Hey, I was wondering if any one could help me. My plan was to put on an edelbrock intake manifold, a bigger cam, port and mill my cylinder heads. I was almost finished taking everything apart when I noticed these two cracks. How bad are they? Is my block toast? Or should I continue with my build? It ran fine before I took it apart. Here are three pictures of both cracks.Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

crack p1.jpg

crack p2.jpg

crack p3.jpg

crack p4.jpg

crack p5.jpg[

 

crack p6.jpg

 

I don't think they are serious as they are from one water port to another. The best way to know for sure would be to have the machinist you plan on using to inspect it.

 

Do as Dan suggests have the machinist check the block out. It needs to be done in any case

 

What year block is it? 350 or 403??

John

 

'79 350

 

Windowed main block with a crack. NOT worth your time or trouble to even go any further with it IMHO regardless of where the crack is.

Better to start fresh with an older solid main webbed block... pre 1975.

Like this one

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMESE%3AIT

John

 

Looks like it froze. Time to look for a new block. Find an eariler one, they are stronger the the later. 350s are easy to find. You might be able to pick up a complete runner for reasonable $$. Where are you located, Maybe someone on here has one that is close to you.
JKaz

 

45 minutes NW of the Twin Cities in Minnesota.
Ya it did, two years ago. I forgot about that until I had the heads off and saw the cracks.
I could even go with a 403.

 

There are a few guys in that area that have blocks you can use. Get the feelers out there. I bet you can get a block for next to nothing and a running motor for $300-400 OR LESS...

John

 

I found a '70 350 engine with #6 heads, 4bc, it is gold, his buddy put a cam with .440" lift in it. He said it originally was on a 4speed car. I put my compression gauge on it and we turned it over with a ratchet. The first time he tried it we got 30PSI. Then I spun the ratchet and we got just about 90PSI. I thought that I could here the pressure leaking past the piston rings. I offered him $250 for it, and he didn't say for shure, but it sounded like he would probably take it. I think it needs a rebuild, but I'm not shure if that is that correct way to get a cranking compression. If it just needs piston rings and to be rehoned that is fine. I can just do that my self. If it needs an over bore and over size pistons that's getting spendy and I'd rather not go that way. What do you think? Doze it need the expensive or inexpensive way?

 

Glad to see you found another engine.
I tried to build a 455 that had cracks like those-the freeze plug installation crcked the side of the block. It's JUNK.
If you got 90# with a ratchet, I'll bet you get 175 with a starter.
Good luck!!!
Jim