Cool billet rod for the H60

[markus]

Snagged these babies on eBay, if you saw them you may have been confused about it…. I wasn’t they don’t fit 4-6hp engines. It’s a 6 hp rod that fits an HS40 piston, so it’s stretched just a touch to make up the space…..or at least I hoped ….. I was right

NOS H60 shortblock I had on the shelf, I pulled the rod/piston plugged an hs40 piston onto one of the billets and slipped it in. Not sure what the thought there was/is it does raise the rings up slightly and possibly a weight difference. Pulling it back out as the engines needs fully torn down for valve work etc.. but I had to try it to see if I was right or simply bought some paperweights



Note the difference n pin sizes,



Thinner overall fits the standard grind and fillets on the H60 stroke crank.

 

[bobco]

I built a Motorsports H50 block with a stock H60 rod and a bronze spacer for the wrist pin, the Wiseco HS40 .020" forged piston and saved 15g on the reciprocating weight. And the engine runs smoother! This billet rod is a cool find, congrats!

 

[markus]

I built a Motorsports H50 block with a stock H60 rod and a bronze spacer for the wrist pin, the Wiseco HS40 .020" forged piston and saved 15g on the reciprocating weight. And the engine runs smoother! This billet rod is a cool find, congrats!

How was your piston height? Seems like these rods measure longer to compensate for the shorter HS piston from pin to top of piston. My only thing I don't like is on this late model block with the updated trenching they put in them that top ring is getting really close with the Thinner HS piston, I'm sure its fine but its close, like maybe pop a ring on the old school Wiseco 2 ring pistons where they are way up near the edge. Id hate to lose the lugs for Electronic ignition going to an older version block though, not sure when they updated the trenching style, I have only ever mid 90's-up, or 60's-early 70's in the shop never any in between.

 

[bobco]

I'll look at my notes of my build tomorrow and see if I mentioned anything about piston pop-up. I do recall using a .040" copper head gasket on this one. My H50 block with steel sleeve did not have any trenching done do it, or was it cast like that. I have seen both versions of the blocks in the later castings, with and without trenching. If memory serves me, I think the H50 later electronic ignition blocks were not trenched and the H60 later electronic ignition blocks were. I'll dig some out here and snap a few pics! The neat thing about the Wiseco 2020 HS40 forged piston creation is the ring thickness is the same as the old original Tecumseh HS40 pistons and the top ring is not that close to the top of the piston, which makes these frankenbuilds possible!

 

[bobco]

OK, my build used a H50 Motorsports block with steel sleeve, a stock H50 cast aluminum connecting rod, and a H60 crankshaft, and the .020" over Wiseco HS40 piston. With the difference in compression height of 1.150" for the H50 piston and 1.050" for the HS40 piston, this combination of parts put the top of the piston just slightly over the deck surface at about .005". Combined with the .040" thick copper head gasket, I have plenty of head room for higher rpm running, especially with the 1/4" valve stems and Motorsports 'K' valve springs!

 

[markus]

OK, my build used a H50 Motorsports block with steel sleeve, a stock H50 cast aluminum connecting rod, and a H60 crankshaft, and the .020" over Wiseco HS40 piston. With the difference in compression height of 1.150" for the H50 piston and 1.050" for the HS40 piston, this combination of parts put the top of the piston just slightly over the deck surface at about .005". Combined with the .040" thick copper head gasket, I have plenty of head room for higher rpm running, especially with the 1/4" valve stems and Motorsports 'K' valve springs!

Nice!

 

[joshua. c.]

Are you dooing anything else to this motor? I'd be interested in more details on the build, you don't see these built very often.

 

[markus]

Thanks for the help on the parts I needed Bob! The retainers and MCR cam will go along nicely with the springs I had. Will start recutting the valve seats and ports, cutting the cam down, and getting it all setup soon as I get a few customers engines that are about finished out the door first of the week as well as few that need broke down and parts ordered etc..

IF that other NOS shortblock arrives ( not getting a response from the eBay seller) I think I may try pulling the guides and going with the Briggs valves down something I haven’t done yet.

 

[bobco]

Excellent! I am glad those parts arrived safely! I should have included some bronze 1/4" valve guides I bought years ago from Mike at VKE.