Do you know how your engine was built?

[@ThisFyneOleTruck]

Guys hated it when someone brought me to look at a motor cause I brought a compression, leak down,vacuum gauge and a bore scope. It's amazing how the story changes as you start going into it.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Better to be informed than taking all that they say is in it!

[@surreallife777]

In terms of getting more hits on your videos I think it would be a good idea to put a short biography of your history and experience because a lot of people these days won't know who you are. It's worth a try.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Good suggestion!

[@ldixon4548]

Found this channel thru the new video on alpha pod cast someone made a pretty comment about Ben Alameda 🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤😅

[@joselepe9660]

Cant wait to see part 2 of this 460 on what you found wrong and replaced to how it runs after.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Looks like it will be a 557cid with different cylinder heads and intake as well as a dominator 1050.

[@babaoreally8220]

That exhaust ’box’ is Pro-Chamber.Had one in my built 04 Terminator,no cats.Quite loud,but deep and not raspy,more of a pushrod sound.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Thank you for reminding me it has been so long and I use to sell a lot of them in my shop years ago!

[@babaoreally8220]

@@benalamedaracing2765 Thanks for sharing your enormous knowledge on the important aspects of engine building and the dynamics behind making power with the rest of us.

[@surreallife777]

That a boy Ben! Excellent analysis. Glad to see your back.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Thank you.

[@JesusRamon-qh9tx]

Your experience..are our stories...thanks...

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Thanks Jesus.

[@confucioussay5010]

Yes we want more racing stories!!

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Will do sir and have many to learn mistakes from.

[@hughobrien4139]

I’ve really been enjoying these segments. I’ve learned so much food for thought surrounding engine design. Particularly quench area. I’ve been in the automotive machining business for many years. Have won a lot lost a few. I have learned to focus on the details. I’ve generally found that my priorities need to align with keeping my machines tram and rigid. That’s lots of work in and of itself. It does no good to deck a block or mill a set of heads if your machine is not trammed leaving the center of the surface lower than the outermost. It happens and it can be tough to identify in the best of conditions. Another big problem faced with any block is bolt hole quality. Not just thread quality. Thread cleanliness should never be taken for granted. It simply does no good to torque plate hone any block with dirty oily threads. Additionally the head bolt hole concentricity and straightness. What ever it is or is not, the head bolt holes in the cylinder heads must not drag or influence the head stud in any direction. It will distort the bore and no matter how well the machinist prepared when applying the torque plate, if the head bolt holes in the head are forcing influence on the studs or bolts the cylinders will distort when the heads are torqued. I’ve mapped cylinders by torquing down the heads after I have torque plate honed the cylinders. There can be more drama there than anyone would want to look at. I’ve often wondered how a particular combination was even working as well as it was. All of this applies double when using a stock 385 series block. They are not the thickest castings ever poured. I have a customer that built a 530+ cid 460 stock block 13:1 static. We elected to do a tall fill on the block up to the bottoms of the water pump ports in the block. This engine ran on methanol and had a front and mid plate. The customer did their own engine assembly and I personally assisted with all necessary checks prior to final assembly. The first several passes the car made proved that some chassis tuning was in order. Tire shake was severe. After several sessions the car settled down and it was off to the races. This racer was very competitive at our local track year in and out. I had urged him to keep an eye on cylinder leak down and valve spring rates. The methanol can wreak havoc on cast iron and the solid roller cam profile was some what aggressive. Over .750” lift with 1.75 rocker ratios. He brought the engine back in after the first season which I had recommended just to see how things were living together. All the valve train appeared fine. Bearings all looked fine. Crankshaft still appeared to be brand new. Thorough clean up on the heads. No machine work required. Springs still checked as new as could be. The bores…….ill save the actual numbers. Wouldn’t expect anyone to believe what the dial bore gauge read because I couldn’t believe it when I checked the bores. I’m thought my Sunnen bore gauge was malfunctioning. Checked the torque plate and studs. Scrutinized everything surrounding the parts applied to the torque plate. The front two cylinders were distorted badly. The back two cylinders were flat gross. By the Moroso slide rule this engine was somewhere in the 780 hp territory. There was a very recent story about a 1000 hp stock 460 build. So what gives? I knew for certain the block was distorted because all of the freeze plugs were leaking coolant with hard block well above them. Made some phone calls to the gurus. I was not the only to have seen this happen. We honed the cylinders round again. More clearance on those pistons than I want to talk about. It lived and stayed round for several more seasons to follow. Tying that block down to an upset chassis had to be the culprit. Following that bit of experience I now try everything I can to stiffen up those blocks. I tap the core plug holes and install threaded core plugs. It’s a chore but it has to add a level of rigidity. Maybe not enough to suffice in an extreme situation as I mentioned before but none the less it’s better than nothing. Be careful what you do to any engine block out there. I do not expect everyone to go along with this statement but it is as honest as I can be about the subject. Cast iron will behave like plastic much more than any of us want to realize especially when bored oversized. Torque a head down on your bare block with a clean deck surface and head gasket. Check it directly following with a dial bore gauge. Map any distortion out and document. Leave it setting for 24 hours and see where it is. Look at ways to better clean bolt holes and fasteners. Lube them in a consistent manner as close as you can when the torque plate was applied. Above all else closely scrutinize any head bolt holes in the heads and alleviate any dragging you can see on the fasteners. I promise that if you’re using a good quality dial bore gauge you’re going to see things you’re not comfortable with. In many cases you’re not going to be comfortable with what you’re seeing and you’ll wonder how the engine is sealing a ring to begin with. If you’re working a combination that must be freshened up periodically you’re dealing with the level of power that deserves the scrutiny. Don’t pull your hair out. Think about it and learn to work with what you’re facing. Soon enough you’ll learn ways to minimize it.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Point well taken and you have done your homework and to be commended. My issue with the factory casting is the fact it is only 4 bolts on such a large bore compared to the BBC and others! Some manufacturers resorted to having the head bolts engaged at the bottom of the bore, instead of the deck where it is pulling hard and distorts the top of the bore. Did you guys do the front and rear plate anywhere anchored on the head front and back? Torque and lots of it sure twists things around also not having the trans at the tailshaft with a non-solid mounting can and do exacerbate the forces on the block front and back. I also wondered the initial tire shaking issue could have contributed to the problems you saw upon disassembly ? Just wondering because I dealt with an off road truck with a bad driveshaft that shook everything damaging and cracking the main cap bolt hole due to the severe vibrations brought about by the imbalance driveshaft. They tested always on the dirt and only when it was on a dyno that they noticed @ speed the rear end was vibrating badly! Thanks for your input sir.

