Lutton continued to inform us of the virtues of the MMR 850 engine. "These short-blocks love nitrous and the bottom end was built for the abuse. These engines on pump gas will make between 360 and 380 at the rear wheels and over 400 rwhp on a little bit of 100 octane." That is more than enough for Miele's street machine, and we estimate times on the drag strip to be in the low 12/high 11-second zone in drag trim (slicks and skinnies).
The engine is currently making its way across this great nation and to Radical Racing. Once there, we plan on getting the old engine out and the new one installed as quickly as possible. That way Miele can log some street miles and we can workout the kinks on Radical Racing's chassis dyno.
The main caps are tightened...
The main caps are tightened down starting in the center and working outward. The ARP bolts are tightened down using 60 ft-lbs. The torque wrench used is a Snap-On digital wrench that is only used for engine assembly.
Modular engines are unique...
Modular engines are unique in that it has side bolts to help secure the main caps. Chris first snugged the side bolts down. He went back and secured them using 25 ft-lbs.
All the rings are file-fit...
All the rings are file-fit by hand before being installed on the pistons.
One of the neatest components...
One of the neatest components in our new stroker engine is the MMR billet rear-main-seal plate. Not only does it have a better gasket for sealing, but it also adds strength. It's available for both aluminum and cast-iron blocks.
Why is the piston upside down?...
Why is the piston upside down? Because Chris is using it to straighten the ring he just put in the hole.
The pistons and rods are connected...
The pistons and rods are connected using wrist pins.
The custom pistons are designed...
The custom pistons are designed by MMR and manufactured by Manley.
The top and bottom rings are...
The top and bottom rings are installed, as well as the oil ring. The piston and rod combos are ready to be dropped into place.
The rod caps are marked (because...
The rod caps are marked (because they are directional) and removed from the rod. A sleeve is used to compress the rings so the piston and rod can be slid into the bore easily.
The sleeve compresses the...
The sleeve compresses the rings and the piston drops into the hole without incident.
The rod and piston are shoved...
The rod and piston are shoved down until the rod bottoms out at the crank. Then the rod bearing is lubed up with the Royal Purple fluid and the cap bolted on-securing the rod around the crankshaft.
All eight pistons went in...
All eight pistons went in without a hitch. The rod caps are secured using 55 ft-lbs.
The pistons are notched to...
The pistons are notched to clear the valves.
Chris tapped in the keyway...
Chris tapped in the keyway on the snout of the crankshaft. This is where the balancer will be pressed in and the keyway is responsible for turning the balancer.
Up top, MMR uses ARP studs...
Up top, MMR uses ARP studs and Fel-Pro gaskets to tighten down the heads and ensure a leak-free seal to the deck of the block.
The MMR-ported heads are lowered...
The MMR-ported heads are lowered on to the deck and torqued down.
Chris put the finishing touches...
Chris put the finishing touches on the engine, wrapped it, and put it on a crate. MMR is in California and this engine was shipped east to New Jersey.
The Comp camshafts were installed...
The Comp camshafts were installed and MMR added its billet spacers when the cam gears went on.