Quote:
Originally posted by steelcomp
I was just addressing the issue that was brought up about the cross bolt mains being "superior". I was agreeing with the post that disagreed.
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Crossbolts are superior.
Chebby and later Limas and Clevelands tried to "crossbolt" their mains as best they could with splayed 4 bolt maincaps.
When it came time to design new engines at GM (LS-1), Ford (modulars), and Chrysler (new Hemi), ALL went with a deep-skirted crossbolted bottom end. Why? Because it's a better design.
They did NOT go with the "pour more iron in the mold" concept of Electromotive's locomotive division of strong engine block design.
The best thing about a Lima engine is its sheer mass and size. It has a LOT of iron, to make up for it's otherwise poorly engineered bottom end. Put enough iron around the caps of any engine and it'll hold together better than an engine that is purpose-designed for a specific use and function like the FE. The FE is a thinwall casting...both its failing and its strongpoint. With thin walls, it is displacement-challenged. But also, with thinwalls, it is relatively lightweight, with the crossbolting as a engineered design complementing its otherwise lightweight structure. The Lima is a Hulk, caring not about finesse or design elegance. More iron, more girth, more bulk, all are good, if you aren't worried about the effect of all that mass on handling and don't care about elegant design. Kind of like my wife's delicate ankles vs some of the I-beams I see stomping around under some women. No, she'll never lift 500lbs overhead, but is that what I care about?
It's about good design, elegant design, just plain design, from a time when engineers counted for more than the marketing spinmeisters.