[@hughobrien4139]

The mid plate was only mounted to the Bellhousing and to the frame rails. Nothing on the cylinder heads front or back. There was a rear transmission mount in the car. Couldn’t say I know much about the quality or the material the mounts were made out of. Those cylinders were warped so drastically that I had to stop and thoroughly Magna flux the block to make sure it wasn’t cranked. It’s like it was trying to tear the Bellhousing flange of the block off. The distortion occurred just that one time. I freshened up that engine every other season for several years. Countless passes it proved to be reliable. So it’s a case where we think we know what caused it but could be 100 percent certain. I myself prefer counter sunk threads in both the mains and head bolts of engines. Ford got that part exactly right. In my opinion having threads that come up flush to any surface with only a champher at the top is a good way to impart distortion. Particularly in engines like older Chevrolets. The shank of the stud can bind up on a non concentric champher and side cock the stud and impart distortion into the bores. I’ve cured that many times by simply backing the stud shanks away from the champher above the threads. Maybe one of the first details I was taught when using a torque plate on a Chevrolet. I will say that by this metric, the way that Ford recesses their bolt holes in their blocks , many machinist will minimize the necessity of a torque plate being used. While I have seen a few blocks that did not distort very much at all when the torque plate was used. I have seen more that were distorted more than I’d like to see. Same case on late model LS and LT engines where the threads engage way down into the block. That is better in my opinion but it does not guarantee anything. Now with my experience in harmonics or out of balance conditions I like to tell people exactly what is experienced when harmonics enter into your machining processes. In short it backs off any fasteners in the mix. So when you’re machining and chatter sets in my first move is to stop and tighten down everything over again. Clear up to the threads that are fastening the insert into the tool holder. It can and will back off threads. Over the years I’ve seen engines come in for work and the main bolts and rod bolts appear to have not been torqued down to specs. On the other hand the engine ran for too long for this to be the case. So by what I just mentioned my priorities shift to scrutiny around balancing the rotating assembly. Engine balancing is very much underrated in so many ways yet over stated in so many ways at the same time. I hear accuracy claims surrounding engine balancing efforts and it causes pause for me. The reality is that some of the accuracy claims are being made and I see force compensation scales sitting right there. So that scale has software within it that’s looking to repeat a trend. Things do not weight the same in Denver Colorado as they do in Pamona California. So most scales use force compensation to help rationalize items being weighed. Then there’s the weight of the oil on the parts when it’s running. I know there is accountability and engineering that must take place at certain levels of performance but I’m at a point that I tend to trust a person balancing my engines more when they tell me that they’re within a gram and that’s close enough. It simply means you’re not paying them to chase too many zeros. I don’t know how many 305 Chevrolet crankshafts got used in a 350 rebuild back in the early 90s. We never balanced a single one of them. Never knew a single problem but after the years I learned that the dangers of harmonics is not what you can see or feel. It’s what you can’t see or feel that does the damage. I can very much see a main cap suffering the consequences of an out of balanced driveline. Especially any endurance type racing application. I think drag racing engines can get away with many more sins around the balancing department. They simply do not dwell at the same rpm for very long like endurance engines can.

