Info on some Strange Iron

[$6000MAN]

Recently I went to look at some late model parts left over from the early 80's. This gentleman is down sizing to a smaller building and wants to get rid of some of these old circle track racing parts. One of his engines he refers to as a "flat crank"?? I looked a little closer at the inside of this and I don't know much about it. His memory does'nt serve him the best, but He gave me this info. It is 358 ci small block chevy"high tin"? cast iron block.12.5:1 compresson. The crank is made from billet steel and the rod journals look like they are 180 apart?? Firing order has 2 cyls firing at the same time??? Rods are Oliver and billet steel also. Heads are Brodix aluminum and have been ported. It is a full roller and must be a custom camshaft. All Crower valve train parts. Oil system is dry sump. Engine is complete and fresh, but I'm guessing it has not been fired since 1980. I think it was first class for it's time. I was wondering if anyone had any info on this type of engine. Like advantages or disadvantages and maybe what it may be valued at. Where could you get an engine built like this? I'm not sure how useable this engine would be today, but I think I would like to hear it run.

[bill jones]

-be sure to check the rotation of the engine as it may be a revesed rotation engine.
-it sounds like something that Smokey Yunick played with back in that era.

[OldSStroker]

Recently I went to look at some late model parts left over from the early 80's. This gentleman is down sizing to a smaller building and wants to get rid of some of these old circle track racing parts. One of his engines he refers to as a "flat crank"?? I looked a little closer at the inside of this and I don't know much about it. His memory does'nt serve him the best, but He gave me this info. It is 358 ci small block chevy"high tin"? cast iron block.12.5:1 compresson. The crank is made from billet steel and the rod journals look like they are 180 apart?? Firing order has 2 cyls firing at the same time??? Rods are Oliver and billet steel also. Heads are Brodix aluminum and have been ported. It is a full roller and must be a custom camshaft. All Crower valve train parts. Oil system is dry sump. Engine is complete and fresh, but I'm guessing it has not been fired since 1980. I think it was first class for it's time. I was wondering if anyone had any info on this type of engine. Like advantages or disadvantages and maybe what it may be valued at. Where could you get an engine built like this? I'm not sure how useable this engine would be today, but I think I would like to hear it run.

"Flat cranks" or 180 degree cranks or "single palne" cranks have been used off-and-on in V8s. I believe Ferrari still uses them on their V8 road cars. There are advantages and disadvantages. A flat crank V8 acts like two four cylinder engines, so it's tuned that way. IRL engines have used both flat and 90* cranks, but the sanctioning body now specifies.

NASCAR Cup engines have used them in the past, but can't now.

They have more vibration problems than 90* V8s, and depending on the type of intake (single 4bbl, IR, or plenum) there could be an advantage. Obviously there is 180* between firing pulses, so you don't need crossover headers to get 180* pulses in the exhaust.

Yeah, they sound different from the 90* V8s we are used to. I suggest the value would be the preceived value based on where it ran and who actually built it. I think Smokey was out of the 358 (Cup) business before the 80's. Of couse no rollers in Cup.

It could be a sprint car or dirt open wheel car if it's reverse rotation.