What Is A 3500 +HP SML? …. The Baddest Drag And Drive LS Style Engine Out There!

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[@scottbroyles2114]

For those that don't know, "Billet" is latin for "Compressed Money", it's a process that requires vast amounts of cash be compressed in a press until it solidifies, then you use special tools that are also made of little harder material, during this process things become very shiny, however if there is a mistake in the process, all of the "billet" vanishes, normally associated with "Tears" and a Eating a traditional meal of "Ramen" for 2-4 months.. all of these can be part of "Racecar"

[@CS_247]

😂 this man is well educated in the language of racecar...

[@bwalker4194]

😂LOL! And if you want to make a small fortune with your Racecar, you better start with a big one.

[@jimhmod]

I think "Billet" and "CNC" are somehow connected with this theory😁

[@LEOhopeful]

Two years of high school Latin, and countless years of ramen...can confirm! 👍🏼

[@baddaddy8718]

After 32 years of building my racecar I can confirm this billet theory. All the forged stuff doesn’t work under load, must be billet and heavily heavily offset by years of ramen 😂

[@adamlambert3892]

Love how proud Steve is of this motor that’s one hell of an achievement 💯

[@j-1159]

It's an engine, motors are electric 😎

[@adamlambert3892]

@@j-1159 dosent matter what I call it you got the point 😎

[@ronr344]

Your demonstration of a 90* helical cut was awesome!

[@gregm8262]

One of the best thought out engines I’ve seen… nicely done. Probably only one in ten thousand will appreciate the work done in the development phase, but the end product shows the effort. You got it right, crank pin overlap lowers counterweight flange load, longer sleeve keeps the piston gage point up inside sleeve, inboard pins… very good job on this and all your products. Bravo Zulu….

[@cringram1003]

Wow awesome comment, I agree Steve is one of a few on the planet.

[@C5Zautoxandtrack]

The r&d that goes into something like this this unbelievable! I love the passion myself

[@merr6267]

Your commentary on how it goes with custom stuff is true. I work for a oem supplier just down the road from you, and we spend a fortune on prototypes that often all need custom fitting, and that's after countless hours of CAD, design reviews, FEA analysis, etc. The 1st parts always take a lot of extra, unexpected time. Management is always baffled as to why.

[@gailtaylor1636]

I'd bet management has never touched any of the parts. Wouldn't know a connecting rod from a toaster.

[@statementleaver8095]

Analysts will be looking for Tolerance in Parts. Welded,Billet,Cast,Cured. All have Pros&Cons.

[@stevemorrisracing]

😁😂

[@statementleaver8095]

@@stevemorrisracing Crimped and Clamping surfaces are the 2 missing words of wisdom👍

[@mediumjumbo7484]

Bean counters always want to know why .. 😂

[@kjs357]

I see the SMX and SML being used in offshore boat class racing. You have put a lot of thought into the design of both of these motors.

[@bigduphusaj162]

boats like you are talking about need a 100% engine. Meaning it can run all day at top RPM. It's quite hard to convert a car engine to a marine engine tbh.. its easier converting a marine engine to a car engine. 2JZ was originally supposed to be a marine engine

[@MrMaxEffort]

All the engineparts in the SML and SMX is bookshelf materiel, it's so nice finish on everything.. Well done Steve and crew and of course Drew..👍👍

[@bdjm8595]

Thanks for taking the time to put this together for us Steve, it's a real treat!!!

[@jasonrichards5646]

Simply genius. Love the knowledge and the fact you share the insight.

[@MartinMcMartin]

It's always fun watching Steve nerd out.

[@silkysixx]

On mains: steel caps go on iron blocks (maybe) and aluminum caps go on aluminum blocks. You're 100% right that the thermal expansion is important to consider, even in the bottom of the block. I am always baffled when people neglect to think about this. Regarding cross-bolted mains, the shear strength of the bolts is no more important than that of wheel studs or converter bolts. By clamping the skirt of the block against the end of the main cap, a lot more friction is applied in the spot, which is what actually contributes to the cap staying where it's supposed to. Your splayed design, however, would also apply some friction to the end of the cap and also adds regular, old, tension force to hold the cap up in the block. If the shear strength of the main bolts was relevant and relying upon it was a problem, then splaying the outer bolts would present the same problem. Really love how much detail you go into with these films, especially considering it's about a priority design and your own invention. Very cool and a boss move.

