We've been talking about the Castrol Syntec Top Shop Challenge for the past couple of issues and we've actually begun working on the project. After talking to Jerry at Ace Machine in Riverside, California, we came up with a game plan and he began doing all of the research needed to make this buildup happen. Jerry spent many hours on the computer researching some of the parts that he was thinking about using. The planning of this engine was important as a performance engine of this caliber take a few weeks to come to life.
The first thing on the agenda was to find an engine core. Once the core was in hand, we wanted to make sure that we had a solid foundation for the engine. The engine block was hot tanked and magna fluxed to make sure that it wasn't cracked. Jerry then started to measure the piston size to see how big we needed to bore out the block.
Jerry was planning on using Castrol Syntec oil as it helps provide superior protection against deposits. This modern day oil neutralizes acids in your engine that can cause rust and corrosion on vital parts such as cylinders, bearings and hydraulic valve lifters. Castrol Syntec oil will also help protect the engine, increasing its longevity and horsepower.
With leading companies like ARP, Comp Cams, CP Pistons and Milodon on board for the buildup, we can't wait to start dressing up the engine and see how it turns out. There will be candy paint and lots of chrome; you know how we build our lowrider engines. Now follow along as Jerry at Ace Machine starts on our Lowrider "monster" engine. Also make sure to visit www.SyntecTopShop.com as well as cast your vote for the engine at www.lowridermagazine.com.
2 Jerry started off by measuring the thickness of the piston walls. This will later allow us to pick the right pistons for the engine block. | 
3 Comp Cams is going to be used for the valve train as this willmodernize it like the newer OEM technology. Match up their camshafts with their competition-grade lifters, valve springs, timing sets and other supporting components, and you'll experience the ultimate in race-winning reliability. | 
4 To ensure that the bottom end of the engine block keeps its cool, it's going to be outfitted with a Milodon bottom end. The low profile "triangulated" sump design that was developed by Milodon more than three decades ago gives adequate ground clearance, as well as sufficient oil capacity for any kind of high-performance use. |
5 CP Pistons will be used to produce the compression needed to create horsepower. CP offers a complete line of racing pistons for domestic engines that can be purchased right off the shelf, making this build a lot easier. | 
6 Jerry thought that he would crack a few jokes... we mean, show us the difference in piston sizes between a Chevy piston and a Honda import. As you can see, size does matter. | 
7 To make sure that everything was going to stay together, Jerry used his favorite fasteners and the only choice for custom builds like this one: ARP fasteners. These fasteners are minimum grade 8 and will help hold the engine together. |
8 Here's a look at the ARP main bearing bolts that will keep the crank bearing caps in place given all of the horsepower that the engine is going to be creating. | 
9 Jerry jumped online and showed us some of the tricks that he wants to use, including these Y2K Turbonetics turbo chargers. He did hours of research to help come up with the right combination for this build. | 
The lube for the build; nothing but Castrol Syntec for us. |
11 Jerry's ready to start building as soon as the parts that he ordered start showing up. | | |