Parker responded to my request today. Turns out the solenoid I was interested in has been discontinued. I am waiting to hear from Clean Air Power. As of today, the solenoid that they make has been the best choice for this application. I have been drawing various ways to integrate the hydraulic manifold into the engine block and am leaning towards a different approach. i wanted to integrate the entire system into the valley of the block. I am now thinking that it would be better to only place the actuators in the valley, have the hydraulic manifold located remotely, and connect the two with a "universal" hose. This way the solenoids are away from the heat, can be easily accessed, and the entire hydraulic manifold can be serviced, or replaced with an upgraded design, without having to disassemble the engine itself.
A friend of mine told me to look into 3D printing. I did and realized that it would be a great tool to have access to in the near future. A 3D printer is basically a machine that can sculpt 3D models out of ABS plastic (or other materials) layer by layer. In other words, I could design something, take the CAD model and "print" it, come back in a few hours and the have the physical object. I could make a block out of ABS plastic to test for fit and function or any design errors before even going to the machine shop. I could even make my own parts (intake manifolds, runners, electrical connectors, brackets, covers, housings, etc.) in house as soon as I need them if they can be used as ABS plastic. More expensive 3D printers can make circuit boards, multi part assemblies, and even color objects as it makes it. There is a do-it-yourself open source kit available that can be put together for around $500. Mendel RepRap
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