BBC 489 build

I started tearing down the block, am very encouraged, everything inside is spotless, and all the used parts look new. Bore is even very nice. The gift of changing oil and maintaining is what you see.

lower end is very clean, side to side rod clearance id .020-022, and end play is .008.

Here are some pictures of the hydraulic flat tappet cam. It has been excellent, torque off the bottom, but all in by 5000. Smooth idle, I have all the specs....somewhere, being replaced. I did keep each lifter with it's original lobe when I took it out.

More done today. Before I pushed the pistons out, I scrap off the crud in the first picture, so it looks like the second. Pistons came out pretty easy. Some of the rod bearings showing quite a bit of copper, as well as a couple mains. I do not know if the guy I bought this from replaced the bearings. For those that have never done this, remove rod nuts, use the dead blow to tap the rod bolts, (in this instance) separating the cap. Remove cap and put 3/8 rubber hose over the bolts to protect the crank. I positioned the crank so I could tap on the piston pin area. There will be some resistance at the top of the bore. I marked all the rods, 1-8, rod and cap to keep them straight. Use wood or aluminum rod.

Removed the freeze plugs, and the back cam plug. All pipe plugs, had to drill out a couple that were in the front oil galley on the cam sprocket side. I do this so I can clean and deburr the block. I will show some of that later. Hope to take the block in tomorrow if I get done. Also I always use brass socket head plugs, and install them with teflon pipe dope, they will not leak, and you can remove them later. I am about half done with chasing all the holes, have the head bolts to go. Even though the block will be hot tanked, I still blow out all the holes and inspect for dirt or chips. Also I use a carbide burr, and sanding cones to remove any slag or rough casting marks both inside and outside the block. Also once the freeze plugs are out, I clean up everything I can reach inside the water jacket, and blow that out as well. Don't want anything going through the water pump. However even the water jackets look pretty clean, and no sediment. You would not believe the junk that the shop has found inside the water jackets over the years.

After months of studying, searching, and what the budget would allow, I bought a cam. The 265 AFR might limit my rpm and certainly some hp and torque. Having said that I compensated some by buying a custom steel billet cam from Bullet Cams: https://www.bulletcams.com/.
Mike the tech was a breath of fresh air, did not sell a cam shaft in stock. They don't have camshafts in stock, each is individually made according to the specs of the engine, I.E. compression, head flow numbers etc. So we just picked an intake lobe, and a exhaust lob profile, an LAS, and lift to work with all the other parts. Anyway it is a Hydraulic roller 237 intake, 245 exhaust. 110.5 LSA installed 4 degrees advanced so 106.5 center angle. The lift with 1.77 rockers will be .625, and though I could use 1.8 Scorpion rockers, this is a heavy valve train, and could cause float. I would like to set the rev limiter @ 6500, but may only get to 6200 before I run out of air. Ahhh yes the lifter debate....well just skip all the hype and nonsense, and buy Johnson short travel hyd rollers, very high quality. Johnson also makes them for GM. So I spent the money for first rate engine brains. Everything is back ordered, but hope to have by Feb mid month at the latest. If anyone has questions PM me to keep this from becoming ginormous. More tomorrow.

Here is the bottom and how I prepare. I like a well used but clean file and run it over everything. If there is a burr, you will feel it. Being a machinist, I have lots of good stuff in my box. I use this Norton 180 stone after the file, and the pics show it best. I visually inspect each hole, main cap register and cap regester is "stoned".

Mains complete, cap registers felt excellent, studs torque to 110 W/ARP lube on stud, washer, and nut.

For my own reference, I measured all the main bores, and they were dead on for round, amazing. 2.9375-2.9385, so 2.9380 nominal, had 2 too small, rear main perfect, couple in, but could be tighter. I did set the new crank in, and it spins nice, and fills up the bottom end much more. #1, bore dia when set to 2.938 as in #2setting my diameter, and #3, set zero. then measure.

Finished deburring inside and out, and nice to handle, nothing sharp. Can't but think that cleaning that passage is positive. Don't know what the # mean.....anyone?

Been waiting all my life, what took so long! These heads and the cam and compression ratio all will play nice, and be very fun to drive. I was wondering if you could do four wheel burnouts? 14FF rear U-joint strap is a weak point, don't know about the D-44. Anyway, these will get dissembled and deburred, some bowl work, smooth the intake and exhaust ports. Clean and inspect, cc chambers, reassemble.

Supposed to be 112 cc, nice. I really wish I had a flow bench, supposed to be 230@ .600 lift. Others have been reworked and gotten flow # on the good (long), port @265. Can't help but mess with them some. I spent my money on the combustion chamber with the fine pass fine finish. Not much to do but unshroud the intake. When I get the block back, will assemble heads, no gasket and scribe the bore on the blued head, Then think about it.

Nice build. I have the 468 version of your build, 265 afr head littler smaller 233/233 cam though. I love that motor, the torque is amazing on it, I cant image how it'd be with a 4.25" stroke. Mines all done by about 6300rpm.

bh10 said:

Nice build. I have the 468 version of your build, 265 afr head littler smaller 233/233 cam though. I love that motor, the torque is amazing on it, I cant image how it'd be with a 4.25" stroke. Mines all done by about 6300rpm.

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Thanks for that info Brandon, I would like to see that on mine, and it should stay together. Carb or fi? Do you know your hp or torque?