wasco
Well-Known Member
I stopped at the machine shop to drop off the new heads, cam, lifters, pushrods, head gaskets and timing set. The owner asked if I wanted to the see the block (they'd since stripped it down and did the magnaflux). I said I would and it was sitting on a stand, upside down. He casually pointed to the side of the block and said "there's the crack we found". I was surprised - I guess he thought someone had told me. It was about an inch and a half long and right in the middle of the side of the block. He said it was in the water jacket and cracks like it were common with the Mopar blocks - "it doesn't take much of a freeze". He didn't seem concerned at all, said they would drill a hole at each end of the crack and put pins in to stop it from spreading. He's been building engines for 35 years and knows what he's doing, but I'm a little concerned with spending thousands of dollars rebuilding a block that is going 60 over and has one (known) crack? It's not like I'm going to punish this engine - just a little "spirited" street cruising, but what's the general opinion here? When I asked if I should get another block, he shook his head and said "you won't find another one." When I said I'd found one in the midwest for $600 shipped, which happens to be an HP block cast a few weeks before the build date of my car, he seemed surprised but didn't say I should get it. I don't want to spend another $600 if I don't have to, and the Keith Black 60 over pistons he custom ordered to match the Edelbrock heads would have to be returned, but I have a nagging feeling about using a cracked block, but maybe this is common practice? Thoughts?
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