Popular Posts Four Cylinder Lycoming O-360-C4P Aircraft Engine Supercharged 427 cid LS7 Drift Engine 427 LSX Twin Turbo Engine Turbocharged 6.6L LMM Duramax Engine 428 Ford FE Stroker Connect with us advertise with us

Four Cylinder Lycoming O-360-C4P Aircraft Engine

Supercharged 427 cid LS7 Drift Engine

Turbocharged 6.6L LMM Duramax Engine

Popular Posts Four Cylinder Lycoming O-360-C4P Aircraft Engine Supercharged 427 cid LS7 Drift Engine 427 LSX Twin Turbo Engine Turbocharged 6.6L LMM Duramax Engine 428 Ford FE Stroker Connect with us advertise with us

Four Cylinder Lycoming O-360-C4P Aircraft Engine

Supercharged 427 cid LS7 Drift Engine

Turbocharged 6.6L LMM Duramax Engine

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Add Your Listing Edit Your Listing By Category Engine Components A/N Fittings/AdaptorsAir Induction SystemsBatteriesBearings (camshaft)Bearings (engine sleeve type)Bearings (main rear main)Bearings (Rod)Belt Tensioner/IdlersBrass FittingsBushingsCam CapsCamshaft Belt DrivesCamshaft KitsCamshaft SealsCamshaft Thrust Plate and PartsCamshaftsCarburetorsChain KitsClampsComplete EnginesConnecting RodsConnecting Rods Nuts BoltsCrankshaft ConversionsCrankshaft KitsCrankshaft Oil SlingersCrankshaft Pulley SleevesCrankshaft Repair SleevesCrankshaft SealsCrankshaftsCylinder Head ComponentsCylinder Heads New: Aluminum BareCylinder Heads New: Aluminum CompleteCylinder Heads New: Cast Iron BareCylinder Heads New: Cast Iron CompleteCylinder Heads Reman: Aluminum BareCylinder Heads Reman: Aluminum CompleteCylinder Heads Reman: Cast Iron BareCylinder Heads Reman: Cast Iron CompleteCylinder Liners (sleeves)Diesel InjectorsDipstick Adapters (Chevy Ford)Dowel PinsEFI ComponentsEngine BlocksEngine Blocks - RemanufacturedEngine KitsEngine Management Systems/ECUsEngine MountsExhaust ComponentsExhaust Components: Complete SystemsExhaust Components: Custom ExhaustsExhaust Components: Leak DetectionExhaust Components: ManifoldsExhaust Components: Tube NotchingExhaust Components: Tube SwagingExhaust Components: Tube/Frame Bending MachinesFilters - AirFilters - FuelFilters - OilFlywheel (ring) GearsFlywheel AssembliesFuel Injection - ElectronicFuel Injection - MechanicalFuel PumpsFuel System ComponentsGasket CementGasketsGear DrivesGovernorsHarmonic Balancer Repair SleevesHarmonic Balancers/DampersHead Bolts/StudsHex ShaftsHydraulic Lash AdjustersIgnition ComponentsInjector TubesInjectors - DieselInjectors - Gasoline DirectInjectors - IndirectIntake ManifoldsIPR ValvesKeysLockwashersMain Caps (4-bolt)Manifold StudsNitrous Oxide Systems, ComponentsNitrous Valves and PlatesNuts and BoltsOil CoolersOil Filter AdaptersOil PansOil Pressure SpringsOil Pump KitsOil Pump ScreensOil Pump ShaftsOil Pump Timing CoversOil PumpsOiling Systems; Dry SumpOverhead Camshaft Repair SleevesPiston Pin BushingsPiston Pin Lock RingsPiston PinsPiston RingsPistonsPlugs - ExpansionPlugs - MagneticPlugs - Oil DrainPlugs - StandardPush RodsRadiator/Oil FansRering KitsRestoration Engine PartsRocker Arm Rebuilding ComponentsRocker Assemblies and KitsRocker Stud GirdlesSealsSerpentine BeltsShimsShort BlocksSpark PlugsSpringsSuperchargers, componentsSwitchesTappetsThread RepairThrust WashersTiming Belt/Chain TensionerTiming Belts/ChainsTiming Chains, Gears, SprocketsTiming ComponentsTiming CoversTransmission AdaptorsTurbochargers, componentsValve CoversValve Guide LinersValve GuidesValve KeysValve Lifter BallsValve