Hello fellow NICOclub members! I have a Mazworx Torque Plate for the SR20 motor for rent.
What is a torque plate?
A torque plate is used when machining the engine block to simulate the stresses of a bolted on cylinder head (which causes the aluminum to distort). This causes the cylinder bore to be perfectly round when the cylinder head is bolted on. Without using one, the cylinder bore will be perfect as a bare block, but once the cylinder head is on, it will distort, causing the round piston rings to have uneven contact and air gaps! It is especially necessary to use on aluminum blocks like the SR20 motors, because you can have as much as .002" of bore distortion without using one! This will cause the rings to not seat perfectly which leads to more engine blow by and less horsepower. There have been many motor builds over the years that run fine without it, but they still would have made more power if one was used. If you want the best possible performance out of your SR20, using a TQ plate when machine the block is essential!
Why don't I just go out and buy one?
Because they typically cost around $600 or more, which is a lot of money for a one time use tool (hopefully)! It also takes quite some time to manufacture, so the lead time to receiving it is long (took me over a month to get mine!). You can save a lot of money and time by renting one.
Info on the Mazworx TQ plate:
The Mazworx TQ plate is made from a special type of aluminum stock to withstand the stresses of head bolts clamping it down to the engine block (standard aluminum would crack). It can be used for up to a 90mm bore, which pretty much covers any piston configuration you can use. This is the same TQ plate Mazworx uses on their big hp drag SR20 engines. I recommend using a used head gasket when bolting the TQ plate on to your "to be machined" engine block, as well as the same type of head bolts or studs you plan to use. You torque the head bolts to whatever spec you plan to use for the actual cylinder head.
Info on the rental procedure:
$600 Deposit (to cover the cost of a new one in case it is not returned) +shipping (I ship from work, so it's fairly inexpensive), and I will refund the money when it is returned in the same shape as it was when I shipped it out. I will charge $100/week for rental, first week is a flat rate. Afterwards, it's prorated (5 business days is 1 week, weekends are not counted). (if shipped after 1 week and 2 days for example, it will be $140). That should give you enough time to have your machine shop to perform the work needed and you ship it back. Time starts when it is delivered, and stops when I have a tracking number. I highly recommend coordinating with your machine shop to get the work started, so they can do the work asap when you get the tq plate. Machine shops typically sit on stuff for a few days before doing anything.
You have the choice of sending payment via paypal as a payment (you cover a 3% paypal fee), or as a gift (no paypal fee). I personally feel more comfortable with doing the transaction via paypal payment over the gift, as it covers both parties in case of a mishap. It's up to you. If there is any extra money from over estimated paypal fees or shipping, I return the money along with the rest of the deposit. I always return the money via paypal gift, as to not cause the renter to be charged a fee.
I have a pristine record selling on forums and I have a reputation to protect, so you can rest assured that there will be no scam pulled here. I apologize for the Novel, I just want everything covered so its clear how the rental is setup. You can post in here or via PM to set things up, and I ask anyone who has rented it to please post feedback in this thread! I have rented it out twice so far as of this posting.
