Thanks to Frank and Bob for expending your efforts and resources for the Pontiac enthusiasts.
Jim

Thanks for the update guys. I will be in the market for one real soon...hopefully in aluminum!

I was probably for water to the underside of the exhaust port center to add water under pressure in between the exhaust valves.

X2!

I've wondered about the water jackets in the IAII blocks. Having read about folks filling their O.E. Blocks to varying levels, then listening to all kinds of feedback as to how well their engines cooled after performing this modification.
I've even read once where someone fill a IAII block in an extreme HP engine.
I have read where a lot of the lower water jacket is wasted cooling space...
I know that the bulk of the heat generated comes from the upper area of the cylinder. Maybe the factory engineers got it right, for a reason?
I like the 1/4" pipe holes in SBC engines, they drain a lot faster...

Johnny, have you heard anything about a Pontiac event in Tulsa the his year?

When you fill the block it cools better because you have a lesser ratio of coolant in the block to coolant in the radiator so with less volume in the block theres not as much water heating up.The one thing you have to watch out for is the oil getting to hot because it gets cooled by flowing down the valley witch normally has coolant flowing through it.

The IA II (Indian Adventures II ) blocks water jackets were designed to pass water around the cylinders and remove the heat to the water the best that could be done.

When water comes in the front of a stock block it has only one way out and that is thru the block deck surfaces in to the heads.

We machine all IA II cast Iron and the Aluminum blocks dry decked. If you had to pay for this to be done on any other block it would be hundreds of dollars. We do it in the price of our block. It gives the user many options on how they want to cool their engine and cylinder heads.

Every block we sell has a 1 inch tapped holes in the rear of each cylinder bank just under the deck surface. This is so the user can remove the trapped boiling hot water that can't go anywhere in a stock block. Think about this? Water must start out cool entering the front and pass thru small holes in the deck thru to the heads. As it moves thru to the rear two cylinders it gets hotter and hotter. Right? But with the 1 inch tapped holes we give it a path out faster. It no longer sit and waits to come out the deck holes. You can do many things like plumb it back to the cross over. Or to the opposite rear head in to its tapped hole and thru that head back to the crossover. Thus is done to keep the water our of the deck and head gasket area.

Ask what others have learn why the IA II block investment is far better then spending money building up a hard to find 455 Pontiac blocks. The few dollars that the block cost over trying to make a stock block race ready is worth the money. It is like buying insurance for your investment.

Tapping a few holes and installing pipe plugs shouldn't cost hundreds of dollars....buying an Aftermarket block over upgrading a junk factory block isn't even close the Aftermarket block wins hands down! We are so lucky to have 2 aftermarket steel blocks to choose from!



GTO George

I think what Bob was referring to is the cost to dry deck a stock block VS buying one already done and drilling your own holes if you want a wet deck. The shop, I work out of would charge a minimum of $300.00, possibly more to drill and tap a stock block for pipe plugs, install the plugs, cut off the tops of the plugs and then square deck the block. Also, on a stock block, the deck is so flimsy, installing the deck pipe plugs, which are tapered, will distort the cylinder bores at the top. This is right where ring seal is critical. So to really do the job right, a stock block needs all the machining I described, then it needs to be honed with torque plates. The IA II just keeps looking better and better. If you want a wet deck, drill some holes and go.

Yes I should of stated a stock block.


We have seen people take a stock block and put 5 steel splayed main cap's on, ARP bolts, lifter bore brace, and line hone the main, tap the lifter bores, bore and hone the cylinders. Spend $2,600.00 on a stock block. And then find out the cylinder walls are .090 thick and junk the block.

Even then the block can't take 700 hp over a long period of time. And will have no resale value.

Having the dry deck aftermarket block from the start is a vast improvement over the factory block configuration. And Mike, I agree that there is a bunch of effort required to do it right, not just tapping a few holes, for sure.

And I agree with George that having two aftermarket blocks is a blessing.

Tom V.

I did just what Bob is comparing to. I had a 1960 389 block built. The only advantage was money spent over time. But If I had it all to do over again, I would have spent the money up front and I would have bought a block from Frank/Bob. I know I spent as much if not more for all the work done as the AI block would have cost, and I would have had a better block in the long run. Take my word for it. Do the AI block and never look back. You'll be time, money, and broken block headaches ahead.

Mark

Yep, done the same with my '59 389 block - welded the valley up, made a mains girdle,fitted longer mains cap dowels,dry decked the block and heads, honed out the lifter bores to SBF size( 'cos the valley welding distorted them),3/4 filled the block,drilled out and smoothed all the oil galleries,restricted the lifter bore oil holes, and had the block bored,honed and decked ! Actual money spent wasn't too bad as I did 90% of the work myself, but if I factored in the amount of man hours involved........, I could have easily bought an aftermarket block.

Have not heard anything about any Pontiac race in Tulsa. I am not a member of the club that used to put it on but I would think they aren't going to do it...

Whats the deposit price for one ?

If you want standard cam, standard lifters, and a 4.345 bore a $500 deposit will hold it. Big cam or big lifters or a custom bore size will take a $1000.deposit.

Thinking .904 lifter, std cam, have 4.35 pistons. Cam is .850ish lift.

Not butting in here but if your opting for the .904 lifter it would make sense to go 55mm cam tunnel also. The .850 lifter wheel and larger cam diameter opens up a lot more options in camshaft design which you could utilize.

That's exactly what I'm having done to my IA2, Do It right the first time!