Options: There are several options you can choose from, depending on the horsepower goals you are trying to reach.
- 1. Aluminum or steel aftermarket main caps.
- 2. Main cap girdle. Comes as kit with all hardware and they will complete the necessary machine work for you before you pick it up.
- 3. Block filler (Hard-Block).
- 4. Square block front.
- 5. Hone to final size with Rottler HP6A-hone.
- 6. Clearance for roller lifters.
- 7. Oil system modifications.
- 8. Custom machining per customer request.
- 9. Engine crating for shipment.
 This is the Rottler F65-A computer controlled machine in action. This one is currently getting the main caps align honed so the crank will spin freely in a straight environment. |
 The oil pan rail is being trued up so when we install the main cap girdle all will be square with the world. |
Now that I have the block back in our new shop all we had to do was give it a final hand washing with a strong detergent and a bunch of different brushes. We got an Engine Cleaning Brush Kit from Mr. Gasket and it worked great. You get a selection of different diameters and lengths of brushes that makes cleaning oil passages very easy. The effort to make sure every oil galley and nook and cranny of the block is clean will be rewarded by longer bearing and engine life. It can’t be too clean, so take your time and do it right.
With the block ready to assemble we will be checking the crankshaft and connecting rod clearance with the block to make sure there are no areas that could hit. We will also be taking our Crank-Scraper plastic template and trimming it to be as close to the crankshaft counter-weights as possible. This will be time consuming but is a very inexpensive way to pick up about 10-15 H.P for under $75. We are working with www.crank-scrapers.com and their website is loaded with information about crankshaft oil scrapers.
The Ohio Crankshaft 540” Stroker Kit has been balanced and we are using the Total Seal conventional ring package. End gaps have to be hand-fit and we will be setting our 1/16” top rings at .024” end gap and the 2nd ring will be .025”. Oil rings need a minimum of .015” end gap on the upper and lower oil rings. We will go into some detail next month on how to get your rings fitted properly and checking some clearances you do not want to take for granted just because you bought new parts.