[@Rekless70]

Great videos. Thank you for all the great info. I have a ford 1970 460 , 514 stroker kit with a solid roller 280/290, 13 to 1 for my 65 Fairlane. Just about ready to go together. Thank you VERY much, I have learned so much from your channel.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

That should be a power combination in a beautiful car! I love to build me a replica Thunderbolt with a 460 stroker! In the process of doing a BOSS 429 557cid or perhaps a 598 for the streets. Using factory block which I have to be careful not to exceed its capability! lol

[@billfioretti3013]

Thank you for another informative video, Ben. Keep those stories and tips coming! B.T.W. There's always someone who can't be satisfied. No matter how fine a piece you produce. There are those who will then shop around, take advice from others, and have stuff messed with only to end up making it inferior. Then, they will return to you to fix their mess. You may fix what is wrong for them and get paid a good price. Little do they know the actual price they pay is much higher. They have no loyalty. You will never fix THEM. You have all the right to consider them persona non grata from then on. I've been in similar circumstances but only rarely, very rarely. And that's ok. Keep up the great work, Ben!

[@benalamedaracing2765]

There are no loyalties largely in racing and experience many incidents where you built an impressive engine and they go to someone else who is not even close for advice! My mentor always said let it go, because they will learn quickly when they end up slower or no improvement and their wallet is much thinner than before! lol

[@ThisFyneOleTruck]

Good to see you again, good times back then!❤

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Thank you sir!

[@SouthlandPerformance]

Good stuff Ben

[@benalamedaracing2765]

I need to have some made again soon! Did you do anything different with the suspension?

[@jcnpresser]

Really like listen to these type videos when driving, stay cool man!

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Thank you and glad you find it informing and entertaining.

[@rossgirdeen3247]

Hey Ben enjoyed your video on the Cleveland cylinder heads really trying to read and understand the Cleveland engine sense it was before my time.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Keep watching for more tech. I feel helps many trying to figure out stuffs!

[@yolocah]

you always have great content. Keep sharing your stories so we gain knowledge.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Thank you and appreciate your support of my channel.

[@GrandPitoVic]

Great to see a video again sir. I know you had things going on. I understand.

[@goldsgarage8236]

Great video Ben, thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. Nice and cool here in Canada. AG

[@benalamedaracing2765]

California turned to hell so I left and now here in Vegas I am burning like I am in hell! lol

[@gabrieldimarco9646]

Thank you Ben. Yes, racing stories are good to hear about (both good and not so good).

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Gabriel, thank you and I realized people do like the information from lessons learned thru the years. Nothing better than hearing from the horses mouth I suppose.

[@dalewarriorofthesea3998]

Late winter down here in Australia so much cooler than where you are Ben So good to hear the stories and learn more nuggets of knowledge and have a laugh as well

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Thank you Dale!