LiftersValve Locks and SealsValve Seat InsertsValve Spring InsertsValve Spring RetainersValve SpringsValve Stem Oil SealsValve Train PartsValvesWater PumpsWater Tubes Engine Equipment & Preparation Adhesive DispensingAir Flow BenchesAir Handling SystemsBalance Shaft Elimination KitBalance Shaft Line Boring EquipmentBalancing AccessoriesBalancing EquipmentBelt SanderBench GrinderBlock Pressure Testing EquipmentBoring Bar InsertsBoring Bar Tool BitsBoring Machines/Connecting RodBoring Machines/CylinderBoring Machines/LineBoring Stand (For Portable Boring Machines)Brass FittingsBroachBushing Bearing & Seal Driver SetsCAD/CAM SoftwareCam Bearing Installation ToolCamshaft Degree Wheel (Digital)Camshaft GrindersCap & Rod GrinderCBN Inserts - NewCBN Inserts - ResurfacedCleaning Specialized EngineCNC Machining CentersCNC Retrofit KitsCompressed Air EquipmentConnecting Rod GaugesCoolant Filter MachinesCore Shift TesterCrack Repair EquipmentCranesCrankshaft Balance WeightsCrankshaft FurnaceCrankshaft GrindersCrankshaft Journal Weld KitsCrankshaft PolisherCrankshaft Polishing BeltsCrankshaft StraightenerCylinder Head Adapter PlatesCylinder Head Assembly/Disassembly Equip.Cylinder Head Chamfering ToolCylinder Head GaugeCylinder Head HoldersCylinder Head PolishingCylinder Head PortingCylinder Head Pressure TesterCylinder Head StraighteningCylinder Hone StopsCylinder Porting ToolsCylinder Sleeve PressDemagnetizersDiamond DressersDiesel Injector Hole Repair ToolsDiesel Injector Sleeve Installation ToolDowel PullersDye Penetrant InspectionDynamometersEngine Adaptor PlatesEngine Cycle AnalyzerExhaust Leak DetectionFeeler GaugesFlexible Honing Tools/Brush HonesFlywheel GrinderFuel Injection Cleaning ServicesGrinder Head StraighteningGrinding CoolantsGrinding WheelsHardness TestersHead/Block Crack Repair KitsHead/Block Resurfacing (Belt/Sanders)Head/Block Resurfacing (Milling)Heat Tabs Temperature SticksHolding FixturesHone Stop FixtureHoning JigsHoning Machines Wrist PinHoning Machines/CylinderHoning Machines/LineHoning Machines/RodHoning Machines/Valve GuideHoning PlatesHoning StonesIgnition System TestersIn-Process Gauges(Cam and Crank Grinders)Inspection GaugesLeak Down TesterLeveling DeviceMagnetic Particle Inspection Crack DetectionMicropolishing EquipmentOHC Line Boring ToolsOil Leak DetectionPCD Inserts - NewPin Fitting & Rod Reconditioning/TestingPin PressPin RemovalPiston KnurlerPiston Ring CompressorsPre-Cup Machining ToolsPush Rod Guide PlatesReplacement Chuck for Valve FacersRocker Arm GrinderRod AlignmentRod Bolt ProtectorsRod FurnaceRod VisesRun-In StandsStandsStud PullersTapsTest EquipmentThickness GaugeThread GaugesThread Repair & Replacement KitTorque PlatesUltrasonic Test EquipmentVacuum TesterValve Grinding BenchValve Guide & Seat Driver SetValve Guide & Seat MachineValve Guide Boring FixtureValve Guide HoneValve Guide KnurlingValve Guide PilotValve Guide ReamerValve Guide ToolValve Refacer (Cutter)Valve Refacer (Grinder)Valve Refacer WheelsValve Seat CuttersValve Seat InserterValve Seat PullersValve Seat ResurfacerValve Seat Runout GaugeValve Seat Tool GrinderValve Seat WheelsValve Spring CompressorValve Spring TestersValve Stem GrinderValve Stem Height MeasuringValve Stem PolisherWater Tube PullerWet Flow Bench Conversions Supplies & Service Chemicals & SolventsCore Cleaning & ProcessingCranes & HoistsHand ToolsLubricantsPressesServicesShippingStorage Racks & BenchesWelding

