don't know if I'm going too far for the hobby, but 300 bucks for that fine plate seems like a very good price... I don't know, I think I rather spend that money in a honing plate rather than "roller rockers"...

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Juan Ignacio Caino

Please use e-mail button istead of PM'ing. I do log in sometimes but I'll be answering quicker thru e-mail.

I build a lot of SL6 engines so for me, the plate was a good investment.
Of you are only building a "once in a life-time" engine, then it is not worth it.
I had one engine builder tell me that he uses short bolts and large, thick flat washers as a "do it yourself" torque plate... I'm not sure if doing that would be "better then nothing" or if it does more harm then good.
DD

doug did you like the top off the block torque plate or is that route more costly than the 2in plate?

The home made, cast iron torque plate I have works fine but they are a lot of work to make. You have to drill out all the threaded holes and doing that takes strong arms or a big, well mounted drill press.

Next, you need to bust-off as much of the lower block as possible, that takes more hole drilling, wizzer wheel and some sluge hammer swinging get's it done.

Now you need a large band saw. You need to set-up a guide "fence" and have some time and an extra person to help push / pull the work piece through the saw blade.

Next comes the clean-up work. I added a 3/4 inch section of steel plate to the back edge of the iron piece to give the plate full block coverage, once it is fliipped up-side-down & backwards. I also 'back-filled' my plate with some fiberglass, that will hold it together in cased it ever cracks.

If I did it again, I would start with a .060 oversize scrap block. (the one I used was .040 O/S)
I would also work harder to make a straight cut on the band saw, my cut was .150 off, front to back and that took a lot of extra work to square-up.
DD

What about an old cylinder head for a torque plate (drill out combustion chambers)..........

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes