Needing help on v8 block to 4 cyl conversion.....

[Wade_Owens]

We are in the process of building a car for some of the land speed events. We are looking closely at the 4 cylinder stuff. I have attended the NHRA races and seen a few of these in Competition Elim. Are there people running these combos on the salt and the mile races, too. Would anybody have any ideas on what seems to work better? Are there any major pitfalls to these combos?

We have several ways we can go, the SBC route obviously, but, whats more interesting is using 1/2 of an SRT8 6.1. Those have crossbolted mains, cam tunnel, large diameter cam, nice ring packs etc, all from the factory.

If you have any pictures of these conversions, I would love to see them!

Any help is greatly appreciated.....

Thanks!

Wade Owens
wadeowens2007@yahoo.com

[JustaRacer]

Just curious, why V8?

Is it frontal area, displacement, or rules classification that requires 1/2 a V8?

IMO:

They have used half a 426 Hemi in import racing before it was outlawed.  I probably can't find the blueprints anymore, but we worked on one.

A Cobalt engine is cheap, has factory race support (free info, large parts catalog), as does the SRT-4.  We pushed the SRT-4 past 1200HP for drag racing.

BTW, all the late model SBC's I know of are 6-bolt, roller cam, etc.  More race stuff is avail for the late SBC than the late model Dodge 'Hemi' (har), and cheaper, and more powerful.

[SteveM]

Which class(es) are you looking to run?

Steve

[NathanStewart]

A guy my dad used to partner with ran a 5 cylinder 392 Chrysler to make it into the E class.  It actually ran pretty good when it wasn't trying to shake itself to death.  

I think most guys who know V8's that want to run in a smaller displacement class do a 4-of-8 motor because they're working with something they already know and have.  Why spend the time and money starting out with something else that you don't have any knowledge of?  But then again, a lot of small displacement OEM motors are already pretty well set to make a lot of power.  

FWIW, if I was going to build a crazy two liter it'd be a 4G63 and my three liter of choice would be a 2JZ.  

Most the 4-of-8 motors I've seen are usually setup inline (not 2 & 2 in a vee) with bob weights to make up for the missing rod/piston assemblies.  The rest of it seems pretty straight forward to me.    

[George Fields]

Paul Madsen of the DRM team helped us develop a four cylinder hemi using one bank with 180 degree cam and crank. Made a ton of power on 70%, 12:71 300 mph in a coupe .

[Wade_Owens]

We are putting a 360" motor in for now. The SRT engine I already have, and one of our friends has a good handle on the new hemi stuff.
We are building an 82-92 Camaro for the /GALT stuff. Just looking to complete a dream of running on the salt, sometime in the future. Nothing serious at first, going to spend minimal money to get to a good time.......

Any body have any pictures of these conversions?

Wade Owens

[4-barrel Mike]

Here's my favorite: http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php/topic,4368.msg58248.html#msg58248

Mike

[Jack Gifford]

... because they're working with something they already know and have...

That describes exactly my situation. But there won't be anything to show until a year (or two?) from now, since I'm barely started. Besides having some "stuff" (spare hemi head, extra aluminum block with a crack through one bank, many seasons of hard-earned M/T hemi knowledge, etc.), there's a couple other reasons: 1) the V8 block with only one head on it will fit (upright) without altering the lakester chassis, and 2) the power of my hemi V8 would offer more potential speed than I'd be comfortable with.

[jacksoni]

McMeekin Bros (car 280) are currently running 1/2 a Ford V8 in the F/Alt class. IIRC Larsen and Cummins used a destroked V8 3 liter in their F/streamliner and 4 pistons in a full V8 block in the G/ car (bore and stroke to match, of course. Then you can do the Keith Turk/David Freiburger deal from couple years back when they toasted their Blown Big block ( don't remember displacement) some fashion or other deactivated 6 cylinders that were not working (not sure if just pulled rockers or what), made it run on 2 cylinders some how and went about 39mph on an open class record. One of those " the push truck was gonna beat the race car down the track deals". 

[Kato Engineering]

which ever mannor you cannot disregard the balancing ability along with the odd ignition firing pulsations problems.
or go to a flat 180 type crank

[woz]

What about the 194 Pontiac slant four or the IH 152 or 196? - MT obviously had plenty of success with the 1/2 389 Pontiac way back when.  As far as the International, from what I understand from a friend that has one, the cylinder heads are certainly not HP by any measure and they and very heavy and stout.  Old school for sure regarding the technology.

Woz

[Jack Gifford]

... What about the 194 Pontiac slant four...

Subject of this thread is "v8 block to 4 cyl conversion", so the Tempest slant-four warrants mention- seeing as PMD did "convert" the 389 V8 to a four (1961)! With all the aftermarket heads now available for Pontiacs, a VERY powerful four could be put together for LSR.

[bearingburner]

Isn't cutting off one bank of a V8 or cutting a V8 in half to form a V4 fairly common to midget racers?

[Peter Jack]

Isn't cutting off one bank of a V8 or cutting a V8 in half to form a V4 fairly common to midget racers?

Used to be. Old technology now. It may still be used in some areas.

Pete

[fastman614]

FWIW, there was (possibly still is) a company called CESCO..... they made "flat" cranks for Chevy V-8s.... you would end up with an even fire cylinder bank on either side of a Chevy V8 this way.... it was how they made inline 4 cylinder engines using Chevy V8 blocks away back when....

I have seen the odd used Chevy flat crank for sale over the years..... they are probably not popular so cranks of this design may be sitting forgotten and collecting dust.....maybe put a "wanted" ad on here and/or on Racing Junk and see what comes up.