Cast Iron Vs. Aluminum

[Lextreme II]

I am working very close with an engine builder currently and would like your opinion on the 2UZFE motor. Its a cast iron with 2 bolt main. I am trying to make it to 6 bolt main on the 2uzfe. I am also working on a stroker crank and rods with off the shelf peformance parts for either Ford or Chevy. From carrying it last night.. its damn heavy....

 

[1youZee]

converting the 2uzfe to a 4 bolt with 2 of the bolts in the standard location and 2 splayed bolts would be plenty strong without much modification. the chevy guys do this with the 2 bolt main 350s. I believe it would be the block of choice for extremely high horsepower.

 

[Pro]

i've never stuck my head inside a 2UZ - but from the power these tundra guys are getting out of unopened bottom ends you would have to say they're plenty strong.

still, nothing 1UZ mains caps can't make MORE reliable. i for one know the downsides to a "walking" crank under load - and it ain't pretty.

 

[turboandrew]

any idea on the weight difference between 1uz and 2uz?

 

[Lextreme II]

Huge... i can carry and move a 3uzfe pretty easily.... but 2uzfe will take two persons..... i dont have a scale that will measure weight but i will find some other way....

 

[Lextreme II]

Got the engine weighted yestereday with a restroom scale:

2UZFE shortblock weights: 238 lbs.
3UZFE shortblock weights: 155 lbs.

Shortblock means the bare block, main caps, rods, pistons and sleeves. The 2UZFE is about 83 lbs heavier then the 3UZFE. I would like to weight the 1uzfe also, but all of my engines are in a complete form. Perhaps someone can post with the 1uzfe shortblock weight.

 

[turboandrew]

the completly bare shortblock 1UZ is ~78 lbs. I can go weigh the components to come up with a total number later today.

I guess I won't be running the 2UZ in the long term. 83 lbs is just too tempting to lose. Hopefully with a twin screw on the 1UZ the .7 liters lost will not even be noticed.

 

[sc300tt]

... Hopefully with a twin screw on the 1UZ the .7 liters lost will not even be noticed.

It'll be even harder to notice on a car that spends it life sitting in a garage.

 

[turboandrew]

Heh, it ran once or twice!

 

[jibbby]

Iron blocks are stronger....

Aluminum blocks are lighter in weight....


I think the alluminum blocks are the way to go overall...All I need to say is LS1, LS7, etc... All aluminum blocks that produce massive power and are considerably light in weight...Need I say more?

This thread is a blast from the past...

 

[stevechumo]

Actually, there're the pros and cons to each.

Iron blocks can be bored out to a much larger displacement without having to change the cylinder sleeves. The iron is stronger to hold the thin stock sleeves. They're just more heavy.

Aluminum blocks are very limited to the wall thickness that can be bored out, or not even to withstand high hp while not to be bored out. The steel sleeves inside the block are pretty thin while the aluminum are weak and can't hold the great pressure. That's why aluminum blocks need to be changed to custom cylinder sleeves in order to be bored out for more. Some blocks also have floating sleeves...Isn't this scary?

If you opt for very high hp application, iron blocks are the win-win case. However, many thing can still be overcome successfully.

 

[LondonBenji]

I'm just hankering after building the most bastard hard 2UZ block, I'm interested in knowing specially how TRD converted it to 6 bolt mains.....

I would love to convert it they way they did, give it a crank girdle with built in mains caps and grout the bottom of the block then just boost the hell out of it and see what breaks...

What do you reckon? 2000bhp maybe?

 

[Lextreme II]

Here is the 4 bolt main conversion:




6 bolt main will be very hard. It was 4 bolt conversion:
http://www.turbomagazine.com/features/0210tur_import_drag_racing_toyota_celica/index.html

"The party started with a TRD custom-prepped 331 ci Toyota Tundra iForce V8 block. The block featured a reinforcing girdle and was converted from two-bolt mains to four-bolt mains in a most ingenious manner, ensuring rigidity. Robert Fulco of Fulco Race Engines was given the tall order of putting the engine together in a short amount of time. This buildup was much more than an "assemble and go" proposition. Time constraints and limited parts availability challenged Robert's considerable machining talents."

Here is what they used:

The core of the problem was compression ratio. The Tundra heads were trashed in favor of more performance-oriented Lexus GS400 heads that benefited from TRD's involvement in CART. This resulted in a static compression ratio of 10.06:1. Usually, a set of custom pistons and/or a thicker head gasket would solve the compression problem, but only a gasket was available. The gasket bought Robert 9cc of the 18ccs he would need to attain the target ratio of 8.0:1. The remaining 9cc would be hard earned indeed. The engine was designed to be bored and stroked from 4.7 liters of displacement to 5.3 liters. While Ross Racing Pistons could have made another set of custom slugs, time was against this method. The next logical option was to dish the existing Ross pistons.

On an engine dyno, the hybrid V8 was off the chain, generating a wicked 1,260 hp at its 20 psi low-boost setting. At the engine's highest competition boost of 35 psi, Turbonetics has calculated engine flywheel power with datalogging info to be a mind-altering 1600-plus (and we mean Plus) hp
By the way, some of you bashed Ross pistons.

 

[LondonBenji]

Okay so if you did all that and grouted the block as well and did everything to make it as strong as possible do you reckon 2000bhp at the crank? Would be fun to find out.

I tell you what if I won the lottery last night I will find out for you

 

[Lextreme II]

Benji,

Good luck with that. If you win, we all win.... by the way, my block is for sale. Need some money so I need to sell it.