Oil Changes
Freshly built motors require more frequent initial oil changes to adequately flush out metal particles from the brand-new internal components. While some enthusiasts suggest drain intervals as frequent as 500 miles for the first few thousand miles, this may be overkill. "At our shop, we do the first change after a motor has first been run on the dyno," explains Ben. "The next change should be performed at 1,000 miles, then every 3,000 miles thereafter. If using synthetic oil, the drain intervals can be extended to 5,000 miles."
Vacuum
Big cams make big power. It's as simple as that. As glorious as that may seem, Ben advises against them for street motors. In order to operate power brakes and accessories, he suggests running a cam that will yield between 10 and 12 inches of vacuum. "Large cams might sound neat, but it's better to have a slightly milder camshaft," he opines. "Not only do they drive better, but they offer better gas mileage as well. All of our crate engines are compatible with power brakes and accessories."
Leaks
"People like to joke that it's impossible to build a small-block Chevy that doesn't leak oil, but we don't agree. We have customers all over world, and the last thing we want is a customer in Norway with a leak that we have to fix. Leaks were common with older blocks, which required regular retightening of the pan bolts, but that isn't necessary these days. We use one-piece silicon pan gaskets with integral gromments that prevent overtightening, as well as one-piece rear main seals. After a motor is dyno'd, we double-check it for leaks. A common cause of leaks is when people try to save a few bucks by reusing a stock pan in a stroker motor. If you beat on the pan near the rail for more clearance and distort it, you're asking for trouble. Our customers buy our motors because they expect quality, so if you have one out of 100 with a leak, that's not acceptable."
Leave it to the Experts
"We always get customers trying to reinvent the wheel with trick new cams and intake manifolds. We've already been through all that. Since we've been building motors for many different shops and racers for a long time, we have a solid network of feedback from experts inside the industry in terms of cutting-edge components and new engine-building techniques. The truth is, if there is something better out there, we would have figured it out before the general public and we'd be using it already in our motors. By dealing directly with parts manufacturers, we're kept in the loop on innovations. If they know of some new techniques that improve power or durability, we'll jump on it right away." CHP
GET THE HOOKUP
Smeding Peformance
Rancho Cordova, CA
877.639.7637 · smedingperformance.com