here's something I've been pondering for a while. anyone know the smallest possible configuration you could get for a chevy v8?? could you get it under 200 cubes?? It's an OT application, as new midgets are hardly pre-64 but the limit on a pushrod engine with stock head/block is 195ci +2% think you could hit 400hp with a full race dry sump motor alchy injected??
I don't know if it's possible or not, but that thing would sound absolutely wicked. Small displacement V8's just have a crazy sound of their own.
If you used a 3" stroke crank with a 262 ci block (smallest bore) then it'd give you 253 and some change. <200 seems pretty unlikely. I think you'd have to fab a custom crank to de-stroke it enough to get under 200.
The shortest factory stroke was the 265/283 crankshaft at 3.00 inches. The smallest bore was the large journal 267 at 3.5 inches. Put a 283 crank in a 267 block with main bearing spacers, and you've still got 231 cubic inches, so you'd have to either destroke the crank, sleeve the bores, or both. I recall a 209 cubic inch SBC someone made with the Indy 500 in mind in the late '60s/early '70s.
3 inch 265/283/302 crank, sleeve the cylinders down to 3.2, and you've got 193 cubic inches. If you just want to go over a bit, I've got a 215 Buick for sale, a lot less work, weight, and cubic dollars......
the inline 4 banger is done and gm even builds specific motors for the application. they swapped the cam to the other side of the block! was thinking along the lines of what could be done different for a midget at a big track say 5/8ths with high banks. big dollar motors make 400hp in a midget. another WAY OT route that would be cool is the hyabusa v8 built by hartley enterprises. rules say that DOHC engines require 120cubes max
sounds interesting. that be some RPM right there I'm guessing the heads and valvetrain would be the hardest part of that combo to make work!
Check this out, I think its too small for your application ...But still cool!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1Ygf83DwlA&feature=related
For a rev hound, I'd be looking at short stroke and big bore, so you don't shroud the valves. See if a crank guy near you can weld up the throws and offset grind smaller (destroke). Make sure the valvetrain is as light as possible, make the oiling work, and it should be fun!
I seem to remember some small displacement chevy's made for Indy way back. Anything is possible with the right resources.
Back in the day, a couple companies used to cut a SBC in half for a cool V4. Last I heard Arlen Ness now owns the tooling. Now that's a big buck way to get to 200 cu in. If you start with a 400 inch and only use 4 of the cylinders...well would that work? Yea I know you would have to mess with the crank and distributer, if it was simple everyone would have one.
Deja vu, didn't we all cover this same question before? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=302087&highlight=small+sbc Or head to your nearest crank grinder and tell him what you want, $$ will make it happen...prolly a 2.1 stroke and a 3.8 bore.
Back in the 60s M/T built a v-8 midget. Went like stink on the straights, but even Herk couldn't get it hearded through the turns- too much weight!
**** made an aluminum V-4 for midget racing, it was basicly a 400 without the center 4 cyl, it still had the back flange and front cover as a sbc. The crank was an odd fire and you had to use a V-8 magneto with four of the non cyl wires plugged into 4 spark plugs that were screwed into the bellhousing flange. The thing had a vibration up to 2800 rpm then it smoothed out. Sounded really wicked going down the backstrecth at ASCOT
I thin Ma Mopar still offers an LA 4cylinder block for these. A raised runner Stage 6 head and she'd be mean!
Stock blocks werew 209inches at Indy for some time. Beef Stew already nailed the Larson And ***mins 3 liter Chevy and they ran a 2 liter Half SBC also. Pretty sure they were using a Billet crank. Welding and offset grinding that much is more trouble than it's worth.
They have done the V8 Bike motor deal before in Midget racing Mel Kenyon ran one about 20 or more years ago based off of 2 1000 cc Suzuki motors technically I think they are still legal in USAC as long as they are 2 litres or smaller
Ford built a 221 C.I. small block before the 260, and with a little de-stroking, you could be under 200 easily, and it would be quite a bit lighter than a SBC.
Ran a de stroked 265 at 233 cubes way back in 64/5 for a while in a 55 G***er..... Had to buzz it around 9500....... M.
Ever heard of an L99? It's a 4.3L v8 (263ci) which is actually a destroked version of the 5.7L LT1 V8 built from 1994-96 but it still has the reverse flow cooling and Sequential Port Fuel Injection. Just dump the Optispark and drill a hole for the distributor into the back of the intake manifold. Maybe you can sleeve the cylinders? But then again I'm not an engine builder. I just drive the **** out of 'um!
Back in the mid-late 50's. Moto Guzzi built a 500 cubic CENTIMETER V8 for their race bikes. http://www.ozebook.com/mcnews/mgV8/MotoGuzziV8.htm
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