Hello Guys,
It depends on how much stress you are going to put on the engine. I always recommend American parts-they are usually better machined and quality controlled. Don't let anyone talk you into the "sportsman" version. If you balance it properly ,etc. you will spend more getting it done than if you spend more to start and get a better crank!!!

HEY ,I THINK BLOWN 1500 MEANT GET LUNITI PRO CRANK APPROX.1300.00 AND USE IT ,ALSO THE 572 REALLY WON'T LAST AS LONG AS THE 540 ,I THINK THIS IS WHY MERC JUMPED BACK TO A 540 ??? THE 4.25 OR 4.375 IS THE LARGEST STROKE I WOULD USE TO RIDE AROUND ON ,IF I WAS GOING FOR BEAR ,I WOULD NOT STOP AT A 4.5 STROKE I WOULD BUILD A 703 WHICH IS A KILLER N.A. MOTOR AND SAME BASIC PRICE AS A 572 ,
ON THE CRANK GET THE BOB WEIGHT OF THE MOTOR AND CALL LUNITI AND GIVE IT TO THEM AND THEY WILL SEND YOU THE CRANK BALANCED CLOSE ENOUGH TO SAVE YOU A TON ON HEAVY METAL ,,MALORRY METAL ,,, IN BALANCING ,THIS REALLY HELPS THE BOTTOM LINE $$$$$$,,,:D :D :D :D

I think I am going to have some engines built with some 427 cranks in them (3.76") with big pistons and looooooooong rods! :)

Blown 1500

Have you dynoed the AFR/Pro one heads back to back? What were the results?


If not, if you or anyone else wants to, my 565 will be on the dyno within the next two weeks. I have a set of 325 pro ones and a set of Dart big M heads to try. I would like to test a set of AFR's.

Uhm. Why not this? 540cids 9:1 (well actually a little less due to the slightly more piston chamber - 8.6:1 seems under my calculations) but, very solid.

Block: Merlin II CNC 4.50 Bore 9.8" Height
Crank: SCAT 4.250 Strk Req 6.135" rods.
Conrod: Oliver Billet 6.135"
Pistons: JE 'Flat Top' #106907 (9:1 w/ 124cc chamber)
- Deck Height: 9.8"
- Rod Length: 6.135" (2.200")
Heads: Merlin AL rect 345cc Solid roller.
Intake: Single plane.
Cam: Crane 138601 (if seems too radical for your desires), why not a Crane 131311?.

Carb: 830 - 850cfm.
Redline: 5800 - 6000rpm

Other choices can be a Callies crank and going to Oliver 6.385" rods and try to find some similar pistons to be mated with the longer conrods.

Isn't a complete engine, but add whatever you may think that need (oil cooler, oil pan, ignition, etc...) but the main base I think that is present and is quite serious hardware for a 'perfect 540'.

What you think about? (I know that isnt the perfect base for a blown engine) but sure you get enough HP for keeping it NA. And with an enough solid lower side for if someday you go balls out and blown it.

No matter whose crank you use, use as long a rod as you can!!
Andrea's Scat crank is clearanced for a 6.135" rod. That means the weights are cut down OD to clear the piston wrist pin area. This also means it will be harder to balance. If you use a tall deck, a 6.8" rod will work great and, generally give the best results.
I have run several heads on the dyno and know several people I trust who have run even more and the AFR's seem to win. There are, however, many variables. Different heads require different cams, pistons, etc. to get the best results. All you have to do to get any compression ratio you want is to choose the piston, head gasket, and combustion chamber volume to get the desired rresult. I have had the best result with as small a combustion chamber as practical with a "D" dished piston to adjust the compression ratio.

The base I wrote are the future engines we want to build a friend and me for their Baja, so this thread can be quite informative too, but their engines would be NA not blown.

Hi Andrea!
NA or forced induction, a longer rod than a 6.135" with a 4.25" strock is a better idea. If you have not bought your parts yet, the crank made for the longer rod has better counterweights and will balance better for a LOT less money. The rods are the same price unless you are using the stock rod. The price of everything, by the time all is done, might not be so much more if you get the better crank and a set of Eagle rods. Always have a good machine shop check the Eagles!!

Re: Lets Build the Perfect 540
 

Guys can we keep this thread going lots of intersting opions in here.
So what is the perfect 540?????

Relability.
Flexible (Addition of a blower lator)

Any comments or suggestions please respond??????

Caveman

Thanks for the info (your post was quite old), as time passed my friend got more and more parts and the engine is almost completed, only needs some few parts, like cam and carburetor.

Reading from other people and the advice that many gave to them, found this cam and wanted to ask if would be good or probably other will be better:

Crane Cams 131311.

Main problem is that cam is for mechanical lifters not solid rollers which came on the AFR's , any Crane # equivalent for solid rollers? Would be good to spin such big pistons up to 6000 or 6100 rpms? Engine was made as bulletproof as he can afford (this week I'll post all the data regarding the parts used, only that I surely remember in this moment is the block who is a Merlin aluminium tall deck decked up to 10.180" and the AFR's which were a custom assembly.

