Aluminum slant block

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Being an open deck, the top of the cylinders would walk around so the head gaskets were very special.

One of the plans were to wind 1/4 inch copper tubing around each cylinder and fill the water jackets with high temp epoxy or block cement, then milled flat. The copper would be into the water jacket at the bottom and to the head at the top so water could circulate around the cylinders.
 
I have one of those 63 buick 215 motors, complete with some extra 300 olds heads. Tiny pistons.
 
Saw one of the Buick 215 motors in a sand rail years ago with a nitrous bottle on it, too. Guessing that was a fun little ride
 
33IMP said:
IF I remember right.... Steve Magnante had a alum block/alum head slanty project a few years back
The aluminum blocks were an assembly line option, so they were somewhat common in the early sixties. Not so much 60years later
I don't remember how he got a alum head.
The guy you bought this stuff from isn't named STEVE, is he?
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The aluminum block engines were not an "option". Chrysler installled them randomly as a field test for the whole concept of an open fire aluminum diecast cylinder block.
 
:)

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Every time I see a Lancer or valiant for sale, I’m always curious if it’s got one under the hood. Seems like we didn’t get as many over here on the West Coast.
 
RustyRatRod said:
It's the block itself. I believe it can be stopped. I think it the block were to be decked to clean it up good. Have it decked so it has a little "tooth" to it. Not a mirror finish. Then degrease it with denatured alcohol, let it dry completely and come back over it with a high temp oil based DTM paint. Just spitballin, but that would certainly stop the corrosion problem. Now, what it would do in terms of affecting the gasket sealing, I don't know, but I'd be game to find out.
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I developed a solution for the guys over on .org about 10 years ago, but they still choose to keep repeating the same process expecting a different result. I also contributed and participated in a magazine build(Muscle Mopar and Hot Rod magazines)with Steve Magnate featuring an aluminum Slant 6 build, and again the dreaded blown head gasket scenario derailed the project during dyno testing. So there are ways to reduce the blown head gasket issues, and it can allow for better power output, but it'll only be a matter of time that it causes another weak link in the chain to appear and then that having to be addressed.....IMHO!
 
SLeeve it. We did that to a Vega block back in 73 at tech school. We surfaced the deck and put it together it worked perfect.
 
No, this is actually a better, different approach. The blocks already have sleeves in them...The method I presented has been around for over 30 years and has allowed the sport compact guys to achieve over 1000 HP out of their early open deck Honda 4 cylinder blocks....
 
CNC-Dude said:
I developed a solution for the guys over on .org about 10 years ago, but they still choose to keep repeating the same process expecting a different result. I also contributed and participated in a magazine build(Muscle Mopar and Hot Rod magazines)with Steve Magnate featuring an aluminum Slant 6 build, and again the dreaded blown head gasket scenario derailed the project during dyno testing. So there are ways to reduce the blown head gasket issues, and it can allow for better power output, but it'll only be a matter of time that it causes another weak link in the chain to appear and then that having to be addressed.....IMHO!
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That's how it goes. When one weak link is strengthened, another is exposed.
 
toolmanmike said:
SLeeve it. We did that to a Vega block back in 73 at tech school. We surfaced the deck and put it together it worked perfect.
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They already have cast in iron sleeves. The Vega blocks were all aluminum with a high silicone content. GM acid etched the cylinders to expose more silicone which is what the pistons and rings contacted. It proved to be a bad idea.
 
CNC-Dude said:
I developed a solution for the guys over on .org about 10 years ago, but they still choose to keep repeating the same process expecting a different result. I also contributed and participated in a magazine build(Muscle Mopar and Hot Rod magazines)with Steve Magnate featuring an aluminum Slant 6 build, and again the dreaded blown head gasket scenario derailed the project during dyno testing. So there are ways to reduce the blown head gasket issues, and it can allow for better power output, but it'll only be a matter of time that it causes another weak link in the chain to appear and then that having to be addressed.....IMHO!
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Did you outline the solution you came up with over on .org?
If so, what do I search for?
 
