New SBC Engine.....locally sourced?
Discussion
So relating to this thread has anyone gone to the trouble of sourcing a SBC engine locally for their Ultima? I'm interested to see if there's a 'meaningful' difference in cost between this option and an AS engine? Currently I'm leaning towards a 'package' from AS (circa $10.5k inc ancillaries, shipping and duties etc. 525 US HP)......
Nabs,
Having read the previous thread this is not an uncommon theme.
The basics are the US engine aftermarket and majority of budget engine components are geared toward drag racing and hence don't always suit the endurance engine ( longer lasting) application needed for Ultima world . A drag engine doing 2-400 passes per year with a few miles of positioning might not cover 1000 miles between rebuilds .
In SBC world the valve gear is the serious weak link for big HP endurance builds .... Top valve train components alone can run upward of £4-5k and hence become prohibitive to include in most Ultima engine builds. However, more modest builds combined with friendly lobe designs can be used with great success so don't despair .
As for your current intake and head combo , there are ways to gain benefit from such components with careful cam selection .
As a basic rule of thumb a good intake and heads can run a mild cam fairly well , conversely a wild cam can improve restrictive heads and intake to some degree..... It's true they won't be optimal but optimal costs big time and the feeling here is cost remains important ( in view of your recent other commitments ) .
If your engine has good quality basic components don't flog them off in favour of an AS unit as it's likely some components in the new engine may be of lower overall quality ( so is a pointless exercise !) . .... merely get some good advice from those that have built a reliable unit in the UK . ( worth talking to Kenny or Tim up north if you want no nonsense info from professional UK engine shops) The existing combo of parts described should fall nicely into the 500-575 ,very reliable, drive able power range .
I don't work for, promote or discourage any particular supplier as my own advice and experiences are drawn from two good UK guys and J Sherman, M Jones and C Boggs in the US .
Do your research properly and ask as many questions as you like .
Rgds.
Having read the previous thread this is not an uncommon theme.
The basics are the US engine aftermarket and majority of budget engine components are geared toward drag racing and hence don't always suit the endurance engine ( longer lasting) application needed for Ultima world . A drag engine doing 2-400 passes per year with a few miles of positioning might not cover 1000 miles between rebuilds .
In SBC world the valve gear is the serious weak link for big HP endurance builds .... Top valve train components alone can run upward of £4-5k and hence become prohibitive to include in most Ultima engine builds. However, more modest builds combined with friendly lobe designs can be used with great success so don't despair .
As for your current intake and head combo , there are ways to gain benefit from such components with careful cam selection .
As a basic rule of thumb a good intake and heads can run a mild cam fairly well , conversely a wild cam can improve restrictive heads and intake to some degree..... It's true they won't be optimal but optimal costs big time and the feeling here is cost remains important ( in view of your recent other commitments ) .
If your engine has good quality basic components don't flog them off in favour of an AS unit as it's likely some components in the new engine may be of lower overall quality ( so is a pointless exercise !) . .... merely get some good advice from those that have built a reliable unit in the UK . ( worth talking to Kenny or Tim up north if you want no nonsense info from professional UK engine shops) The existing combo of parts described should fall nicely into the 500-575 ,very reliable, drive able power range .
I don't work for, promote or discourage any particular supplier as my own advice and experiences are drawn from two good UK guys and J Sherman, M Jones and C Boggs in the US .
Do your research properly and ask as many questions as you like .
Rgds.
Hear Hear 738 Driver! More eloquently put but basically the same as I said in the other thread where this is mentioned by the same OP. The correct cam selection will make a huge difference. If the engine really is a top spec build and I don't mean to be rude but a check of the complete spec and current condition may need to be done. Then why sell it off cheap when the right cam will turn it into just what you require. An over spec'd bottom and top end will last way longer than something that is just up to the job. However I will add that individual throttle bodies(which I believe you currently have) are a complete pain to set up and mostly an unnecessary addition to a lower performance motor. Unless you plan to join the 200mph club it is torque that matters and where it is in the rev band. The biggest effect on this is given by the cam choice.
Too late I'm afraid chaps! The engine has gone - and I have 2/3rds the cost of the new engine in the bank.
I did think about the whole cam replacement option but with the costs of having the engine rebuilt (by someone else as I don't have the time 😪) and replacing the kinslers the costs very quickly went beyond that of a new AS crate engine!
We never broke the engine down to establish the cause of the lower compression BUT had it needed re boring and then rebalancing I'd have 'lost' £6k almost straight out of the gate. Hence my decision to replace the whole shebang......
I think we're I not in the middle of a move (and could have undertaken the job myself), the outcome may have been different but alas circumstances (and a £1m mortgage) dictate prudence 😐😐😐
I did think about the whole cam replacement option but with the costs of having the engine rebuilt (by someone else as I don't have the time 😪) and replacing the kinslers the costs very quickly went beyond that of a new AS crate engine!
We never broke the engine down to establish the cause of the lower compression BUT had it needed re boring and then rebalancing I'd have 'lost' £6k almost straight out of the gate. Hence my decision to replace the whole shebang......
I think we're I not in the middle of a move (and could have undertaken the job myself), the outcome may have been different but alas circumstances (and a £1m mortgage) dictate prudence 😐😐😐
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