[@stuartwall8212]

Good to see you Ben. Lots of good advice in that and I enjoyed the whole thing. That poor 460 needs thinner head gaskets, and your special smack and re-torque technique.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Something happened and wondering if the torque was done correctly?

[@stuartwall8212]

@@benalamedaracing2765 Could be. I wonder about head studs only having the friction on the threads of the nut holding it together.....I dont acyually KNOW stuff, just wondering. If there was any detonation, those few threads could loosen? Is there a taller nut for that, or room for a double nut?

[@benalamedaracing2765]

@@stuartwall8212 I wonder if it was initially torque to specs and maybe it also sat for a very long time. ?

[@stuartwall8212]

@@benalamedaracing2765 I would bet it sat....did the owner say that it was gutless from day one? Who would want to feed the gas to a 460 that cant even spin the tires? I wonder if the original paperwork recommended a head re-torque after break in....or something like that?

[@jimmyrwilkesjr5127]

Great video BEN : CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GOT TO MEET THE "BIONIC WOMAN" : LINDSEY WAGNER

[@benalamedaracing2765]

I have another with my Ford Motorsports Kaufmann Products racecar a year after this and she came by and had small talk and again took a picture with me. She has a beautiful voice plus an awesome personality none of the attitude of many famous personalities! She had a bodyguard always on the side looking after her just to make sure.

[@dalelockett2619]

Good stuff Ben! BTW........I sent you something to help cool off..........it's certainly hot out here in the Southwest 4 Corners area as well! 👍👊

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Many thanks again Dale for your support appreciate it much sir!

[@TheVegasbud]

This week has been the only week we can get in the garage temps went down here in Vegas.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Yes I am slowly going back trying to catch up on my projects.

[@nickbruscella7320]

Thank you for your help 💯 you rock

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Thanks Nick!

[@TomKunnas]

Interesting and great stories Mr. Alameda. I wonder, when old american V8 dont have cam chain tension puller, could it be usefull to remove it from the old Toyota 2T pushrod engine? I mean in respect of power...If one can find suitable cam chain (not too tigh, not too loose) and strong enough, could it help power (less friction) and less vibration via chain to valvetrain.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

I do not think there is much room for a tensioner but if a compact one ever gets developed it should be interesting!

[@LoneWrencher]

love the stories,i have been fighting a backfire problem out the exhaust on my 428 fe-worse under power wont rpm without backfiring.driving me crazy!

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Is it possibly running too rich?

[@LoneWrencher]

tried 2 carbs no difference.its a popping bang out the exhaust like a gunshot@@benalamedaracing2765

[@LoneWrencher]

@@benalamedaracing2765 i know your advice is not free but i went for a ride just now it backfired above 3000 rpms,BUT after i got it up to temp-190 i sheered down on it a few times and it did not backfire anymore?

[@454ho]

Lots of good advice Ben, love the old pics and video's. What is you minimum quench for a SBC 2.90 stroke aluminum rod 9500rpm super stock engine?

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Not knowing the piston weight will be a factor because the lighter it is you can be closer compared to a heavy piston layout. I usually test with a new combo and after some hard racing I look at the ring travel up the bore and measure my ring distance from the deck. This way I can get closer instead of farther which may cost me some power.

[@454ho]

@@benalamedaracing2765 It's BME piston, weight 447 grams, GRP rod 5.875. Fresh hone can't measure the ring travel. Thanks Ben.

[@454ho]

Forgot to mention the pistons are .010 - .012 in the hole.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

@@454ho what is the thickness of the head gasket?

[@454ho]

@@benalamedaracing2765 It's a fresh rebuild, I have a cometic .036 and a felpro .041. Aluminum rods can stretch up to .010 from thermal heat.

[@BrentFrancis-h8o]

I find it interesting the advertising of some crate companies. They will list that the pistons could be DSS, Icon, JE or Diamond. There is no way they are putting JE or Diamond in the short or long block

[@mchristr]

I build my own so I don’t have to worry about the assembly. It’s the machine work I have to verify. Being super anal is sometimes a handicap but not when you’re building an engine.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

It is better when you really know what is in it and how it came about!

