Last pic is old overhead system & how we oiled the 487 along with a Peterson wet/vac pump . The rear feed was switched from out of the back to # 5 main . An external balance line ( -6 )from off the oil filter outlet to back of block . We had a main external Manifold feeding -6 to rear , -8 to oil sending front -12 to front of engine passing under Intake into a -8 the Three way manifold Block . New manifold full is -12 under intake & will & should support 3 center mains & exit to rear of the lifter valley to stabilize #5 main & 8 rod Mind you we run a 3/4 bearing with 2 extra holes & channeled mains New SRE Dry sump pan & a dry sump Daily pump. This has been a modification & discussion that has not been up dated or died . Or at least I haven't read or seen in a long time . Maybe the moderators can merge this with the old thread or make a sticky ? There was a lot of good information about Keeping the BBB alive in the old post . For those die-hards who still run a serious 455 Iron race engine , here is the oiling & modifying that we do & has not been discussed in a long time lol . Hence the release & most upgrading to the TA Tomahawk.
Looks like a plumbers nightmare, I believe the rear oil line does a much better job through the fact that there’s not so many bends and fittings that causes restrictions . But to each his own .besides The T/a block resolved all those issues. I would bet by the time you girdle epoxy brace etc. and do all that work you’re close to the price of the block anyway
Oh I know I’ve done quite a few myself it’s just not worth all the effort and in the end you don’t have a reliable block for that kind of power it becomes a safety issue. And besides I don’t know too many people that are able to install girdle which is the most expensive part of the upgrade. Not to mention most shops can’t do it correctly anyway. 650 hp and under your fine with a select iron block anything after that it’s just a matter of time !
I've been waiting almost 2 years to get my girdle on through mike at AMP. Pulled thr plug and goin to go get it back
That or finishline is going to be the plan when I get it back and get enough money for it........once I get all this other stuff that has been dropped on me taken care of
Here's some pics of a system that was developed in the 70's and used on a local circle track here in Flint. Not sure if it was a KB system or home developed. The guy who ran the car was a Buick employee in the shop and ran a machine shop at his home.
I'm trying to see exactly what you have done. The three interior mains are fed through the valley, where does it enter in the block? At the cam journal? The outboard mains are fed from the back oil gallery hole. The front from the normal oil feed/pressure hole? Trying to follow your hose routing, can't quite do it. Thanks Rick
Does anyone know the earliest that KB started selling the block girdle? Dave Hemker's block has a girdle and as you can see by the oil pan, the girdle doesn't even go all the way to the ends like TA's does. I was wondering if it was home built or KB's? I know this motor was built around '77 or '78.
Circle track car. Ran extremely well, would pull away like crazy on the straights and usually qualified in the top 3 for the feature. Unfortunately didn't finish too many features.
What type of epoxy/block filler is the best for water passage fill and lifter girdle install? Nick, whats your choice? Best regards
It really doesn’t matter if you can make it cleaner or not. I just don’t see it being more effective then adding a rear oil feed line. The Right oil clearances, other necessary oil modifications. And oil control.It’s just fluid dynamics, all those 90° bends create too many restrictions.That set up was created back in the 70s and became obsolete when the rear oil feed line was used. My old 475 turned to 7400 RPM and bearings look fine on tear down. Many more people have accomplished the same thing, as a matter of fact Mike Phillips competed in the engine masters challenge with a destroked big blockBuick that turned to 8000 RPM and was tore down after the Dyno pulls and the bearings were fine. Besides if you’re going to the power level it just doesn’t make any sense to stay with an iron factory block because of the inherited weak Main webbing.If you were to pay somebody to do all that work that you see on that engine there’s no way it’s wouldn’t be more expensive than an aluminum block.