[@danielchilinski2110]

I love watching this stuff. I live in the world of custom machines parts but for a different industry it's fun to see the explanation on why these things are so hard and amazing to build

[@FURNACE_YGO]

I wonder if one day you will design and make a SM4 4 banger for the 4 cylinder boys and street machines

[@SuperKingNNN]

Oh gosh! not only cheaper but he would get so many sales.

[@gailtaylor1636]

Maybe for the midget guys too?

[@freedomfox8183]

If it wasn't so expensive designing the block part unless you have files for a block you're talking hundreds of thousands if not millions look how much Tom Bailey just had to spend on an engine they already had files for because it was a new machine and a completely new process

[@gailtaylor1636]

@@freedomfox8183 Felt bad. Bought the 760K shirt.

[@3800TURBO]

Can buy billet RB30, 2JZ, SR20, K series, 4G63 here in Australia. It's common now here. I'd say someone over there must do it as well.

[@richardtruesdell8289]

I'd like to see what Steve could do with a 5 horse Briggs and Stratton engine.

[@michaelmcclure8673]

I have a friend who's son runs a Jr dragster. They have a highly modified 5 hp briggs. 😮

[@matthewvarnam4302]

​@@michaelmcclure8673 a 5hp lawn mower engine is gonna do 5hp there's not much there to work with..

[@ritenour12]

@@matthewvarnam4302you came easily bump the compression on that bad boy stroke it it out at the same time and switch to ethanol honestly there’s a lot you can do with those single piston engine my buddy would build them for his bike

[@jamesgravel7755]

I have a tecumsa star engine that’s a 8hp from the factory that puts out 25-30hp. Same engine as the stock. Just bigger cam/bore/stroke and porting and it’s runs on methanol. Those 5hp Briggs engines put out around 20hp. So. It’s not just a 5 hp engine anymore if you know what you’re doing. Steve could probably make one 40hp

[@craigcode7103]

I wonder what nitrous would do?

[@darylmorse]

Steve, you have every right to be proud of this engine. All of that billet is a work of art, especially the crankshaft.

[@SCARFACE69247]

The way your brain works to problem solve things is what keeps me coming back. I'm sure these new engines will cause other unforeseen problem which I will be here to watch how those issues get resolved as well. I'm happy to see you finally got your transmission issues worked out!

[@chadaccettura1993]

Thank you so much for taking the time to show us the details. I know a lot of us cannot even comprehend 3000+ HP. To see how it is made is a great opportunity for us. I just love the detail involved.

[@ryno6101]

I’ve done that nitrogen sleeve on approximately 13 inch diameter brass for M1A1 tank barrels many times

[@ryno6101]

Thrust surface like that was cut with a bar thru the block with bushings in each bearing bore and a single high speed steel tool with a long enough cutting edge to cover the whole needed surface, the bar was driven by a spindle in a horizontal milling machine and slowly with Lube fed into depth. On roughing tool bit was taking only half way out to diameter. What you’re doing is called circular interpolation Awesome engineering, thanks for sharing ❤❤❤

[@stevemorrisracing]

😁

[@threadtapwhisperer5136]

Circular interpolation being the specific path of the tooling? Akin to Trichoidal milling paths, but a obviously different mathematical formula governing the movement? I don't word so gud, what them thar many syllabic words. Haha! Thanks in advance!

[@wishiniwasfishin27]

My 13 year old daughter absolutely loves your intro song, she stops everything and dances every time. I also enjoy it, and the rest of your videos. Thx to you and your family Steve from Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦

[@maxwellyedor7610]

Hard to overstate how impressive this whole operation is. Seriously high level design and machining, as a guy who designs stuff that goes to space, and works with some of the best aerospace prototyping machine shops around, Steve and his crew are doing it at a higher level than 99% of the guys in my industry. The missed thrust bearing counterbore and having to go in there with a 90 degree milling head cracked me up because I’ve got a stack of gimbal mounts with the exact same issue in the shop right now. Shit happens, that’s why there’s red dykem, mark it, fix it, move on

[@Drifterman07]

You are awesome! I'm so happy there are people like you. Willing to show how hard it is to be the best.

[@dabracer3260]

So glad Steve has been giving credit where credit is due to his team working so hard to create such beautiful pieces of machinery keep up the good work great help is hard to find!!

[@bumpedhishead636]

Steve: Have you ever talked about how you got where you are today? Where did you go to school? Have you always been in the automotive industry? Always in racing? Where did you learn about engine design, machining, CAD/CAM, etc? Why did you decide to design & build engines? Why LS-based engines? How do you decide when to use an existing component vs designing & machining your own parts in-house? A bio video would be very interesting!

[@77chevy4x4]

Now … imagine my old man who was running the old 30-40s machines and had a warehouse rowed in one ! Making ice flakers .. flakes of ice not cubes ! All machining hand and mind … and me having a awesome jungle gym to play in ! Ty for these awesome motors and how far tech has come !!!

[@cnoonan321]

Great video. I didn't know the advantages of roller cam bearings until you explained it here, thanks. The only downside to this video is having to wait until Monday for part 2. Great work!

[@70camarorsss]

The amount of infomation and tips and tricks you share is amazing. Alot of small things that most people don't think will affect the life of parts and the of all motor itself. Truely amazing. Thanks Steve!

[@MRKUE]

Wow that was awesome! Thanks Steve, You Really do some cool stuff!

[@alkyiroc]

I'm drooling at your design and fabrication of the sml and smx engines and how you're still changing the design when you figure out how to something even better.

[@brettwalker6016]

So insane learning about these things! Incredible

[@David1962.]

The Science of Custom. Solving all the little things to make the design and idea what we want it to do.

[@j1outdoors]

It’s so satisfying that these engines are just a clean and pretty on the inside as the outside. That polished crank would do well in an engine or it could double as a vanity mirror.

[@-Master_Of_Disaster]

Thanks Steve! Very interesting. I like the design of your main caps without sharp edges. Looks great and very sturdy! 25:50

[@stevemorrisracing]

Thanks

[@baddaddy8718]

I been fortunate to grow up in a racecar area (Bathurst, Australia) and even here with all the interest and tech on our gear I’m yet to meet the Aussie Steve Morris. Sure, we have names like Perkins and Sainty, and in the 90’s had stacks of alcohol racing success and touring car success but nothing even close to the 3000+hp streetable engine this guy has designed and built. Rilliant engine from a brilliant man!

[@philb5593]

You can see how much fun Steve has doing this stuff, a secret to becoming a master

[@dannyviskocil1253]

Dude I have learned so much knowledge on engines from your videos. Haven’t built one myself yet but looking forward to it, and feel much more confident after watching your videos

[@cliffjacobs8011]

Engines a work of art. Have you gone over the whole oiling pathways in other videos? You touched on the changes with the cam bearings was curious to see if other changes were made from the standard ls. Also can you show a comparison of the sml vs smx sleeves? Don't know if people really appreciate the size difference

[@FoolOfATuque]

Definitely since you have a machine shop it makes sense to figure it out, but we sub-contract our parts so it has to work. Our tools are not nearly as complex as an engine either so we don’t have complex interactions like this. We also have a saying that everything works in CAD. Just because it works in CAD doesn’t mean it works in real life. For people wonder about why Steve is needing out about big radii it’s because of stress concentrations. The bigger the radius the less likely it is to break at that point. This is probably especially important in a vehicle since it sees a lot of heat cycles and has harmonics. Stress concentrations lead to cracks and cracks lead to broken parts. Very cool!

[@niceguybille]

The liquid oxygen bit took my back to my military days when I had to service it on the aircraft I maintained. LOX was one of the few things that had my highest respect/attention, far more than jet fuel even. Scary/neat stuff. 👍

[@garybrugone433]

You have by far the most informative channel on machining and assembling. I could watch you Videos all day. Thanks for another great Video. Looking forward to part 2. Thanks again.

[@mrgrantham4475]

Hey Steve, have you ever considered engineering an Opossing piston engine to push the technology further along?

[@buckbaumann773]

Question: did you ever think of skipping a cylinder to allow for block contraction from the liquid nitrogen?

[@paulcopeland9035]

Why? How he did it, didn't work?? I must have missed something.

[@roygrimm]

I was thinking the same thing

[@peterjdo]

Reimagined engineering with the focus on power, amazing. Looking forward to the next part. I can’t get my head around how those cam roller bearings get enough oil with out a feed. Brilliant videos , thanks Steve 😎👍

[@ninjaguy03]

thanks Steve! I enjoy learning about your engines as a materials scientist by trade, a lot of overlap in our work when you talk about strength, hardening, your processes etc.. Very interesting. Maybe I'll have the expertise and the vehicle to support buying one of these one day!