[@ragingbull3406]

What scumbags those guys were you described.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Happened more than once that is for sure. Other times it is pure rip off like when I finished a 6.7 sec. 220+ mph in the 1/4 mile turbo SBF. The deal was I would build the engine and tune it at the track. Well when I was done they went out twice without telling me after I did all those hard work intake to oil pan. Eventually they did run in the sixes and wanted me to join up again and I said the same thing. You guys running good so there is that I am still out!

[@joe-hp4nk]

if you don't retorque the heads after a few heat cycles, you run the risk of a leak.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Yes agree with you 110%. Perhaps they ran these for a while and did not do any preventive maintenance.

[@RussellCompton-fh3gr]

thanks

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Thanks Russ!

[@flinch622]

Great tips today, and I did not know they re-indexed the 460 timing chain manufacture process in late 70's to retard timing. Why, Ford, why? Smh. Most important [to me] is not brands of parts, but the math. Clearances, piston height [in or out the hole], chamber volume etc. When modifying anything... I gotta take notes on the starting point so that information isn't lost. I got a kick out of the "wizards" that jumped into carb modifications without an apparent test drive: 12 pack tuners club rides again? But they learned - that's good. Oil? I sometimes wonder if the epa set about destroying formulations with insane mandates. But thinking back to the 80's, I used 10w-40 all the time with flat tappets and no problems to speak of. Mileage mandates have lead to lighter oils, which lead to tighter tolerances, which lead to anti-sludge/detergent additive packages [like overdosing of calcium], and just maybe... a light [pre-sludge] film on lobes was a good thing, and they don't like being "too clean". Good news? There seems to be a pullback on detergents dosing in the SP spec, so maybe its time to re-examine what we know [again]? They are always changing something.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Points well taken and I can tell you have been there and done that! Today the oils do not have any lead additive because of the catalytic converters getting damaged. We got to pay for something down the line and this is one of them...

[@Turbo4Joe363]

What was the CR 'supposed' to be on that crate engine? Pistons are .026 - .028 in the hole. Not any quench in that engine, unless you deck it or use a super thin head gasket. Crazy how engine tech has progressed. You can get the same/550+ HP out of an 8.2" deck 363 SBF.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Yes I think I have a video of a 8.2 deck that I built for road racing and that made 636hp flywheel and it was far from a drag racing engine. Pump gas as well and I was very happy.

[@Turbo4Joe363]

@@benalamedaracing2765 363 SBFs are mean little engines! And they look just like a lightly modded 5.0! Heh heh heh 😁

[@jeremyjenks]

cool

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Thanks!

[@stephenhowe4683]

Driving 6.5 hours to fix someone else’s mistake is going well about and beyond for service. I hope the guy at least gave you a tank of gas.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

I know and my mentor urge me to go there personally to protect my reputation because bad news spread fast and good news when something is really fast, is a secret they do not want the competition to find out! Sucks really...

[@juhanahuovinen]

😀👍

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Thank you!

[@benrossbach6501]

Funny ive been on the other end of things not being correct. Got a Cleveland rhat was supposedly dynoed with the carb that was on it. I was hesitant to mess with but sure as shit the secondaries didnt work.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

Glad you found out it wasn't kicking in! I met my share of carb experts many times more than I can count.

[@williamzoom]

Never been to Vegas it really does not appeal to me because I don't gamble and it just looks like it's nothing but traffic and tourists everywhere!

[@benalamedaracing2765]

More road construction pylons than anything! lol

[@TerrelThomas]

Hey Ben, who's the skinny kid with the big head???

[@benalamedaracing2765]

They told me many times I have a big alien like head! lol

[@joe-hp4nk]

Turn on the air conditioner.

[@benalamedaracing2765]

I got a swamp cooler and it ceases to function above 100*f. So I did this early evening and I got a public park nearby that people hang out and I got to watch out for the undesirables who usually show up. So i got my 9mm on my belt and one on the toolbox! lol

[@joe-hp4nk]

@@benalamedaracing2765 I live in the Great White North. It's not that bad here, yet. Lets hope Trump cleans it up and sends all the illegal migrants back and or to Boot Hill.