4 bolt mains

[Superdave]

the RWD gaskets i used last year weren't marked other than which side was up...

[ForcedFirebird]

I think CNCGuy even had a coolant routing diagram. But that may have only been for the external lines.

The FWD head gaskets may have the same water holes front and rear. But remember the thermostat housing and pump are at different ends. But I am certain the RWD gaskets have large holes only at the rear 2 cylinders. I have not looked at one in like 6 years. But I did just look at an LS1 gasket and they have they have small steam holes at each cylinder water jacket and then the large coolant flow holes only at the rear which allows water from the block to enter the heads.

So theRWD gaskets are marked with driver's and passenger sides? The FWD gaskets only have "This Side Up".

[geoffinbc]

Couple of Corona's that night, lol.

The gaskets have the same holes in them, and can go on either side of the block. I looked today and saw the RWD has the same routing that the FWD manifold does turned around. My thought is how the FWD configuration would seem to cool #5 and #6 heads and block better than RWD. The coolant is entering/exiting the block at oppposit corners, instead of the same end exit/enter.

I think CNCGuy even had a coolant routing diagram. But that may have only been for the external lines.

The FWD head gaskets may have the same water holes front and rear. But remember the thermostat housing and pump are at different ends. But I am certain the RWD gaskets have large holes only at the rear 2 cylinders. I have not looked at one in like 6 years. But I did just look at an LS1 gasket and they have they have small steam holes at each cylinder water jacket and then the large coolant flow holes only at the rear which allows water from the block to enter the heads.

[Ortie666]

AHAHAHAH you guys think to much lol i have run the intake flipped around facing foreward, stock head gaskets etc, the ONLY problem i have had with my engine is taking out the bottoms of the 2 center bearings when it ran at 7800 rpm for a full 1/4 mile at 15psi, which is no supprise making 500+lbft on a basically stock bottom end at 7800rpm. kinda cool the peel out the length of the track tho

Tell me about it, I was on the street under full throttle in I think 3rd, and went threw a slightly wet spot, and b4 I could lift the bottomend was already making noise from a 8 grand flash, I destroyed all of the bearings and crank, its has an aftermarket electronic ignition, and ive often thought about buying the revlimiter box for it.. what can I say tho, Shit happens when you party naked

[ForcedFirebird]

Like I said the coolant holes in the gasket are so important because they direct water flow up to the head.
Trust me water does not go in one side of the block through one head across the intake to the other head and then out the block on the other side. Our cooling system is exactly like a SBC or BBC. FWD applications would just be slightly different.

Couple of Corona's that night, lol.

The gaskets have the same holes in them, and can go on either side of the block. I looked today and saw the RWD has the same routing that the FWD manifold does turned around. My thought is how the FWD configuration would seem to cool #5 and #6 heads and block better than RWD. The coolant is entering/exiting the block at oppposit corners, instead of the same end exit/enter.

[geoffinbc]

Not confused. Whats going to get coolant to the back of the heads with the manifolds in the pics? The 3x00 intake has the 2 water ports furthest from the t-stat blocked off. The entire back of the engine is going to get less flow.

This means the coolant is going to stay in the front of the block in a RWD configuration, correct? It's not going to circulate properly.

Like I said the coolant holes in the gasket are so important because they direct water flow up to the head.
Trust me water does not go in one side of the block through one head across the intake to the other head and then out the block on the other side. Our cooling system is exactly like a SBC or BBC. FWD applications would just be slightly different.

[chevette_boy]

Well chevette_boy, did you know that not only are the main caps cross-bolted to the stiff oil pan on the FWD blocks, but also that the windage tray is a heavy ~1/8" stamped steel piece that is bolted to the main caps? Kinda like a stud girdle. For my project since the mains are braced to the oil pan, I'm going to make a 3/16" bead rolled windage tray to add even more strength as well as ARP studs instead of bolts. I thought about 4 bolt mains but I figure this is better for my application and I'm not seeing 500 hp.

running the fwd oil pan would be a huge PITA as well as the accessories and the rwd block is fine i made my 400hp on a basically stock rwd bottom end rebuilt of course

[Wiz85]

Well chevette_boy, did you know that not only are the main caps cross-bolted to the stiff oil pan on the FWD blocks, but also that the windage tray is a heavy ~1/8" stamped steel piece that is bolted to the main caps? Kinda like a stud girdle. For my project since the mains are braced to the oil pan, I'm going to make a 3/16" bead rolled windage tray to add even more strength as well as ARP studs instead of bolts. I thought about 4 bolt mains but I figure this is better for my application and I'm not seeing 500 hp.

