sleeved my old plastic block and should have it running in a couple of weeks...
Hahahahahaaa...

 

Buy the plastic block and you'll never look back.
It makes working on your vehicle so much easier and lessens your chance of hurting your back.
Then when you're done, sell it. That's what I did.

 

I could not find any commercial alterantives to PAYR. Strangely there is little secondary market. It seems you could go on craigslist and find an [artist] to sculpt one out of foam, but I am not sure that would be less than $500.

The next easiest option would be to jig saw some plywood for the front and back & use some boards between to position the mounting / header locations. You could 3D print the mounts and the various manifold holes + bolt holes if you wanted, but I suspect you could do almost as good with tape and a sharpie. It is impractical to 3D print the whole engine (at least from home. It is just an awfully big object to put together out of parts that fit in a 7.5x7.5x7.5 inch print volume.)

 

I just whacked the bottom 3" off my six banger block. Contains motor mount bosses and main journals. In addition to fitting blocks in frames it is useful for building oil pans, oil pickups, windage trays, etc.



Or...
make a pair of lift handles and get your better half to lift it with you. Note how I biased the lifting arms so one person does the bulk of the heavy lifting.
She never noticed she was doing most of the work LOL.

 

For 3D printing at home, you get 7.5" cube to work with. If you can design the 'skeleton' you need to position the mounting surfaces it is reasonable. You could link the objects together (like legos or with a butterfly key and some epoxy), but it is impractical to print a full block from a home machine. LOTS of time.

But now you have made me want to go see if anyone has a scale model of my y-block.

 

PAYR has some interesting Ford engines.
Summit has 141 items in PAYR search. They sure have added engines, Mopar, Ford, Chevy, Flatty, Diesel,. ..... blowers, trans

 

Bought a used 392 Hemi years ago for $200.00, money well spent.

 

There is one for SBC in the classified now for $125.

 

Correction $150 in the parts classifieds.

 

The thing is, a simple 1 beam overhead crane takes up almost no floor space. Depending on the size of the building, and how far you have to run the overhead beam, you can get by very easily and reasonably cheaply. I LOVE overhead cranes. I use mine constantly. I know what the OP means about his back, and thats the beauty of a crane. While a plastic engine block will serve ONE purpose, a crane is constantly shows its value.......especially when it comes to lifting or having to bend to work. I have a roll around steel table that I use much more than stationary work benches. When I work on virtually anything, I raise it with the crane and sit it on the table. Modified a tubing bender last week by adding some more mounting brackets. The thing probably weighs 500+ lbs. I just hoisted it up and sat it on the table. Much easier. Engines are a breeze as well as rear ends and transmissions......even bodies and beds. Its a multi-use tool. They are easy to build although it takes a little planning to get the beam in place. What I'm trying to say to the OP is that old backs never get any better, and neither do knees. A simple crane makes all kinds of things easier .....









I'm telling everyone that taking the time to find used beams on Craigslist or Facebook and cobbling up a crane will be one of the most useful tools in your workshop. The roll around table takes up some space but I'm telling you that having something to sit virtually any project on so you are working at waist level is great. A plastic engine block will cost as much as used I beams if you take your time finding some. Industrial auctions often yield beams cheaply too. Better to have a tool that gets used for many things than 1 thing.......and you lose almost no space.

Note: These are all cranes that I erected at my house except the one at my son's house. I have two larger ones that aren't shown because I wanted to stick with simplicity and low costs. $500 or less and some sweat equity should yield a single beam crane

 

Ekimneirbo has the right idea. Also, keep an eye out for industrial auctions. Many years ago I picked up two jib cranes for a little more than scrap price. Mounted in opposite corners, there isn't almost anywhere in the shop that can't be hooked to a hoist.

 

I put one of those plastic engines in my 63 Chevy pick up. The damned thing blew up when I tried to start it! I’ll never try that again!

 

Crate motor!

 

Make sure you break it in with high Zinc oil... or your 097 cam will be raisen toast.

 

I didn't even think, or lose a minute's sleep over how my BBC engine would fit the firewall in the '63 Falcon. All I cared about was how the headers would clear the body, and tires. I just cut out the firewall large enough for whatever engine setback I might need, and then located the block into the firewall.
After the headers set where I wanted, and the real engine was set in place, I just built the firewall back around where the engine sat. So I had great radiator clearances, and everything fit together fine.

 

Nice work, but remember you have twice the room of an Anglia..

 

In my world time equals money. I know it is different for you retired guys, but for me, every hour has a dollar value associated with it.

The only part of that equation that I cannot make more of is time.

I ended up using bare block and heads from my 354 to build my mounts, as nearest the foam equivalent is a 392. That has a taller deck.

I wish they made that as a sb331/354, with a spacers.

Otherwise, foam everything.

 

How did you put the top of the block back on when you were done?

 

This thread needs a little bit of humor, has anyone asked what kind of oil that they should run in their plastic engine block ?

Or how much Horsepower they’re good for ?
Legitimate questions I think

 

i hear ya. i used to bench press an overdrive trans into my shoebox when i was in my 20s, and i used to put an sbf block in my pickup for traction. i don't even try at 73!