Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Bennett
Bill had a specific reason for doing this. We talked about it a couple of times. It was due to the ZL1 aluminum block. He said it was a big problem having the cylinders go out of round after a heat cycle. So he decided to keep the block at temp 24/7 and said it helped a lot, but not a total cure.
From working with him, two of his major focuses were carb jetting and ring seal. I remember him asking for an engine to go back for a refresh long before other builders would. And no, it wasn't about making extra money. He insisted on everthing being within his limits, but anybody that knew him would tell you he was totally honest and fair.
And it also explained why some of his pieces were not so competitive after some time. There were two owners I remember who thought it was all bs and wouldn't agree to a refresh when he said it was time. He didn't rant and rave about it, but I could tell he did not like cars with his stuff in them going out there and struggling to qualify.
As for the block heat, he said the aluminum block was never as stable as the iron but it was the best workable solution he could come up with.
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Another issue that I have heard of with aluminum blocks and big cams is the cold valve lash tightening up to the point that the engine wont start cold unless the valve lash is backed off. This would be a pain that would've been avoided by keeping temps up.