The oil system is also a very important part of an engine's performance and durability, especially in a racing application. This engine was already equipped with a single-line Milodon external oil system and fabricated aluminum oil pan, but we decided to upgrade to a dual-line system. The Mopar Performance block has the provision for an external oil pickup line already in the block, so combined with a Milodon dual-line oil pickup and new Melling oil pump, this oil system will be capable of supplying adequate oil upwards of 7,500 rpm.
No matter how good the quality of the parts are, the engine won't perform properly or last very long unless the machining processes are performed accurately. Auto Performance Engines (APE) performed the necessary machine work to the block, including boring and honing with torque plates, checking bore alignment of the main journals, and decking the block to achieve the target compression ratio.
Even with new parts like our Scat crank and rods, bearing clearances need to be rechecked during the assembly phase of an engine build. The owner opted to re-use his Crane solid roller camshaft, and APE installed the cam six degrees retarded to ensure peak power will be attained at a reasonable 7,000 rpm. This is a big camshaft, with more than 280 degrees duration at .050-inch lift and .750-inch or so valve lift with the 1.6 ratio rockers. While this cam is designed to make peak power at 8,000 or more rpm, advancing the cam timing will move the peak power rpm lower.
Be sure to stay tuned, because we'll show you the top end of this engine in a future issue. Of course, we'll dyno the 535-cubic-inch big-block as well and give you all the results of our testing. To see videos of this engine running and being tested on APE's dyno, don't forget to visit www.moparmusclemagazine.com.
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| Part | Cost |
| Mopar Siamese bore block | $2,935 |
| Scat forged crankshaft kit Kit includes: rods, pistons,
bearings, rings, Scat H-beam connecting rods, and Mahle
forged flat-top pistons | $2,300 |
| Professional Products Balancer | $220 |
06 Once all of the parts...
06 Once all of the parts are deemed ready for final installation, the rotating assembly, including the piston rings, can be weighed and balanced. Beware of pre-balanced kits as they may not compensate for material lost when filing piston rings or chamfering bolt holes and de-burring the rods and pistons.
07 This engine is utilizing...
07 This engine is utilizing a stout solid roller camshaft from Crane Cams. Since this is a bracket engine and durability is a big consideration, APE retarded the cam timing by six degrees. While this choice will certainly compromise peak power numbers, it will also ensure the engine makes peak power at or below 7,000 rpm.
08 This engine previously...
08 This engine previously used a fabricated aluminum oil pan from Charlie's, so we cleaned and straightened the pan rails so it could be reused. We added a Milodon dual-line swivel oil pickup and an additional oil feed line to supply the Melling high-volume oil pump. This engine will oil the Jesel rockers through the lifters and pushrods, which can cause low oil pressure at idle, but this oil system will provide plenty of oil volume and pressure at high rpm where it counts.
09 We buttoned up our short-block...
09 We buttoned up our short-block with an Indy cast-aluminum timing cover and Professional Products SFI-approved balancer. This timing cover works great with roller camshafts as it won't flex when the cam button engages the cover like a sheetmetal timing cover will. Sanctioning bodies require the SFI dampener, and the Professional Products piece is great for the money.
10 We still have a lot of...
10 We still have a lot of parts left after assembling our short-block. Be sure to follow this build in future issues as we assemble and install the heads, rockers, and intake, then bolt this engine to APE's Superflow dyno.
11 How much power do you...
11 How much power do you think this 535 big-block will make? Log onto www.moparmusclemagazine.com and let us know your estimate, and be sure to look for videos of this engine running on the dyno as well!