aluminum main caps

[lancer]

I need to know the part numbers and manufacturer of aluminum main caps for a B block. Also does any body know if BME makes a rod for the big block with 2.2 rod size .990 pin with 1.012 BEwidth/ or as far as that goes anybody make such a rod. aluminum or steel. thanks Lancer

[DartGT66]

Are you sure you want or even need aluminum caps? I think they need maintenance just like the aluminum rods, you might also want to check the Program engineering cross bolted steel main cap kit. I think the aluminum main caps are available from Indy. Don't know about the rods, but I think they are available in aluminum from almost any manufacturer and in steel from at least Manley.

[AZMOPAR]

Aluminum main caps are available from several sources - Muscle Motors for one. There are those that say you need them and those that say not - all creditable engine builders. The rods are available from BME - also MM and others. What is your reason for believing you need to convert to AL caps????? The bearings need more maintanance than steel caps. Program Engineering makes a real nice set of cross bolted mains for the B engines - had a set on my 440 - very nice work - require align bore (AL probably will too).

[Beeracuda]

Manley should have the rods you need and right now they are cheap! We bought a set for the standard rod journal last week. They said they had 1200 for sale at $440.00!

If you want cross-bolted steel caps, Dvorak Machine has them also. The web address is http://www.dvorakmachine.com/

Monty

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Monty Brown
74 Barracuda
446 / PG
10.23 /134

[DusterDave]

I don't understand why it's a good idea to use main caps made of aluminum to hold you entire rotating/recipricating assembly in place. I am building up a '71 440 block, replacing all the factory caps with Pro-Gram Eng. alloy steel two-bolt main set. It's $380 for the set of five, but there is the align-bore and align-hone job which will run between $300-$400, depending on the shop. The cross-bolted mains are more, plus there is more machining. It gets to a point where a brand new MP 4-bolt block isn't much more.

[J-BODY]

AAHHHH YES! The snowball of financial horse power is now rolling! It's always hard to know when to stop. It seems everytime we drop a few dollars on one part we find a few more dollars will get us something even better. And when you buy that one low and behold there is something better yet. Hello, my name is J and I am a horse power junkie.

[DartGT66]

The aluminum caps need the machine work too. They are used because they absorb some shocks; the main webs are the weakest point in the block and may crack. I think the aluminum main caps are a bit old technology because the cross bolt conversion kits are now available. It's true that it's wiser to buy a new MP cross bolted block than convert a 440 block to crossbolted main caps, but unforunately many of us prefer the 400 block over a 440 and that isn't available from the MP. It should be, I think. I have currently problems with the main cap movement in the stock block, the two bolts aren't enough to keep them in place.

[Beeracuda]

We thought about installing the aluminum or cross-bolted steel caps this year because we did manage to break the #4 main cap last year. We flat ran out of time to get everything done. I don't know how long it was broken, cause we broke #2 rod (LY rods) last year also. I guess we're just making too much horsepower!

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Monty Brown
74 Barracuda
446 / PG
10.23 /134