CNC-Dude said:
No, this is actually a better, different approach. The blocks already have sleeves in them...The method I presented has been around for over 30 years and has allowed the sport compact guys to achieve over 1000 HP out of their early open deck Honda 4 cylinder blocks....
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I proposed a Darton sleeve idea a while ago when discussing all-out Slanty projects. I suppose it could solve an Al-U-minimum block as well, but unlike a Honda the head bolts aren't deep-block, they are deck/outer wall. That would present a challenge, but I'm interested in the solution.
 
toolmanmike said:
SLeeve it. We did that to a Vega block back in 73 at tech school. We surfaced the deck and put it together it worked perfect.
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The problem is, the Al Slanty has 6 free-standing cylinders, and are already cast with iron liners. A Civic has 4-in-a-row free standing, but siamesed, they tend to grow & crush the gasket near the middle..& the head bolts have to be checked carefully, even taking .010" off the head can cause the threads to bottom in the block.
If You're familiar with the Dan Wesson revolver, You know the point of holding the cylinder(barrel in that instance) in tension under pressure, instead of free standing. In the firearm, the difference was small, but they are by design much more rigid than a production engine block. In the barrel, it is held around it's circumference by a barrel-nut, head bolts cause points of distortion at-deck.
So there are trade-offs both ways here. But Al Slantys are unstable by nature either(both) way(s). They were to be a light-weight, reasonable output, economy power plant...not a racing piece. If coolant was maintained, & modern head gaskets are used, they should service fine.
 
I also made a 3D model of a sleeve that had an interlocking deck that you could send to Darton and have made as a Plan B. But can you actually picture a Slant 6 person throwing down $150+ per sleeve and then paying to have them installed....?LOL Anyway, that just makes the block strong enough to make the next weakest link vulnerable....
 
CNC-Dude said:
I also made a 3D model of a sleeve that had an interlocking deck that you could send to Darton and have made as a Plan B. But can you actually picture a Slant 6 person throwing down $150+ per sleeve and then paying to have them installed....?LOL Anyway, that just makes the block strong enough to make the next weakest link vulnerable....
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Respect man, I’ve been watching you in the slant world for years. You are an asset, I’m sorry slant guys are too cheap and stubborn to take advantage, but just wanted you to know you are appreciated.
 
There are a few out there yet, just have to keep your eyes and ears open. My neighbor friend has two of them. One has all the goodies too
 
I'm sure they can stand warming up some, you just have to be careful. My main concern if I had one wouldn't be to hot rod the heck out of it. I would just get the "deck surface" flat and true and treat it with "something" to keep it from corroding. I wouldn't try to push the boundaries of the block itself. That'd defeat the whole purpose.
 
CNC-Dude said:
I also made a 3D model of a sleeve that had an interlocking deck that you could send to Darton and have made as a Plan B. But can you actually picture a Slant 6 person throwing down $150+ per sleeve and then paying to have them installed....?LOL Anyway, that just makes the block strong enough to make the next weakest link vulnerable....
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Given the cost of used intakes & headers, that's not a bad deal at all, but agreed....what will break next..
 
RustyRatRod said:
I'm sure they can stand warming up some, you just have to be careful. My main concern if I had one wouldn't be to hot rod the heck out of it. I would just get the "deck surface" flat and true and treat it with "something" to keep it from corroding. I wouldn't try to push the boundaries of the block itself. That'd defeat the whole purpose.
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The article I participated in with Steve Magnate in Mopar Muscle and Hot Rod had a head gasket failure as the engine approached 200 HP. That's probably not too shabby, but if that's to be an expected issue at that HP range, how long can it live at say, 180 HP, if it's that close to a failure point...? It probably could have also failed in the 180 HP range if it had been given enough time.
 
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