rebuilding the early hemi, MY FAVORITE ENGINE

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What is the steel plate for on the driver's side of the Hemi Block ?
Looks factory.
It's not factory....
Previous repair shop has repaired frost damage this way . And now the water passages are full of silicone sealant....
First we need to pressure test the block for leaks ( water) the plate was just above deck heigth)
So we think that is the reason why we found coolant in the sump.
Can you believe we found a newly ground crank ( one size under ) and new STANDARD bearing shells!!!!!
Combined with a work oil pump .luckily this owners engine caught fire. And now the insurance pays us ( hopefully) for the rebuilt.
We will also fit the standard solid lifters. ..
 
It's not factory....
Previous repair shop has repaired frost damage this way . And now the water passages are full of silicone sealant....
I have seen Real Antique engines with side covers similar.
Packards.
Duesenburgs.
Hispano-Suiza
 
It's not factory....
Previous repair shop has repaired frost damage this way . And now the water passages are full of silicone sealant....
If it did not leak prior just reseal it.
Its a Classic Road Collector Car.
Its Days of being Raced are over or it should be to preserved for future generations to see & drive it.

Permatex #1 be my choice to use to reseal that side cover.
Non silicone based.
Old school Tech dates back to WW2 & Prior.
Should be the Hardening formulation.

Non Hardening be Permatex #2 I recall.
I may have them mixed up. Check.
Have a few tubes of each yet. They never go bad on the shelf sitting.

A cut gasket made of real Asbestos paper could be used & dress with Permatex Aviation Gasket Cement. My pesonal favorite.
Or Grumpy likes the Permatex 300 M..excellent too.
 
Fel Pro Makes universal Gasket Paper you cut to size make your own gaskets.
Should last 20 years.
Maybe 50 years or more. Time will tell.
 
It's not factory....
Previous repair shop has repaired frost damage this way . And now the water passages are full of silicone sealant....
First we need to pressure test the block for leaks ( water) the plate was just above deck heigth)
So we think that is the reason why we found coolant in the sump.
Can you believe we found a newly ground crank ( one size under ) and new STANDARD bearing shells!!!!!
Combined with a work oil pump .luckily this owners engine caught fire. And now the insurance pays us ( hopefully) for the rebuilt.
We will also fit the standard solid lifters. ..

I helped a Friend Blueprint a Pontiac 455 block destined to be drag raced about 20 years back.
Did my secret oil mods.
But no bearings or crankshaft that day.

Calls me up I have zero 0il pressure.
I took it apart & have .010 " bearings on a standard 455 crank.
Well You found the problem at least !

Old Pontiac Race family.
Figured they knew what they were doing.
Think all were drinking drunk that day I was not around.
 
On the subject of solid vs hydraulic lifters.
We have adjustable rockers in this facel hemi!
On the net I have found several sources that state that the high power engines used solid lifters. Some state they used both.
Our engine has hydraulic ones ...two differ from the rest.
I guess since the engine has adjustable rockers it should have solid lifters....
Oh have I mentioned this car ( FV4) was a prototype for the HK 500.
So this engine hardly fits the engine bay.
You can't fit the engine with the heads on.
All views are greatly appreciated.
 
No seriously you can't get the engine out....
Or in
Without bolting the heads of first...
Just getting the rocker covers of is kind of a nightmare.
If you want to take the exhaust manifolds of
You have to take the heads of first...
Do not forget these cars where made by hand.and there size is 3/4 of an American car.
 
while ive worked on lots of early hemis I have zero experience working on your particular car ,
so I can,t really suggest anything without clear detailed pictures, I did work on a HENRY J with a 392 hemi,
we converted the car to a tip forward front fenders and hood

similar to this, to make engine access reasonable
1951-henryj-392-hemi-gasser-2017-gnrs-1.jpg
 
This is the engine compartiment. .
It's Built like a Chassis Race Car.
Drag Car + Road Race.
You have To Lead on this Project.
Real Mechanics that do it for a living do not get online to ask for help.
Not a Leader then.

Should see how a 1963 Super Duty 421 Tempest is put together.
Holy crap.

The Supercharged Ford Cobra Mustangs are a bear to work on.
I put one back together last year.
Last guy left as a bare block.
All parts in boxes.
Nothing labled.
Parts lost.
I got it together all alone no help in 3 days and running.

New job today.
Race Shop.
Race Mechanic me once again.
 
yeah, I can see where clearances with the early hemi and its rather large width and large heads would be rather a tight fit.
 
On the subject of the hydraulic tappets or solid ones.
I think I'll go for the solid ones!
According to dyno sync 5 this engine should produce the factory announced amount of torque and bhp!
The engine number is ty5 561007
20181016_145411-980x2016.jpg
 
https://www.enginelabs.com/news/theres-a-new-hemi-in-town-bear-block-motors-392-hemi-block/

Updated – There’s A New Hemi In Town – Bear Block’s 392 Hemi Block


By JASON REISS DECEMBER 03, 2015


The all-new 392 Hemi block from Bear Block Motors.

Update:

We received a call from Doug, and he explained that after extending their research and development efforts, Bear Block has added more meat into the lifter area of this all-new block and will be ready for production soon. Updated photos are below.

Previous Article:

Only produced for a two-year model run between 1957 and 1958, the 392 Hemi engine from Chrysler proved to be incredibly stout in the drag racing arena and has been highly sought-after ever since.

The 392 was sold as original equipment in the 1957-’58 Chrysler New Yorker, ’57-’58 Chrysler Imperial, ’57 Chrysler 300C, and ’58 Chrysler 300D, but its legend has lived on since in the eyes of Mopar enthusiasts.

As one might imagine, ‘scarce’ would be a good word to describe the availability of engine blocks – until now. Bear Block Motors, led by developer and longtime machinist Doug Park, has cast the very first all-new iron-block 392 Hemi engine in 57 years, albeit with a number of improvements intended to bring the block’s design forward into the 21st century.

(Left) The main area of an OE 392 Hemi block. (Right) The main area of BBM's new casting. Note the billet caps and four-bolt fastener arrangement. Better casting techniques and materials advance this archaic engine block design into the 21st century.

“This block is the prototype, and we’re mocking it up currently,” explains Park. “Everything is good, but we do plan to add some more meat into the lifter valley in the final casting design.”

The company is working towards an end-of-year release to the public. Perfection is what Park and his team strive for – the machinist has decades of experience and doesn’t want his customers to experience any issues with the product once it hits the market, so great care is taken during the development process to test the engine with all different types of rotating assembly, gasket, and cylinder head configurations.

“We want to make sure every single detail is ironed out. So far we’re about 90 percent finished, and within a few weeks we’ll have the mockup process wrapped up,” explains Park.

The block will be cast from the same material as the company’s Ford FE block, capable of handling over 1,000 horsepower with ease.

“I enjoy the vintage engines. I can see that there’s a lack of supply, but there are a lot of enthusiasts out there. We got started with the Ford FE engine block, and after talking to potential customers, these Hemi blocks were the next logical step,” Park explains.

Material has been added to the block’s casting in areas where it can improve the strength, and Park says the block has been sonic mapped and shows solid wall thickness throughout. 4.125-inch bores are easily attainable, and he says the deck surfaces are .600-inch thick — good to keep the deck stability under control in boosted applications. As the stock block was delivered with a 4.000-inch bore, the step up in displacement capability is also a welcome sight.

The front and back faces of the block.

“There are a number of different grades of cast-iron material; we use a diesel-grade cast iron, which costs more, but I want our customers to have peace of mind,” says Park.

As the 392 has been adapted to all sorts of vehicles from street rods to A-Fuelers over the years, the emergence of this new piece from BBM has to be a welcome relief for nostalgic owners who are tired of offering up body parts in order to fund the purchase of a well-used block.

Four-bolt splayed billet main caps have also been added to the design to improve strength.

Various views of the billet main caps and main area.

The blocks are cast overseas in a state of the art foundry in South Korea, and Park says that he’s established a great relationship with the foundry that’s capable of casting the quality he’s looking for in the product. In fact, BBM also manufactures a well-received Ford FE engine block that’s cast in the same facility; they’ve sold dozens of these blocks without issue.

“We use nothing but virgin materials in our blocks,” says Park. The virgin material allows the casting foundry to be sure of the material quality, eliminating porosity concerns and producing a higher-quality product in the process.
 
Besides lack of funds.

Once you go aftermarket all there is no Nostalgia value left.
It just becomes another used race engine after use.
Value degrades fast.
Never will have the Wow factor of Original GM, Ford, & Mopar.

Pretty important on Rare Musclecars.

Street Outlaws Sure.
Make it all aftermarket.
Going after $200K & going to race Big Chief.
 
while your correct in that original muscle car value... some of us (especially in my case )
will take improved strength , more precise tolerances, stronger alloys, and better function over originality,
when selecting components, (99 times out of a hundred) if finances and availability allow
 
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