Building a mini V8 engine is a difficult project because you will need either a specialty supplier that can provide customized smaller engine materials or a fabrication shop, where you can customize the parts yourself. Regardless of how you find the parts, you will need extensive experience in engine rebuilding to build a mini V8 successfully.
To fabricate the engine block of the mini V8 properly, you will need T6 aluminum. T6 is highly durable and still relatively lightweight. You use the aluminum in the main cylinder banks as the base for the mini V8 engine. Aluminum is the choice over other metals because it draws the heat away from other metal components and then dissipates it quickly and efficiently. With such a powerful engine in a small space, the propensity for heat build-up is quite high and the mini V8 needs an efficient design to prevent overheating.
The crankshaft is the component that spins inside the engine block, increasing with speed as you increase the engine's throttle. Shaped like a pin, but covered in notches that connect to pistons in the engine, the crankshaft is the most important component that you will need for your mini V8. It should be made of the highest quality steel. Most automakers or performance engine builders rely on forged steel because it is the strongest of all the metals and will withstand high pressure and high stress environments. For a mini V8, you will need to find a specialty manufacturer that has the fabrication studio to make the component because it is not widely available in the smaller form factor.
When the fuel ignites in the engine, the pressure generated powers the pistons, which generate energy to drive the engine and propel the vehicle. The pressure within the mini V8 is quite high because the engine is working within smaller confines and under more pressure than typical V8 engines. Like the engine block, pistons for a mini V8 need to be fabricated from T6 aluminum, which is highly durable, yet can dissipate heat quickly. For a V8, the engine will need eight pistons, which must be fabricated identically.
