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Long story short, I completely rebuilt my 455 about 2005. Bored it .30 over, new everything. Basically it was all new. It was nothing fancy. Mostly a driver. It had dished .30 pistons, performer intake, performer cam, and 750 eldelbrock. So nothing fancy.
I didn't drive it for a few seasons and went out to drive it again one summer and when I started it up, I noticed a slow drip from under the head. I took off the head and found a hairline crack between the water jackets on the bottom.
I've basically let it sit since. But now I'm getting the urge to get it back out again. I've been dreading building another engine for it. Especially since I sunk a ton of money in it back then. But now I'm curious, is there a block sealer I could use to fix it and be able to drive it again?
This isn't my engine, it's just a pic on google. But I marked where the crack is location wise.
It's a hairline crack and I almost missed it the first time I looked for it. But what do you guys think? Would a block sealer work so I could drive it next summer? And if you guys think it would, which brand would you recommend?
By the way I should add, I'm not one to rig something up to work. But I literally have like 1500 miles on a complete rebuild on that motor. I hate to have to start over.
That little web is not really structural. The cooling jacket connects right below it. Frankly, it doesn't even affect sealing of the head gasket. If I didn't already have a barn full of 455 blocks, I'd have no problems using it.
There may be some movement due to thermal expansion which could cause head gasket leakage to develop. I have seen satisfactory weld repair on that type of crack.
You have nothing to lose using a sealant other than piece of mind that it will leave you stranded some time out in the sticks.It doesn't sound like you put many miles on it.
I've plugged a cracked block or two back in the day using Bars Leak. I don't know if it is still manufactured or not but I considered it a band-aid fix just to move a car or get it home, not a forever fix..... Tedd
I agree with the general comments so far. I might also while it is apart clean that area on the underside as much as possible and put some JB weld on it on the water jacket side not the gasket sealing side. Then reassemble and use a block sealer also. I bet you never have an issue.
I think many of you are waaaay overreacting to this. My engineering judgement says that you could probably cut that short web out entirely and not affect sealing. All that little chunk of metal does is stabilize the top of the cylinder. Leaving the metal in place with the crack accomplishes this function.
I remember when I looked at it. the metal seem like it expanded just a fuzz in that spot. The leak was very small and if I remember right it didn't leak until I tightened the cap on the Radiator and put it under pressure.
I had a buddy tell me that K&W makes a block sealer that is like really good stuff. I might try that.
If I do get it running, I literally would only drive it maybe a 1000 miles a year. And it would probably be no further than 20 min from my house.
I basically want a sunday driver to take out with my kids. I just didnt want to have to redo that engine again.
I do have a spare block. Thank you for the offers above. I just didn't want to spend all that money. Especially since this one is basically about like new.
You know part of the reason I think it leaks, it's just a fuzz raised on the one side. Just a fuzz. What would happen if I ground down that little spot a fuzz and maybe even dished it down a little? Would it seal better?
I think I would buy me a new 15 inch long flat mill cut file and run it over that area to take down the fuzz that you are talking about. I would not, in any way, dish it any at all. Let the natural seal of the head gasket take care of any sealing problems.
Is it just me or? What is just a "FUZZ" crack on an engine block measure or mean? What thickness of feeler gauges can you get in the crack?
Yeah I know not the best in terms of "Technical" by saying fuzz.
No sorry there is no actual seperation at all. In fact I missed it the first time I tore it apart and thought maybe a head gaskety was defective and put another one on, but it leaked again.
I can only feel it by running my fingernail across it. The raise I mean. I thought maybe it was a burr or something when I first looked at it. Like maybe when I actually was putting on the head, I dinged the metal somehow or something. But it is very minor.
The car is actually at my old rental house in the Garage. I think I'm going to get it towed over to my garage at my house now and tear it apart again.
Now could it be too guys. I'm just using cheap felpro head gaskets that came in a complete rebuild kit, and I think when I changed them the 2nd time, I again just ordered a cheap felpro head gasket from like Advance. For like 12 bucks or something back around 2008.
Maybe there are some ultra seal headgaskets out now that might work too? I was using a cheapo.
You can probably get a standard block off craigslist between $100-$200. No worries, no crossing your fingers every time you take it out. Keep the old one for a coffee table. That rib is there for a reason, engineers tested these blocks to death. The big question is "What caused the rib to crack in the first place?" Freezing, improper torque,...? Best of luck with your project, terrible setback.
That method (metal stitching) looks like a lot of trouble since 455 blocks are virtually easy to obtain. If it was a super rare block of some unobtainable vintage it might be worth it.
Not an engineer or a machinist, with that said, the process pulls the crack tighter. The crack I had repaired in a head, the metal piece that pulls it together is designed to shear off flush.
Not an engineer or a machinist, with that said, the process pulls the crack tighter. The crack I had repaired in a head, the metal piece that pulls it together is designed to shear off flush.
How does it "pull" without distorting the upper end of the cylinder? ANYTHING you do with that crack will affect the top of the cylinder.
The crack isn't in the worst spot, but somehow it's causing the head gasket to leak, and usually the head gasket is solid in that area... so if you have the engine far enough apart to figure that out, I'd feel better about it.
October 13th, 2017, 07:36 PM
