So, exactly who makes the ATT?

[great white]

I need to see a drawing, because I cant figure out what you smart people are talking about. When I hear girdle I think bottom end, but then your talking about intakes....

There's two discussions going on in here.....well, there's actually a lot more than just two.....):h

 

[SuperTuscan]

Pics of the intake? I can take pictures of mine when I get the truck back together. I thought I may offer the intake package as an upgrade to the factory intake. I have a place that will make them for me. Just have not done enough testing yet.

I found what I was looking for.

I'd like to see what you come up with on the upgraded intake package.

 

[Detroit Dan]

I found what I was looking for.

I'd like to see what you come up with on the upgraded intake package.

Leave him alone, he's busy developing fully assembled high performance heads. And camshaft too.

 

[SuperTuscan]

Leave him alone, he's busy developing fully assembled high performance heads. And camshaft too.

):h


Reminds me of an English sportscar enthusiast who wanted an aluminum block for his 6 cylinder sportscar so badly he cast one in his basement because no one else thought there was a market for it. Turns out it was a very good block and he ended up doing quite well with his venture. I think it was a TR-6 or something like that.

 

[great white]

....I'd buy a performance intake if I believed it was a power adder. I've put aluminum performance intakes on bbc and sbc motors (who hasn't?) with no other changes and felt a big improvement. But I wonder, is there really much to be gained when the turbo is forcing induction anyway?

I still want bolt-on aluminum (or not) roller rocker performer heads, direct injection, common rail ported to three times the size of stock. With fittings for nitrous or propane.
I bet some real heads would make a ginormous difference. It's always been my understanding that heads are where the powers made.

Be a lot of tubular fabrication, but maybe a multiple turbo setup. Remove the intake and put one small turbo on each cylinder. The crossover would go into an eight-legged spider made of headerpipe to feed each individual turbo. What would this accomplish, you ask? Probably nothing, but it would be a lot of work and would look cool. Too many moving parts, and still couldn't push the engine beyond what it is capable of withstanding...

That's all well and good, but a lower end girdle will allow you to make use of those power schemes.....reliably and repeatedly. That's why I believe the girdle should be pursued first, heads/intake/etc should come later.

To borrow a concept:

If you're going to build a big house, you need a good solid foundation....

 

[buddy]

I dont think the bottom ends are as bad as we make them out to be. A girdle is great idea and I want one. But balanced, with a Scat or forged crank and a fluidampr balancer and your bottom end probably will be fine for making all sorts of power. Although I do want a single skirt/main cap piece that goes from side to side and back all the way to the timing cover. And the custom oil pan to go with it. That would just be awesome.

 

[great white]

I dont think the bottom ends are as bad as we make them out to be. A girdle is great idea and I want one. But balanced, with a Scat or forged crank and a fluidampr balancer and your bottom end probably will be fine for making all sorts of power. Although I do want a single skirt/main cap piece that goes from side to side and back all the way to the timing cover. And the custom oil pan to go with it. That would just be awesome.

I beg to differ.

I've seen more cracked blocks and broken webs in my short time on this board than I have in 30 years around engines. There's a design deficiency in the basic concept, at least for the most common uses for a diesel powered truck. The castings are light (first time I saw the insides of the 6.5 I though I was looking at a gasser, not a diesel), probably necessitated by GM's marketing the vehicle as a fuel efficient alternative that will fill a hole intended for a SBC, when owners want to haul with them. Beef up that bottom end, power will follow.

Trying to find a good block around here is also futile, I know, I've been trying. They're all cracked in the registers and cap studs/bolts. One yard has a pile of useless 6.5 blocks (well, a pile is 9 or 10 around here). All went out to builders/owners and came back cracked in one form or another. Another yard just flat out stopped selling 6.5's, they go straight to scrap because it's not worth the trouble to sell them as replacements. It also indicated by the prices for a decent block in these parts. Can be in multiple thousands for a used running engine.

I know someone on the mainland that went through 5 blocks (one came as far away as Texas) and they were all cracked in one place or another.One was even the "desirable" 599 casting.

I never realized the 6.5 had such a bad rep for this issue until after I had bought one. I probably still would have bought it, but I definitely would have looked a little closer than I did. Probably would have paid for (and insisted on) haveing the pan pulled. Oh well, follies of a diesel "Noob"...

I may be a short timer here, but reinforcing the main webs should be the #1 priority for these blocks IMHO....

 

[buddy]

There are probaly thousands out there running fine with little cracks. Not perfect but they still work fine. Most "running pulls" you get will probably also have cracks.

Thats not good but doesnt mean the thing is going to blow apart on you. They didnt exactly come balanced from the factory, just each part made within a tolerance, so balance it, using a better crankshaft, and a fluidamp will go a long way. Along with actually having injectors balanced and maintained at more frequent intervals (50k). And having the IP timing actually set properly. Because people abuse it as a power diesel on stock fueling, cooling, air and exhaust systems, and GM put the temp gauge way over what they should have has been the demise of most of the block most likely.