Yenko aluminum

[COPO PETE]

This is interesting! One of you brainwaves can likely make this clickable. Check out e-bay under car and truck parts # 596795736.
Peter

[MikeA]

This was on ebay before but the reserve was 30k (I think).

Clickable:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=596795736&r=0&t=0

[Casey Marks]

Pete,

Is the *Yenko* crest cast in the front, above the water pump ??? http://www.yenko.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/shocked.gif Forgive my ignorance here, but is that real ??? Kinda cool - NO REALLY cool if it is.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Hi Casey;
The block is a real Yenko casting. Yenko was making these blocks into the mid to late '70's primarily for the boat racers, we have also found some dirt track racers that purchased them as well. These blocks are more common than you might think, I have seen 4-5 of them within the last 2-3 years at local swap meets. I ran across a set of 074 aluminum heads this weekend at a swap meet, but like most they had been repaired. Also found a set of early '69 840's - $800, he took them back home with him.
M

[Casey Marks]

Thanks Marlin !!

That's why I come to this site - the *buffet* of Bow-Tie knowledge I absorb is very cool !! (that and busting Rob and Pete's chops every now and again ....) http://www.yenko.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/wink.gif

[COPO PETE]

Thanks Marlin........and yet once again, I go away with a little more knowledge than I had this morning! So who cast them? Was Winters in charge of this?
Peter

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

To my knowledge, Winters still did the casting - the customer was Yenko instead of GM. I have some advertisements for these blocks from Yenko SportsCars Inc. where they say 'we are using the same foundry that produced these blocks for Chevrolet Motor Division and employ the original Chevrolet quality specifications.'

Features;
* Precision line bored
* Case weight 85 pounds plus liners
* Superior oiling system
* Beefier rear main bearing casting
* Durable - easy to repair
* Uses stock Chevrolet parts
* Centrifugally cast extra thick liners
* Screw-in freeze plugs
* Pressure tested
* Latest machining methods employed

Ask for Bill Smith
412-941-3260

M

[Chevy454]

Here are some ads for Yenko's ZL-1 block:

http://www.yenko.net/oldads/yad8.jpg

http://www.yenko.net/oldads/yad9.jpg

http://www.yenko.net/oldads/yad10.jpg

Yenko was also working with Weslake Engineering in the mid '70s to get a set of aluminum, 4-valve per cylinder, hemi-heads for the 302. The ad they had worked up stated "580-600 horsepower: From a 302!" Pretty wicked looking heads (we've got some pictures of these things I will post later).

[Edited by Chevy454 (10-22-2001 at 11:49 AM).]

[JoeC]

I emailed the seller and asked if he knew the bore size. He said he didn't and doesn't want to disassemble it to check. From my research so far Yenko sold both the ZL1 block and the CanAm block. Chevy engineering R&D (AKA Chevy Racing) was doing "research" on alu motors which was their way to finance an exotic racing motor for CanAm and other racing. Even to this day the motor is not well known but it is The King of all Big block Chevy's. Chevy was still making the CanAm block in the early seventies then had an arrangement which allowed Yenko to have some made into the 1980s. Yenko also sold ZL1s. (I'm not sure on all the details) The ZL1 used the 4.250 bore like the cast iron 427. The Alu. CanAm with cast iron sleeves block used a 4.440 bore siamese cyls design. In 1968 it used a destroked crank to get 430 cu in. and about 700hp on gas. Then in 1969 they used a 454 crank to get a 495 cu in motor about 750hp. Chevy also built a Can Am block without the cast iron sleeves and these were 509 cu in then opened up to 524 cu in. Chevy engineering actually did use the Can Am motor for research using the same siamese cyls design on the 400 cu in small block and the Alu motor with no cast iron sleeves design was used in the Vega motor. They used a cast iron coated piston to control wear. The CanAm BB Chevy motor dominated CamAm racing late 60's to early 70's beating Ferrari, Porsche, and Ford, who all had more expensive exotic engines, until Porsche went wild and built their duel turbo 1100hp 12cyl. Bill Grumpy Jenkins ran a CamAm motor in his 68 Camaro match racer and used that same 68 Camaro CanAm set-up to win the first ever Pro Stock race in 1970. Grumpy told me this himself at the Carlisle show last June. He said the ZL1 was "junk" (his word) because after a few runs they would lose a lot of HP. The ZL1 motor ran good in road racing where it only would see about 6500rpm. Drag racing pushed the motor to 8000rpm and it didn't like it. Don Yenko ran a ZL1 in his 1969 Camaro at some road races in 1969 and I believe again in 1970 Sebring 24hr. The Corvettes ran the ZL1 at Daytona and Sebring 24hr also. Grumpy ran an Alu motor in his 69 Camaro Super Stocker which at one time failed tech because Grump could not prove that at least 50 ZL1 Camaros were built. I asked if this was the ZL1 or the CanAm motor in the Super Stocker (the CanAm was legal for Pro Stock but not for SS) Grumpy laughed and said "the inspectors could not tell the difference".