[@tmr626]

That aluminum block is a thing of beauty. Back in the late '70's or early '80's I was sending ideas to Mr. Gasket hoping to make some extra money. At that time Rich Preston was the head of their R&D Dept. One idea I asked them about was: 1) Why can't roller lifters be used with hydraulic cams? 2) Because of the cam friction using solid cam bearings I sent a drawing and suggestion about using needle bearings on the cams. 3) It was also my suggestion and drawing of using an air filter in place of a steel/aluminum top carb cover much like K&N etc. is using these days. There, I feel better now!

[@bigduphusaj162]

they filters were already about back then mate. Im in the UK they filters have been about forever.

[@tmr626]

@@bigduphusaj162 Hi there! It's probably been close to 50 years now when I first sent those air filter designs to Mr. Gasket in the '70's. It got to the point that it's hard to remember the exact date. At that time I don't ever recall seeing them on the market. Back then, I use to buy just about every car and motorcycle magazine out there so I would never intentionally rip off someone else's design. Too much bad karma! Take care!

[@ellipoe]

Great watch with coffee this morning. "Make a better engine" taken to the extreme. Love it sir

[@GapRecordingsNamibia]

Just mesmerising..... The attention to detail is off the charts!

[@CAVERUNLAKE]

I know absolutely nothing about engines but cannot stop watching this

[@jeremynelson8496]

Your engines are literally works of art dude.

[@vehdynam]

Another great video filled with spot on content ! Those engine components say it all ; what a jewel ! It must be very satisfying to have developed those parts , and then to assemble such a beautiful engine. Many thanks Steve.

[@TioDave]

Very informative video. I learned so much just watching Steve get excited about the features of this motor. Awesome!

[@acurarl9929]

Amazing engineering on this sml just really is insane. Awesome engine and great build up video

[@kenmoule825]

Put your fist inside the bore, then drop the sleeve into the block Steve. Good stuff. Keep up the great work

[@Notion_of_Death]

Water, wader, sammich, sounds like the makings of a great picnic outing with the kids.

[@christiangraham4579]

Love these videos man, keep it up, been working on cars going on 8 years and I always love to learn stuff. Unfortunately I wish I was doing more race car stuff.

[@jamesgravel7755]

That crank is so nice. My buddies would make fun of me for polishing up my cranks and putting a good edge on them before balancing. And I’m like you’re leaving HP on the table boys. Every little trick helps.

[@DeltaVTX]

Steve is showin’ us his Spirographic skills

[@stevemorrisracing]

😁

[@Brother2Jis_27s4]

The tool paths in the water jackets look dang good 👌(just for science) it'd be cool to see a clear acrylic plate instead of the aluminum plate in its place to see the water flow, maybe a few imbedded leds in the acrylic to spice it up?

[@--_DJ_--]

The Billet RGB LS, just what everyone needs!

[@ScottWalde]

@@--_DJ_-- I guess that would make it a "Gaming" engine. 🙂

[@--_DJ_--]

@@ScottWalde Well done sir, it's a shame only a handful of people will see that gem of a comment.

[@--_DJ_--]

Such a good looking piece. That inner water jacket plate/inner head bolt guide seems so thin, in my mind it would buckle under the squish from the head bolts but there is the whole head keeping that from happening I guess.

[@Corvette_Z51]

STEVE! Gorgeous engine!! You did teach me something! When I hit the Lottery, I want to be your #1 customer for the day!

[@paulrutley366]

Awesome design and engineering. A work of art. Great work Steve.

[@scrotiemcboogerballs1981]

I hope one day I can afford to get a engine built by you for a daily driver and sleeper 😊thanks for sharing can’t wait to see more I don’t know why but I want to see a billit flat head engine built and make it upgraded so it will handle turbos I think it would be awesome in a old 30-40s car

[@richardpenner4686]

Very cool ls motor...I see lots of thought has gone into the design....thanks for sharing...

[@joshherrman3201]

I've been waiting for some more SML builds. Let's goo!

[@tiredofthetyranny9874]

BEAUTIFUL STEVE JUST BEAUTIFUL!!! THAT IS REAL WORKING ART!!!

[@ethangoodbout2471]

Work of art!

