how are engine blocks made?

It is called "casting". Molten metal is poured into molds. A century ago there were many small founderies who would do custom casting for anyone with patterns. Then it became a very specialized business and the small custom casting shops almost died out. I understand new technology is making for at least a limited return of the small, custom foundery.

Also a century ago many small shops had their own internal foundery. There are still amateur machinists who do their own foundery work. For more about home founderies, visit and inquire at rec.crafts.metalworking, another usenet/google group.

It is a mixture of casting and machining.

Mostly by sand casting. A form made out of metal, plastic, or even wood is covered with sand, then the form is removed and molten metal poured into place. This gives you a piece of metal with a rough outline of the final part.

Then the higher precision stuff is done to drill, mill, and bore out the various parts that need to be done to very precise dimensions.

After the machining operations are completed, the metal is reheated and then cooled down in a controlled way to harden it.

Some more precise pieces are made either by machining them directly out of metal billets, or by lost wax casting. But almost everything you see will have been sandcast and then machined to final dimensions.

Sure, you can do this in a well-equipped home shop. You'd need a furnace, an engine lathe, and a vertical mill. I know folks who make small steam engines and model airplane engines using small bench lathes and tabletop mills.

Now, here is a question for everyone else... in the early 1970s, I was given a book which MIGHT have been published by Popular Science or by Chiltons, which consisted of a number of short articles. One of them was on overboring the hemi engine and was called the "Hyper Hemi" and at least one of them was either written by Don Garlits or about some engine that Garlits built. But what was MOST interesting was that it had a whole article with photos showing the process of rebuilding an engine... all of the machining operations and then some furnace work. What the hell WAS this book and where can I get a copy of it?

--scott

Casting, forging, drilling, milling, heat treating are the basic proceesses used.

It would be possible to construct a complete engine from raw materials, but it would be prohibitively expensive. It is not unusual for a smaller car manufacturer to purchase entire components such as an engine or transmission from another company. For example Volvo has at times purchased entire engines from other car makers while also building engines directly.

Casting, machining, forging. It simply depends on what your goals for the parts are; durability, strenght, lightweight, high performance.

All these are considerations, hope this helps!

Don't forget the many forged parts in this category.

Perhaps anyone here knows someone who does manufacture custom made engine blocks/crankcases?

Very interesting stuff but I'm not sure if it's doable for a person with my knowledge. I guess, I'm better off leaving those tasks to the pros.

Are there special machines which can build engine blocks from billets? Can you refer me to any website which has information related to building an engine block?

It's cool that some people can combine two engine blocks into one. like two straight fours to make one V8 block just like what PowerTec did with two Hayabusa engines.

Add powdered metal fusion for lots of modern connecting rods.

Engine blocks aren't usually things that are practical to make from billet material because a) its difficult (or impossible) to create the cooling passages, and b) its a waste of material and time.

Sure, we have a bunch of shops in this area which mostly cater to the NASCAR guys.

So go to your local community college and look for an introductory machine shop class. Learn how to operate a mill and a lathe. It's a very useful and handy skill to have, even if you never build a complete engine yourself.

Lathes, drill presses, boring machines, and mills will do this. There are computer controlled machining systems as well, but those are not only expensive but also often inconvenient for one-off jobs. And not as much fun.

Probably not. The web is overrated.

--scott

As already answered, it is not feasible to make engines from billets, but it could probably be done.

A small company, many years ago, did some pioneering work in making engine blocks from welded steel plate. It was an interesting project, and they made some very light engines that were capable of high power output. Evidently they never swept the market with this technology.

I believe the company was called T and T, or maybe TnT.

It is done. One example I've heard of is the engine used in a Tatra military 8x8 truck which I believe is a 12 cyl multi fuel air cooled diesel that is fabricated from plate stock (incorrectly called "billet") and has roller bearings on the crankshaft.

Pete C.

The late 1940's Crosley cars used a welded steel engine.

Many years ago, Croaley cars (circa 1939 - 1952) engines blocks were made of welded steel plates.

Jasper Engines rebuilding company supplied at least one engine for a NASCAR car.

cuhulin

Crosley (Powell Crosley) was famous for a lot of products.Autos and radio and tv sets and home appliances and products for World War Two.

cuhulin

Heres a small shop in New Zealand that has made "new" Ferrari Monza Engines:

those two engines were built from one engine with a shattered block, that (alloy) block repaired, another cast, including casting and making new heads etc. Their clients tend to be wealthy (I believe those engines cost well into six figures - each) Rare cars are shipped from all over the world for full restoration.

One example.

Wasn't there once a car powered by a "laminated block" engine? You know, a stack of (relatively) thin sheets - each maybe an eight to a quarter inch thick, having cutouts in the right places to make the cylinders and various fluid passages, stacked up, then bonded together, much like a "Master" lock?

I seem to recall reading something along those lines somewhere, but it was long enough ago that I've forgotten if it was something that actually went into production, or if it was just one of those one-off things magazines such as Popular Science/Popular Mechanics seemed to enjoy going all googly-eyed over as "the wave of the future".

Wasn't that Crosley?

There are a number of places that produce blocks of SB Chevies and other engines used in race cars. Donovan is one that comes immediately to mind, but there are a number of others. Usually these guys cast in aluminum blocks that the factory casts in cast iron.

There are even companies making aluminum blocks of Ford Model A!