Getting Started

I wanted to post some screenshots of the progress I have made but I can not get them to come out right. As soon as I figure out how fix this problem I will post them here.

I have started on the block. I have chosen to go with a bore of 4.000", bore spacing of 4.400", and a deck height of 9.500" so that I could use of the shelf Chevy pistons, connecting rods, crankshaft, main and rod bearings, rings, wrist pins, bushings, and locks. When the time comes to have the first initial block machined, it will be much cheaper to use the readily available parts to test the block instead of having to custom make them. I can also focus on the solely on the block and not have to design and test too many parts at one time. Once I get it to where I like it, I can then start working on a crankshaft, connecting rod, and piston.

The block at the moment is just a simple "rough draft". It is just two banks of four cylinders connected to the main webs. The banks themselves are just the dry cylinder liners, surrounded by an opening for coolant flow and then the outer walls. It is an open deck design. I chose this because I wanted the block to be able to be machined from a chunk of metal to avoid casting and the flaws that come with it. I am thinking of adding an insert of some kind at the top to address the known sealing problems associated with open decks.

 The block is skirted and I am designing it to use a one piece front and rear seal which will be a part of their respective covers. I plan on going with a one piece girdle to secure the crankshaft instead of caps. I have been researching solenoids so determine which ones I will most likely use. This way I can download the CAD data for that particular solenoid and begin to design the valve actuator system into the "V" of the block. I am choosing to place it here instead of directly on the cylinder head for a few reasons. The most important of these being the use of push rods and rocker arms. I can tinker with rocker ratios, line pressures, and orifice diameters to compensate for the solenoids "slow" open-close times in order to raise the RPM limit. Lower center of gravity and a more compact engine are also benefits of placing the system in this location. I would love to avoid using push rods, but at this moment the pros outweigh the cons.

I have been thinking of designing a manifold that the solenoids attach to and attaching this to the block itself. This way I decide to go with a different solenoid anytime in the future, I can machine a new manifold instead of having to machine a new block to accept the new solenoids. One concern of mine is the heat in this area and accessibility. It would be a pain to have to partially disassemble the engine just to check a solenoid.

Here is a .pdf of how it looks so far. Just a rough draft of the block, girdle, front cover, and cylinder liners. Once I figure out how to fix the screenshot issue I will post pictures directly here.

Bottom End-1.pdf