SBC Just keeps on Rolling…. And Pullin’
In 2015 Bobby Bammann of Bammann Racing Engines in NJ had a customer that needed an engine for his 1954 Chevy Truck….in full Rat Rod. The truck is built on top of a custom $25,000 Art Morrison fabricated frame that is fully bagged for ride and comfort. Customer wanted a solid power plant that would idle at 800 rpm, but have some “get up and go” using old school mouse power. So a SBC 427CID 4.125 x 4” stroke was selected. A Dart SHP block was used with a forged rotating kit. A set of AFR210 heads “out of the box” capped with Super Vic intake and an Ultra 750 completed the induction. Bammann used Straub Tech for the camshaft and lifters. Straub supplied a camshaft that is .612/570 244/248 on a 108 LSA with a set of 4708 Morel Ultra Pro Hydraulic rollers that would be used with the OEM Spider and Dog-bone system from GM. With compression set at 10.5 to 1, the big mouse made 581HP at 6100 and 594#/ft at 4700…..we don’t know when the engine breaks 500# ft as the dyno doesn’t read that low!!!!
The engine was stuffed in the truck and off the customer went racking up over 60,000 miles on the truck till June of 2019 when the plan changed for the truck…grandpa was taking his grandson on a trip around the United States in the truck……Pulling a 27’ 7600lb trailer!!!!!!!!!!! Remember this is a Rat Rod….built to run around town and burn rubber….it wasn’t built to Haul loads…it was built to Haul Butt!!! Grandpa consulted with Bammann and after some advice, a hitch installation, and a full tank of pump gas…..the adventure was on….
Bammann got a call a few weeks later when the pilot and copilot got to Rockies and engine seemed down on power. Bobby gave them a jet change and timing change that he was comfortable with to help with the loss of power. The next time the phone rang it was a tech out in Las Vegas and he had some questions about the engine combination for tuning reasons of the new Holley Terminator System he was installing!!! There was one thing that was puzzling the tech….all cylinder were 170psi of cranking compression except for number 1….it was 220 psi. Bammann hypothesized that intake valve must be closing sooner on that cylinder for some reason and was the reason for the increase cranking compression. Since the engine wasn’t missing, it wasn’t a concern at the time. Down the road Bammann would realize how correct he was about closing early.
Terminator installed, the family vacation of exploring the US continued. From July 3 to December 15th the pilot and co-pilot logged over 10K miles in the “transformed” hotrod now tow truck. Bammann and owner both agreed after 4 years and 70K miles on the SBC, it was time for a rebuild. During the rebuild Bammann found the reason for the 220-psi cylinder. The intake lobe on number 1 was in failure mode. The worn lobe had lost nearly all its lobe lift with around .080” left, but nothing on the heal of the cam lobe was warn. So, the engine had lost power but since nothing was gone from heal of the lobe, the lifter never lost preload and the engine was able to continue without a “miss”.
Looking back, Bammann feels the lobe was probably going when the first call at the Rockies came in. The amazing part is the Grandpa and Grandson kept on rolling just like the engine did.
Bammann is in the process of freshening the “big mouse” right now the emphasis on “towing” since Grandpa and Grandson are thinking Canada now. One thing Grandpa told Bobby….” you use the same parts in that engine again because I know I won’t get stranded”
In 2015 Bobby Bammann of Bammann Racing Engines in NJ had a customer that needed an engine for his 1954 Chevy Truck….in full Rat Rod. The truck is built on top of a custom $25,000 Art Morrison fabricated frame that is fully bagged for ride and comfort. Customer wanted a solid power plant that would idle at 800 rpm, but have some “get up and go” using old school mouse power. So a SBC 427CID 4.125 x 4” stroke was selected. A Dart SHP block was used with a forged rotating kit. A set of AFR210 heads “out of the box” capped with Super Vic intake and an Ultra 750 completed the induction. Bammann used Straub Tech for the camshaft and lifters. Straub supplied a camshaft that is .612/570 244/248 on a 108 LSA with a set of 4708 Morel Ultra Pro Hydraulic rollers that would be used with the OEM Spider and Dog-bone system from GM. With compression set at 10.5 to 1, the big mouse made 581HP at 6100 and 594#/ft at 4700…..we don’t know when the engine breaks 500# ft as the dyno doesn’t read that low!!!!
The engine was stuffed in the truck and off the customer went racking up over 60,000 miles on the truck till June of 2019 when the plan changed for the truck…grandpa was taking his grandson on a trip around the United States in the truck……Pulling a 27’ 7600lb trailer!!!!!!!!!!! Remember this is a Rat Rod….built to run around town and burn rubber….it wasn’t built to Haul loads…it was built to Haul Butt!!! Grandpa consulted with Bammann and after some advice, a hitch installation, and a full tank of pump gas…..the adventure was on….
Bammann got a call a few weeks later when the pilot and copilot got to Rockies and engine seemed down on power. Bobby gave them a jet change and timing change that he was comfortable with to help with the loss of power. The next time the phone rang it was a tech out in Las Vegas and he had some questions about the engine combination for tuning reasons of the new Holley Terminator System he was installing!!! There was one thing that was puzzling the tech….all cylinder were 170psi of cranking compression except for number 1….it was 220 psi. Bammann hypothesized that intake valve must be closing sooner on that cylinder for some reason and was the reason for the increase cranking compression. Since the engine wasn’t missing, it wasn’t a concern at the time. Down the road Bammann would realize how correct he was about closing early.
Terminator installed, the family vacation of exploring the US continued. From July 3 to December 15th the pilot and co-pilot logged over 10K miles in the “transformed” hotrod now tow truck. Bammann and owner both agreed after 4 years and 70K miles on the SBC, it was time for a rebuild. During the rebuild Bammann found the reason for the 220-psi cylinder. The intake lobe on number 1 was in failure mode. The worn lobe had lost nearly all its lobe lift with around .080” left, but nothing on the heal of the cam lobe was warn. So, the engine had lost power but since nothing was gone from heal of the lobe, the lifter never lost preload and the engine was able to continue without a “miss”.
Looking back, Bammann feels the lobe was probably going when the first call at the Rockies came in. The amazing part is the Grandpa and Grandson kept on rolling just like the engine did.
Bammann is in the process of freshening the “big mouse” right now the emphasis on “towing” since Grandpa and Grandson are thinking Canada now. One thing Grandpa told Bobby….” you use the same parts in that engine again because I know I won’t get stranded”