What do you do in this scenerio...

Plan on using a 540, but don't have the dough for the Whipple. Is it ok to build the 540's internal's for the Whipple and run it in the boat until winter?

Can the Whipple be installed with the motor in the boat?

Also, is anyone running carb'd Whipple 540? If set up professionaly waht are the drawbacks?

I was asked to do this about 6 years ago for a large company in the after market. Our 540 combo was targeted for 600HP @5000 and 600#/ft @ 4000


1) Best Block to use: Merlin, stock, Dart............
GM Short deck VI. Cost effective.
My Choice, Merlin.

2) Tall deck or not
Target crate price dictated short. I would chose tall to reduce side loading of cylinder walls.

3) Crank
Lunati Racer series BQ427. 4.250" Refer to these as Pig cranks, 2 hole lightened, but they hold up.

4) Rods

Lunati Pro Mod I beams. Due to the constant rpms and the fact that I beams are stronger.

5) Pistons
JE flat tops. Like a full skirt piston over the T-skirt. Less rocking in the bore . Compression was 8.5 to 1
6) Heads
Canfields, unported with good valve job. 119cc heads, actual CC was 122. This head was designed by Joe Petelle of HVH. Because of its low lift numbers it makes very good power.

7) Valves
Dynagear 6000 series. Sorry due to Chinese and imported ****, they are out of business. Best damn valve made in the USA. Now no valves are made in the USA 2.250/1.88

8) Intake
We tried, Brodix dual and single/Wieand Dual and Single/ Dart/ Edelbrock Dual and Single. Chose the Wieand Single plane. It was not the most HP or the most torque. . .dual planes made more tq then any of the singles, chose because it was cost effective and for LOOKS. You Powerboaters don't like looking at little itty bitty dual planes when you're showing off the engine compartment.

9) Cam
That was my doing. Very small. it was in the 230 range and lift was a tad over .600



So on and so forth

Lets figure it out together

MSD Ignition, 950HP carb stock jetting 94/94 , BH9 NGK's, 38 degrees total.

dyno Numbers:

RPM HP Torque BSFC VE%
3600 438 639 .439 91.7
4000 497 653 .401 95.0
4400 568 678 .419 99.7
4800 622 681 .432 101.6
5200 645 652 .433 100.7

Correction factor was 1.2%. These are corrected numbers.

These engines had good idle qualities and would run on 87 octane.

Chris

Cam:
Would a "tad" be in the .630/.635 range?
How about 236/240 @.050 duration for the same cam?
Hydraulic Roller, AFR 315 CNC Ported, 9:1 CR also.

Where can you but those tall deck blocks for 1400.00?

anyone, anyone?

RLW, I would say real close
 

RLW

I would say you are right on cam - 741 Crane, correct?
I run a Gen VI std deck 9.800" with GM forged rods
540 cu. in. - GM rect 325cc heads, ported, gasket matched, polished, bowl blend, 3 angle, etc, etc
Dynoed at 600hp 5500 rpm, 600 lb ft @ 4700 rpm
Hp was still climbing when I shut the test down - didn't want to spin faster. Guess the heads are just really starting to breathe at 4500 and up...

With the Canfields flow #'s in the above set-up, would say that power looks right on...

Zack

RLW,
With the numbers on the AFR's, you need less exhaust duration and lift. With good exhaust ports you don't need the lift and duration to crutch them, if used you are just blowing torque out the pipes.

Johnny, I sold Competition Products about 100 TD BBC Marine/Truck blocks a few years back. They are HD blocks and have heavy cylinder walls. They would bore 4.350 or 4.375" no problem. You may get a deal on those, I think they still have some left.

Chris

Chris

Russ,
This was one of the custom cams discussed for the 540 build. It would go along with Chris' comments.
Only a 2* split on int/ex due to the heads flowing 77-81% I/E ratio in your configuration.
Bob
Dur @ .050 233 intake and 235 exhaust
Lift 600 intake and 612 exhaust
Lobe seperation 112
intake centerline 108

Thanks Bob and Chris.
Looking forward to seeing what this looks like on Carl McQuillen's dyno.

Re: Lets Build the Perfect 540
 

TTT for Andy Buzz

Re: Lets Build the Perfect 540
 

Andy you also asked me for a drive recommendation. I would suggest a look at the Konrads. They make a addaptor set up to convert over your bravo's

Jon

Re: Lets Build the Perfect 540
 

Mcollinstn, Are the zero-gap-top rings durable enough to handle boost and possibly a little detonation should it happen to him? I have been a little out of the loop lately but I have always thought in a sustained boost/RPM engine that zero-gap-seconds would be perferable especially if the piston had a high silicon content. Am I wrong about this?

Roby

Re: Lets Build the Perfect 540
 

If you want good leak numbers, by all means run the gapless stuff. If you want more power, open the second ring up to 30% to 40% more then the top and make more power at mid to upper rpm. Ring flutter kills power.

Chris