BBC 489 build

Block is Mark IV virgin block I have been running. This engine has been excellent, solid, dependable, easy to service, good torque estimate around 400 hp at present. I have purchased quality parts to make this a 489. My goal is, obviously more of everything, torque, power, easy to maintain, reasonably simple and clean. I will be doing a number of modifications that I will document with pictures and minimal prose. So here goes.
Original engine is a 1976 peanut port motor home engine that I bought for $1500 complete. Here it a pic just before I put it in my truck several years ago.

To build a 489, requires a 4.25 stroke, with a 4.280 bore, so pretty square. Crank is an Eagle cast unit which is plenty good for the power I need. Only thing I did is had it micro polished, and race balanced to 2/10 gram. Pistons are Wiseco, I have used them before and these are fully machined. I will do some prep work, but they come from the factory with radiused intake pockets, so that helps with low lift flow, very important for the under valved BB.

That should be a fun little setup

To build a thermally efficient motor, you need some compression, and I have settled on 10.5 target. Pistons have a 20cc dome, a .010 taller compression height, and are forged from 2618 aluminum alloy, which will require .004 piston to bore clearance. I chose them because the 2618 material can handle lots of pressure, rpms, and abuse. The .010 higher deck will allow less to be machined off the deck, keeping the block somewhat stronger, and helps with cooling. I will leave the piston .005 in the bore @ TDC. Hastings or Total seal rings, King bearings.

It's been tested, the stock BB can handle 600hp, but the weak links are the hypereutectic stock pistons and the rods, more specific the bolts. The Wiseco pistons will handle over 800hp, so I purchased new rods to match the pistons. Only thing I did to the rods is upgrade to ARP 2000 bolts, then had them checked for correct tolerance on both ends. They have been weight matched on both the small end and the big end to 2/10 gram, not the normal 2 grams. I love these Manley rods, and should be overkill for the power, torque and rpm I will run.

Part of the equation also are the harmonic balancer, and the flex plate. Both these pieces will do the job, and are SFI approved. These have been balanced like the rest. Flex place mfg. by Scat.

I like "pretty" engines, so i bought brass freeze plugs. I will deburr the engine on the outside, and perform a number free hp upgrades that I will document, on the inside. Some may be new news, and some old.

My block is a two bolt main, so I bought Arp studs, which have a higher torque value. I have kicked around the thought of installing the splayed mains but haven't pulled the trigger .....yet. Seals and gaskets are Felpro. When I get the block back, I will also radius the bottom of each bore, good for a few HP, helps with piston scuffing, and calm the air flow, as there is a radius instead of a sharp corner. I will use green scotchbrite and scrub each cylinder smooth, in a up and down motion, same as piston travel. Bores will be very smooth when done. Then wash with hot water and Dawn soap, use WD40 to prevent rust, and finish clean with lacquer thinner. After that I will use that little can of Total Seal ring quick seat. If the bores are clean it will turn a light green color, a little goes a long way.

After much checking, and inspecting, I have selected a local shop to do the machine work. Dick the head guy is an ol' coggie like me, and has let me in the shop to see his equipment. He will line hone the block, deck the block, bore it out and finish torque plate hone with a Sunnen hone, like this one. This is a great hone and will make the bore round and straight. Finish with 400.

At this point, I will have a newly machined block that I can take home and do some of the above mentioned prep. Yes I chase all threaded holes on the block, which leaves me with the last block mod. On the intake side of the deck, I will cut a chamfer in the cylinder to promote low lift flow. This will minimalize intake shrouding and is free hp. I will show this procedure down the road after the block is home. I will also restrict oil to the upper end, will show that as well. I will block off the oil drains in the intake, and drill holes in the block on the front of the oil galley to drain the oil back through the timing cover. I will deburr and polish that area to aid oil drain back. Moroso has a kit that glues wire mesh in the oval lifter area, this minimizes the oil draining down on the spinning crank and keeps the oil from being entrained with the spinning crank. This has many benefits, keeps the oil in the pan, helps with blowby, and studies have shown that several quarts of oil can be entrained with the crank, and consider the weight of that oil, Anyway the goal is to keep the oil from exiting onto the crank, and to drain it into the pan as fast as possible.

Ya gonna put a Blower on it?
I had a Sanger Flat bottom drag boat I built a couple BBC motors for

Ha, no all NA, BUTTTT....I did order heads today. I have literally spent a hundred hours researching this, and though there are not the biggest or baddest, they will be an excellent fit for this build. Go here to:
I will do some work on these later, and will show what I did and why. Look at those great components, and in conjunction I will use Scorpion 1.8 on intake, and 1.7 on exhaust. This will reach my target flow @ .600 lift of around 330 CFM. Total lift on the intake .650. I will use as short of a duration cam with .600 lift, overlap no more then 82 degrees, and a tight LSA, 108 or less. This type cam will give great low and mid range power, and around 6200-6500 max RPM, 650 idle, and good vacuum. I am converting to a Hydra boost for the brakes, so vacuum is plenty. Also short duration cams are a snitch better in the MPG category, but this build is not for MPG, for fun.

Check out clay smith cams. Just what you're looking for.

here is the carb I plan to start with, may be too small 850cfm, but adjustable everything. My brother had it on a stroked 440 think 489? My go to fuel injection, eying the E-brock xt, 800 hp model. It is sweet.