C.O.M.E Racing alloy engine is born. December 24 2003.
Project began in 1998. When the decision by GMH to scrub the Holden V8 we decided to make our own engine in alloy based on the original Holden design.
This would mean interchangeability of OEM Holden components and our engine would be part of the deal. We all know there are 1/2 a million plus cars out there that can be fitted with Holden style V8's quite easily so why not perpetuate that engine.
We already had 355 and 383 cast and now steel cranks, forged rods and complete kits for the bottom ends. We have a huge range of camshafts designed and made in house.
The bolt on ancillaries will be available almost indefinitely such as water pumps, oil pumps, timing chain sets, harmonic balancers, starter motors and the like.
This means there will be no shortage of components to support this engines continued life span.
We felt we needed an edge however in terms of power potential, strength, light weight and engine capacity potential in order to make the marketing possibilities positive in the wake of the new modern engines coming onto the scene such as the LS1 and Ford OHC V8's.
Our real advantage is basically the original design was finally optimised in 1989 with the introduction of the EFI Holden V8 with a fabulous cylinder head design which in fact rivaled any production OHV design as far as efficiency and power potential.
This became very obvious with the incredible success of this design in the past 10 years for both VN onwards Commodores but also Bracket, Speedway and Street class racers all over the country.
We always envisioned Australia's own Small Block V8 engine and it is finally a reality.
Our cylinder heads were the first to be born in early 2000 after extensive development and testing as well as establishing optimum machining processes in association with "CRD" a CNC machining company run by second generation Drag Racer Darren Carter, the son of lunatic funny car racer "Jungle" Jim Carter.
The fantastic marriage of both our efforts has yeilded a brilliant design/development and production capability second to none in the Automotive aftermarket in Australia.
We found this was the key to making the most effective products. Working with people who are racers, who are Automotive enthusiasts and who therefore understand what the enthusiast consumer really wants...the best parts locally made and priced reasonably to enable the end user to build almost any possible combination with the best range of components to rival any imported engine hardware.
Everyone said "it will never happen" I kept telling them, "not only will it happen but the final products will be the envy of our competitors and the fulfilment of the aspirations of our loyal customers"
The 1st design alloy heads released in early 2000 were designed as a direct stock replacement for the cast iron VN-VT V8 Holden factory
heads.
In fact with a vastly improved combustion chamber, water jacket design, as well as port runners this head has been the most popular head for the street/strip market by a country mile over the last 4 years.
Serious racers have also warmed to the excellent air flow potential with relatively small port volume. Most importantly is the true value for money. The intake port flows over 485 BHP potential with a small stock size 1.94" intake valve and tiny 153cc port runner. The exhaust port flows over 103 cfm @ 10" test pressure and responds better than any other factory or aftermarket head on the market to minimum porting/airflow increases.
We will address the full race market in 2004 with another new head design which will carry larger runner intake ports another revised combustion chamber to better take advantage of our alloy blocks 4.125" bore size. This head will flow over 570 BHP potential out of the box with awesome possibilities for over 650 BHP airflow through still reasonably high velocity port runners.
Fact is, you will be able to buy this head, bolt it on a 383 short block and make over 600 BHP with a single 4 barrel carb.
Add out big bore alloy block to the equation and you will see 650 plus BHP easily achieved with big block style torque to match.
The original head design will also continue to be available as it is the best option for maximum torque street application with engines up to 383ci
The next step was our new EFI intake manifold. Many people in the industry told us to simply make a copy of the factory twin throttle body VN Group A intake and be done with it.
Unfortunately that design was dated even before it was relased with its side mounted throttle bodies, heavy and inefficient plenum top.
Over the years our dyno testing of 355 and 383 strokers with these manifolds always showed very good power potential but at a cost. The torque curves were inconsistent with dips and peaks throughout the rpm range. This simply shows the design to be far short of ideal. This manifold also tended to heat the incoming air significantly almost as badly as the stock bunch of bananas single throttle body intake. In EFI terms this is most undesireable and plays havoc with fuel efficiency and overall power output.
Our intake was designed over more than 2 years of excrutiating dyno testing of a hand fabricated prototype. This 1st version was modified in every area from runner volume and length to plenum size and shape many times over till an optimum design was finally settled on.
Our design brief was simple, make more power and torque over a broader range than any other intake for the EFI Holden engine, make this power with less fuel (efficiency), enable the fitting of the manifold under the stock bonnet of all model Holdens and Commodores from HK to VT.
Make the manifold modular so extra porting and modifications are as easy as removing the plenum lid which simply screws on.
Make the manifold multi usage in that we can easily adapt dual 4 barrel throttle bodies or carburettors for unlimited racing applications.
Make the manifold completely adaptable so all factory sensors and other hardware simply bolt on with a minimum of fuss.
We achieved all of these and more goals to enable customers to do their own thing. In fact about 15% of those already sold are being used very successfully with Superchargers and Turbochargers. Owners report the fact that due to excellent heat dissipation properties of this design they are using smaller intercoolers and can always run more boost with much less chance for detonation.
Finally, the block. Well, what can I say. This component took the most logistical effort, the most machining prowess and will probably return the least in terms of return on our enormous investment in patterns and design tooling.
When Daryl McBeth's 400ci engine fired and took its first breath of air on the 17th December 2003 it was all worth it. If we were only interested in making money out of this project we would have never made the cylinder block. As insane enthusiasts we did it so no one can ever say it can't be done and even more importantly no one can ever say it can't be done as well as anyone else in the world.
The cylinder block gurus all called and said you need to do this and that. "The oiling system needs to be "fixed", you need to raise the decks" were just some of the pieces of advice we received.
Frankly, I was not convinced.
Our block, at least initially will directly replace a standard 308/304 cast iron factory piece.
Improvements are as follows:
1) Weight saving of up to 40kg depending on final bore size.
2) High nickel cast iron sleeves with counterbored top surfaces providing more than enough room for deck "O" rings. Dry liners in parent alloy material, totally replaceable. Bore sizes up to 4.155" maximum. As hard as Chev Bow Tie race blocks.
3) Fully bronze bushed lifter bores with select size oil galley holes depending on the application. This feature has the greatest impact on oil control improvement in the Holden style V8 block.
4) Billet alloy main bearing caps with 4 bolt main centre caps fully dowelled to block cap registers and fastened with centre main studs.
The advantage of alloy caps is very light weight, consistent expansion rate with alloy block material which maintains rounder bearing bores under heavy loads and therefore much better bearing clamping and life potential. The highest grade billet alloy is stronger than steel in this application in spite of light weight. Look at Top Fuel Dragsters with KB blocks which use the same system.
5) Extra material in valley area for additional head fastener provision to enhance cylinder clamping particularly at the top of bores where the Holden is short of clamping strength. Our new racing head will have provision in the castings to enable these extra fastener bosses to be drilled, tapped and used in addition to production bolt pattern for extra head clamping.
6) Deeper blind drilled and tapped head bolt/stud bosses in block decks. Enables the use of the longer and deeper reaching VN Group-A style head stud or bolt kit for better clamping.
7) All production engine mounts, sumps, timing cases, camshafts, distributors, water pumps and all other bolt on ancillaries are as per stock factory blocks for direct interchangeability with any Holden V8 from 1969-99 Blocks are drilled for Turbo bellhousing pattern bu can be supplied on special order with Trimatic pattern.
After first firing on the 17th of Dec 2003 the engine went into labour . It was finally born into the world on the 24th Dec when a very happy Daryl McBeth picked up this new bullet for fitting into his awesome new Magna show car. See the car debut at the Melbourne motor show starting on the 27th Feb 2004.
8:47:07 PM 
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