[@chozgarage2023]

As I catch myself wanting to dive at the tv because your insert is going to fall while you crank it around and I yell “stop!”…. Nice cut. Being a tooling designer (and programmer) for molds, patterns, and more, your machined block is a work of art! Do you need an apprentice??? Thanks for the content!! Keep it up.

[@williamhayter2998]

The SML looks like a piece of jewelry! Thanks for taking the time to explain all that you do.

[@miceinoz1181]

Utterly bloody brilliant Steve. If this is not a good explanation of why your engines cost so much, then I do not know what is. Attention to detail is everything in performance engines!

[@derekpirie9188]

What I like about watching Steve go through the SML Engine, is the detail in design and Steve's clear explanation on all components. CAUTION YOU MAY LEARN SOMETHING FROM WATCHING THIS. That is an understatement of NOTE. From the design. machining, components and assembly, what could one not LEARN from watching this. Waiting for part 2.

[@derekpirie9188]

Side note. To whoever is filming when Steve is explaining and showing us something, pan and show us it, that is what we would like to see. Let Steve do the talking .

[@billfrev]

Amazing ! can't wait for part 2

[@johngeorge7802]

love watching your builds. lots of cool stuff.

[@robertbabbitt3829]

I'm an old school hot roder from way back. and I love watching your program. Even at my age, it's just awesome to see somebody doing what you're doing? It's like a work of art. Keep up the awesome content.

[@gtpsic]

Love what you're doing and love the videos. If I had the money I'd be proud to have an SML or SMX engine. Work of art! Plus Steve's a really cool guy!

[@waynesandford7404]

That crank is a piece of art

[@notyou6950]

I'm impressed with the purity of the aluminum bilets.

[@christopherbarrett8710]

So much good information, I love these kind of videos!

[@ohfugit]

Wow, Thank you for sharing this with us!

[@user-pq9pp9tm8i]

Love these type of videos , well done

[@jwray9799]

@ 16:20..Nice finger art Steve!!! amazing machine!

[@matthewvarnam4302]

I've always thought that to. The longer the rod the easier it is to bend the shorter the rod the harder it is to bend...I never understood why people went with a longer piston rod.

[@buckbaumann773]

Also, to save on buying your LN, you might want to make a small casket/trunk or cupboard, insulated and sealed to save time and evaporation.

[@chrisschneiders6734]

A person with a very happy passion.

[@dannotwalruslarkin9324]

I've known about the Cleveland Steamer for a long time, but today was the first time I've heard of a Cleveland Main

[@jonocox5003]

Man, always enjoy watching your vids. The amount of detail that you show us is awesome.

[@1320pass]

Dude that is a work of art. 😮

[@boostedperformance4529]

I love all American power

[@C5Zautoxandtrack]

Awesome video, Steve! As a fellow machinist, I can appreciate the work that goes into this work. Love it!

[@tedheierman1181]

Wow, that engine is going to be amazing! All billet everything!

[@paulcopeland9035]

Just like a SMX!

[@Jvcomet]

Very cool design. 👍thanks for sharing the info

[@knoblis]

Steve, be careful using equal radius on matching parts. Rule of thumb would be to use a slightly smaller inner radius than the matching part's outer radius, to prevent bad matching between them.

[@cjmahar7595]

Thats really cool how the pattern on the water channel changes from horizontal to verticle depending on what you want the water to do

[@JohnRoberts71]

Great content thanks for sharing

[@donaldgminski8621]

Steve, they make freezers that drop down to -40,60. You wouldn't need liquid anything if you'd just put sleeves in the day before.

[@delbutler885]

Steve was just announced as going to Bristol. Go Steve

[@minter_fab_mafia]

Art is being created right in front of our eyes!!!

[@greasyryno2980]

Quick easy video idea is some tool tech. Certainly most don't need the top dollar calipers and other measurement tools (as an example), but you may be able to shed some light or more reasonably priced stuff for those that don't use it everyday.

[@paulcopeland9035]

Buy the best calipers you can afford. You won't regret it!

[@ImpHalla66]

Love your videos. You make me smile and laugh, and I learned something too. Bless you and your family.

[@danmyers9372]

Love the videos Steve. You are smarterizing us all!

[@AndySimmons-vt4dh]

Steve I'm addicted to your videos I'm a total gearhead and ex Machinist I would die to be able to do things in your shop! You're the man dude!