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Whether you’re a professional engine builder, machinist or manufacturer, or an automotive enthusiast who likes engines, racing and fast vehicles, Engine Builder offers content aimed at you. Our print magazine offers in-depth tech features on everything you need to know about engine building and its different markets, while our newsletter options keep you up-to-date on the latest news and products, tech info and personalities in the industry. But, you only get all of that if you subscribe. Subscribe now to receive Engine Builder magazine in print and/or digital each month, and our Engine Builder newsletter, Engine of the Week newsletter or Diesel of the Week newsletter directly in your inbox each week. You’ll be covered in horsepower in no time!

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Instead of just building a good, bulletproof motor and throwing compressed air on it, Danny Soliz wanted to build a motor that was designed specifically for compressed air. See why compressed air supercharging is so valuable for boost and component life, and how it impacts this 540 big block Chevy build.

Engine of the Week is presented by

Having been born into engine building usually sets you up for two things – learning from experienced engine builders who know the craft and having an innate appetite for pushing the envelope. Danny Soliz is one of those engine builders.

Danny was born in 1962, and in 1963, his mother started a family shop. By the time he was just seven, Danny was doing valve jobs. By the time he was a late middle schooler/high schooler, he was foreman of the shop. The advantage he had was getting to work side-by-side with old-school machinists who could teach him things that are no longer in practice.

“I was fortunate to grow up in a family business,” Soliz says. “I grew up on the machine shop side. My brother grew up in the auto parts side. I was very fortunate as a young kid to learn the true ways of engine building, that nowadays, no one even knows.”

Together with his wife, Elaine, and a cousin who also grew up in the business, the trio runs Hill Country Performance & Machine in Spring Branch, TX, just north of San Antonio. Danny and Elaine started the 4,300 sq.-ft. engine and machine shop in 2013.

“I got into this industry by virtue of marrying Danny, although cars were always a love of mine,” Elaine says. “I grew up on a street that was almost exactly a quarter of a mile long and very, very wide, so on summer nights we’d sit outside and watch the drags right in the front yard, which was super cool. I got to be quite an expert at picking out make and model from headlights.”

Before starting Hill Country Performance, the Soliz’s had a cylinder head and turbocharger shop in San Antonio. However, out where they are today, there are a lot of hot rods, so the couple found a niche market for engine restorations and vintage work.

“We’ve been doing vintage engines since before they were vintage,” Danny says. “We have a lot of experience on stuff that people have never even seen before. We do work on engines like Flatheads, Nailheads and numbers-matching builds. There are also some go-fast boys that we deal with.

“If we were to walk through the shop right now, there’s old Hemis, late-model Hemis, LS engines, and Flatheads. I’ve also done work on Ferraris, BMWs, Mercedes – we’ll do anything that has a piston in it pretty much.”

Hill Country Performance does all its own machine work in-house as well. Crank grinding and line boring are about the only two things the shop doesn’t do.

“We do engine balancing in-house,” Soliz says. “We do all our own cylinder head work. We just added to the building and we put in an engine dyno facility. Research and development is what I really love.”

Due to Danny’s aptitude for R&D and trying something a little different, he recently completed a compressed air supercharged 540 cubic inch big block Chevy engine for a customer willing to go along with the special build.

“Mickey Thompson was actually one of the first to do it, and it’s been done for a long time, but we’re doing the first big block Chevy built specifically for compressed air. Instead of just building a good, bulletproof motor and throwing [compressed air] on, I wanted to build a motor that is designed specifically for compressed air. I wanted to do something completely from the ground up – the cam choice, piston choice, everything to take advantage of the compressed air.

“One of the things about compressed air is its equivalent to 2 lbs. of boost. That means 10 lbs. of boost can be achieved with only 5-lbs. of air. The difference is with 5-lbs. of air we can give it timing. We can make a lot more power than any boosted, turbo’d, blown engine because you have to pull timing on those. Here, the air density is so cold, we have no detonation.”

Compressed air supercharging, or CAS, is very cold at -30 degrees F by the time it comes through the valve. At -30 degrees F, you don’t need to pull timing. According to Danny, you could give this engine 50-degrees of timing and it still wants more. Plus, it’s gentle on parts in comparison to turbocharging and nitrous.

““The beauty of the compressed air is it doesn’t put a load on stuff like nitrous does,” he says. “It doesn’t shock stuff. That’s why you can get way more out of it. Nitrous can have a spike in cylinder pressure, and there’s no computer in the world that can let off and save a motor when the cylinder pressure spikes. That’s why you have a blown head gasket. On a nitrous motor that happens a lot.

“The compressed air expands at a slower rate, so it doesn’t shock parts. Our baseline system will give the customer an easy tune. The customer is building a brand-new car just for this engine. We’ll give him 1,000 horsepower to do some shakedown runs. If he can handle that, we’ll take him up to 2,000 horsepower to see how the car can handle it. There’s no limit yet. Everything is custom in this motor, but we don’t know what the block can handle. We don’t know if the block is going to be able to handle 4,000 hp. That’s going to be the fun part, but we’re building it specifically for this compressed air.”

The 540 big block Chevy build utilizes a World Products Merlin tall deck 10.200˝ block, a center-counterweighted billet 4.250˝-stroke crankshaft, 6.800˝ custom rods, CP-Carrillo .064/.064/.218 pistons, Total Seal piston rings, a Bullet custom-ground camshaft, a Jesel belt drive, a T&D rocker setup, PAC springs, Clevite bearings, a Moroso oiling system, and Brodix BB2X cylinder heads.

“We went with a 540 big block with a 4.500˝ bore,” he says. “We could have done a 632, but I chose the smaller cubic inch and a tall deck block, so we could put the longest rod we can get in it. I’m a believer in you can’t have too long of a connecting rod. We’re using every bit of efficiency that we can.

“The heads are about the only piece on this motor that are not brand new. Everything else is brand new. The heads were a development set of Brodix BB2Xs that were CNC-ported by M2 Racing. These heads are actually equivalent to what would be a BB3X or bigger head.”

Other components of the engine include a Wilson Manifolds intake and manifold setup and fuel injection from a Holley Dominator EFI system. The engine will be used for drag racing.

“The customer is looking to start doing some of the big tire/Street Outlaw stuff,” Soliz says. “We’re going to start at 1,000 hp for tuning, but we are building everything for 2,000 hp. There hasn’t been a limit yet on how much compressed air an engine can take. We chose the best components to build a guaranteed 2,000 horsepower. The customer is happy with that.”

Danny’s customer built a brand-new, high-dollar Camaro to house this 540 big block Chevy, and like Danny, he’s willing to push the engine to see what the car can handle.

“The weakest link that I can see is whether we split this block in half?” Soliz says. “We don’t think we will. We are going to push this until something happens. That’s why we’re doing this. All we have to do is change the tune. Our goal is 2,000 horsepower, but if the car can handle it, we can go all the way to 4,000 hp without breaking anything.”

Engine of the Week is sponsored by PennGrade Motor Oil, Elring – Das Original and Scat Crankshafts. If you have an engine you’d like to highlight in this series, please email Engine Builder Editor, Greg Jones at [email protected]

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