[Chevy454]

Check out these bad boys:

http://www.yenko.net/oldads/Weslake-Yenko.JPG

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

NICE!!! I'll take 3 sets please.

[Chevy454]

M:

The ad says "$2,800 , per set, complete". But, this was circa 1975...so, go ahead and figure up what this would be in todays dollars, and drop the check in the mail. I will see what I can do http://www.yenko.net/ubb/smilies/images/icons/wink.gif!

[68TopStock]

It is my understanding a CanAm block was fitted into the Fred Gibb #1 ZL1 when it won the '71 AHRA ProStock championship. A long time ZL1 racer I know indicated those in the "know" used the CanAm block for serious racing on the strip back then.

[Edited by 68TopStock (10-22-2001 at 12:26 PM).]

[bullitt]

Four valves per cylinder, huh? There's a company in California, I think it's called Araos Engineering, that is building the same configuration. They say their heads beat Brodix by almost 200hp on a small block. They even have heads for Rats, too! I think I saw some on Ebay this week starting out at $3500, though I'm sure it had a higher reserve. What tranny would live with that monster? It'd be fun to find out. --Bullitt

[MrMotion]

Joe C
You are totally correct with your info on the aluminum blocks, because the owner of my 68 396 L78 was one of the R&D engineers that helped Bill Jenkins and also used a Can Am Block in this Camaro to test different combinations. He stated that the car ran a 10.90 at Detroit Dragway and held the Stock record running one of the combinations. He has photo documentation of this car from one of the local newspapers stating the car runing this fast. He also stated that the aluminum engine was far superior than even the Motion L72 short block conversion that was installed in March of 1968.

[bkhpah]

Yenko also offered the aluminium ZL/1 engine with two cylinders wacked off. A ZL/1 six banger. Also there was a second design logo on the blocks. The other had the word YENKO spelled out. They also sold the Yenko crest valve covers and an oil pan. The outlaw sprint car racers during the early 80's were using the Yenko ZL/1 engines. Bill Smith was also selling sprint chassis at Yenko Performance and Marine...BKH

[Edited by bkhpah (10-23-2001 at 06:40 AM).]

[JoeC]

Drag Racing magazine Nov. 1984 did an article titled "Build a 502 Yenko Chevy." Dave Riolo racing engines in Roseville, CA built the engine said it was manufactured by "Yenko Speed and Marine" in Canonsburg, PA. They said the engine was no longer available but Bill Smith from YSM had said he may resume production. This was the 4.440 in bore block. I don't know if he made anymore. I believe Bill Smith died around 1986?

[68TopStock]

Bill Jenkins won the Super Stock title at the 1969 AHRA Spring Nationals, held at Bristol with an E.T. of 10.23 at over 135 MPH. His partner at the race was none other than Dave Strickler. The pic that goes along with the Nov. 1969 Super Stock and FX article shows Jenkin's "Toy IV", the 1968 body. Caption under the pic reads "Light Camaro is unbeatable."

I'll quote the writers decription of his second round win:

"Probably the most outstanding single run in super stock was the next classic duel between Nicholson's Mustang and Jenkins' Camaro. Wheels up and tires smokin', Dyno just couldn't keep up with the lightweight Camaro, and lost with a 10.37 to Jenkins' super-tough 10.28 that brought the house down. They could have run that one over ten times, and the pro-Chevrolet crowd would have loved it every time, and so would the assembled press".

[Edited by 68TopStock (10-23-2001 at 08:45 AM).]

[Arctic Z Dan]

WHOA!! Now that's a set of heads!