[ForcedFirebird]

AHAHAHAH you guys think to much lol i have run the intake flipped around facing foreward, stock head gaskets etc, the ONLY problem i have had with my engine is taking out the bottoms of the 2 center bearings when it ran at 7800 rpm for a full 1/4 mile at 15psi, which is no supprise making 500+lbft on a basically stock bottom end at 7800rpm. kinda cool the peel out the length of the track tho

Why yes we do, lol.

I cheked out some RWD manifolds today, the actaully run the coolant the same way as if the FWD manifold is on with the neck to the front.

We're al good

[chevette_boy]

Ill get you Rwd guys fixed up i think with the 4 bolt caps, full set of studs, balancing and careful machining we can make a reliable 5-600hp with a good twin turbo setup

[chevette_boy]

AHAHAHAH you guys think to much lol i have run the intake flipped around facing foreward, stock head gaskets etc, the ONLY problem i have had with my engine is taking out the bottoms of the 2 center bearings when it ran at 7800 rpm for a full 1/4 mile at 15psi, which is no supprise making 500+lbft on a basically stock bottom end at 7800rpm. kinda cool the peel out the length of the track tho

[923.4v6]

not to get too far off topic but i noticed the other day that it dosen't look like you can drill a 3500 block on the opposite side for a RWD starter.. do you still have a lx9 block sitting around to verify?

I could be wrong though...

I looked into it I was wanting to put a complete stock 3.5 in my 92 5-speed camaro at first. My 92 has a place in the bellhousing for a starter on either side where I ran into problems is I have headers and would had to used a 2000 up small starter and maybe shimed the headers out a 1/4 inch or so which wasn't no big deal,but the fwd starter wouldn't work with my flywheel due to the size maybe could have used a fwd flywheel but didn't know if they would have worked so I just decided to go with the 3.4 hybred instead. Its not together yet though.

[Ortie666]

The thing is ForcedFirebird, to save money as well as space in my chevette, I want to take advance of the crank pulley/damper by moving the engine back and down clearing the sway bar. Wouldn't be able to with the RWD front setup, plus to change over to that setup is going to cost money I need for other stuff.

hahaha, Like a big fat bottle of nitrous.. Do the custom intake, they actualy work pretty good, being how I was told many times that it would never work.. If you want Pm me and Ill give you info on the port opening size for powerband range, ive already played around making a couple of those aluminum intakes fitting 4bbls, and if the port openings are to wide ur powerband goes threw the roof.. (Not good for street use)

[Wiz85]

The thing is ForcedFirebird, to save money as well as space in my chevette, I want to take advance of the crank pulley/damper by moving the engine back and down clearing the sway bar. Wouldn't be able to with the RWD front setup, plus to change over to that setup is going to cost money I need for other stuff.

[Wiz85]

I can understand that there's coolant passages at both ends of the heads so that you can swap heads from side to side, but why isn't there a passage at the front of the LIM? I guess I would be answering my own question by saying that I think it's b/c by blocking it off, any coolant entered at the front of the head from the block would be forced to run across the head and then into the intake and thermostat. Pretty much coolant can enter anywhere into the head from the block passages (front, middle, rear) and then across the head towards the back. It's like the block are the arteries and the head are the veins, b/c blood can flow in different paths but long it get from point A to B. But I wonder if by blocking the rear passage, there would be some stagnate coolant at the back, but lots of flow in the front of the head. I know I'm the one that's started the off topic but it's been bothering me. Plus, how are the RWD block, heads, and intakes designed for coolant passages. I probably should just sleep on it.