Can someone explain what is it when someone has their engine bullet proofed and blueprinted? I hear these terms alot with muscle car owners and have always wondered if its something that import owners do also.

 

Bulletproofing

Most the items on this list were put together by Mechanix_034 on HP.com:

Block and heads teardown and blueprinting

-Honing of cylingers and bore alignment using a torque plate
-Crank alignment
-Block clearancing
-Deburring of the block
-Trueing of deck
-Cleanup of oil and water galleries
-Weld close water jackets
-Micropolishing of bearing journals[all]
-Magnaflux stress releiving on the block and sonic test

Internal rework

-Change to full Crower counter crankshaft kit
-Crower Con-rods
-Cosworth pistons
-Full race bearings[high-load]

Head rework

-Trueing of deck
-Deburring of heads
-Cam journal alignment
-Micropolishing of bearing journals
-Cleanup of oil and water galleries
-Magnaflux stress releive or cryogenic treatment

Fasteners

-Fitment of head studs
-Full ARP stud kit

-Oversize Valves and upgrade valvetrain
-5-angle valve job
-Oversize bores
-Install stroker kit[cleareneing and replacement of big end bearing if necessary for crank fitment]
-ALL reciprocating assemblies balanced
-Fix ported IM and extrudehone ports for optimum flow at a given RPM
-Cleanup of combustion chamber
-Valve seat, vlave giude replace

 

Bulletproofing
Is a general term that describes the process of makeing an engine tougher, and able to withstand more hp,torque and rpms. Example is like a 400 hp v8. Thats not such a heavy build, but it would be nice to use arp rod bolts. Shotpeening the rods , deburing the rods and running a floating wristpin. Now if you build an 800hp engine, you will need after market rods for same area. Bulletproofing an engine is up to ones own needs and budget, what one persons bulletproofing is may be overkill to an another.

Blueprinting
Back in the early days of comp drag racing, it was hard to get an advantage over others. So most took the time to tear down the engines and go though the specs (engine mods for class's was limited) and put engine back together. Run car , get consistant ET's and pull engine down and change specs. All was written down and as changes was made, it would show on ET's. Very few dyno's around, and most guys budget wouldn't allow for a dyno pull. Indy cars and others even started blueprinting. Blueprinting with dyno's is needed if whant most out of engine. Billy Gliden found 70-100hp just reworking rings in his stang.
Now adays blueprinting is, recording build and doing all to proper clearences and specs.
And again Blueprinting is genaral term. One builders blueprinting probaly is a little bit defrence than another.

 

blueprinting now generally refers to rebuilding the engine to the MIN rebuilding specs
ie the smallest gaps and tighests tolerances possible