Engine Building - Top Shop Challenge - Editorial

You Could Be The Winner Of This Custom-Built Engine!Go To Syntectopshop.ComAnd Vote For Your Favorite Engine

As you might have seen in last month's Castrol Syntec Top Shop Challenge update, we're building a small-block engine and are now full throttle on the build. With this build needing to be completed by August, we only had a few weeks to complete the engine from top to bottom. With us trying to psyche out the competition, it was only natural for us to play some head games. The top end of an engine is where all of the horsepower comes from, so with two Comp turbos being custom made, we started preparing the CNC Trick Flow heads to take everything that we throw at it.

The Trick Flow heads are the Super 23 Race CNC cylinder heads for small-block Chevrolet engines with 18-degree performance. These ported heads are the closest thing that you can get to 18-degree cylinder head performance in a 23-degree head. Designed to use standard small-block Chevy valvetrain components and headers, they're designed specifically for 400-c.i.d. and larger engines.

We used a brand new set of Trick Flow Super 23 Race CNC ported heads
With so much to do and such a short time frame, Jerry at Ace Machine decided to start off the build tuning and going over the heads to ensure that they will be able to handle the horsepower that we're seeking to accomplish.
With so much to do and such a short time frame, Jerry at Ace Machine decided to start off
Jerry broke out a custom-made heavy duty spring compressor that was able to collapse the valve springs.
Jerry broke out a custom-made heavy duty spring compressor that was able to collapse the v

As you can see, these heads received a lot of machine work before even being modified by us.
As you can see, these heads received a lot of machine work before even being modified by u
Once the valve clips were loosened, the compression springs were removed from the heads.
With nothing holding the heads, the stainless valves were removed.

The valve gaskets were removed using a set of specialty pliers.
These brand new Trick Flow heads were ready to be customized to handle our desired 1,000-plus horsepower engine.
These brand new Trick Flow heads were ready to be customized to handle our desired 1,000-p
Each port needs to be checked to see if the valve will fit properly or if the port needs to be honed out to allow the valve to travel without any binding that can cause a valve to bend.
Each port needs to be checked to see if the valve will fit properly or if the port needs t

The surfacing machine will deck the head and make sure that it's flat, increasing the tolerances between the heads and the engine block.
The surfacing machine will deck the head and make sure that it's flat, increasing the tole
You can see all of the detail on the heads as they were machined to allow the air to flow through to the intake.
You can see all of the detail on the heads as they were machined to allow the air to flow
These metal valve seals (or valve "seats" as they're sometimes referred to) were the last items removed on the heads.
These metal valve seals (or valve "seats" as they're sometimes referred to) were the last

Since these heads have the ability to produce more than 600 naturally aspirated horsepower when matched with the proper components, they're the perfect combination to the World Products small-block 350 engine block that we're putting together. The internals of the engine consist of a Lunati billet crank and connecting rods, and CP Pistons. We can't wait to use the Fast fuel system, but before we get there, we need to knock out and prepare the heads.

Remember to go online and vote for your favorite lowrider engine at www.SyntecTopShop.com. Once there, you can register to win this engine. Look out for the next installment where we take on the bottom end of this World Products small-block and make it as "bulletproof" as possible. We'll show you how the rotating assembly will go on, but for now see how we play head games with the competition.

Each individual stainless steel valve was removed and checked for tolerances from the intake to the exhaust as both of them took the same process.
Each individual stainless steel valve was removed and checked for tolerances from the inta
Even though manufacturers tell you that their heads are ready "out of the box," some old school guys like going through the whole thing one more time to ensure that the heads do not fail.
Even though manufacturers tell you that their heads are ready "out of the box," some old s
The head ports and manifold ports were lined up to see how much is needed to be removed from the manifold.
The head ports and manifold ports were lined up to see how much is needed to be removed fr

Using a gasket the same OD as the machined ported heads will allow us to use the gasket as a template and transfer the size that we're looking for.
Using a gasket the same OD as the machined ported heads will allow us to use the gasket as
The end caps were test fitted using ARP studs and bolts.
While the intake manifold was going to be ground, Jerry moved onto the World Products engine block.
While the intake manifold was going to be ground, Jerry moved onto the World Products engi

This heavy duty World Engine block was ready for full assembly.
Each port is individually ground and it will take hours to manually complete this part of the build as you will have to go back and forth on the grinding.
Each port is individually ground and it will take hours to manually complete this part of
The aluminum intake was ready to have the air intake ports opened up to match the heads that we're using. The intake was blueprinted (or, in our case, painted with a Sharpie marker) to allow the marking of the material that needs to be removed to show up.
The aluminum intake was ready to have the air intake ports opened up to match the heads th

Jerry started disassembling the bearing end caps to allow him to assemble the rotating assembly.
Jerry started disassembling the bearing end caps to allow him to assemble the rotating ass
First on the agenda was to "mic" the Lunati Crank for the bearing sizes.
Next month we'll continue our assembly as Jerry has to order the bearings needed to install the Lunati rotating assembly.
Next month we'll continue our assembly as Jerry has to order the bearings needed to instal

SOURCE
Castrol Syntec	CP Pistons Irvine CA 949-567-9000 www.cppistons.com
Ace Machine 7515 Jurupa Ave., Suite E Riverside CA 92504	Fast Fuel
ARP 531 Spectrum Circle Oxnard CA 93030 805-278-7223	Lunati 4770 Lamar Ave. Memphis TN 38181 901-365-0950 www.lunaticamshafts.com
COMP Cams	Milodon 2250 Agate Ct. Simi Valley CA 93065 805-577-5950 www.milodon.net
Comp Turbo	Summit Racing P.O. Box 909 Akron OH 44309-0909 800-230-3030 www.summitracing.com