Is Hemi block Salvagable

[not so famous bob]

This picture its the blackish grey looking material on the left of the cylinder.
View attachment 1990447

I saw on mark workman's show that they had a place out there that can heat and weld up cast iron blocks with great success , (grave yard cars) , you might try to get ahold of him , shipping would be a killer tho....jfyi

 

[BeepBeepRR]

I saw on mark workman's show that they had a place out there that can heat and weld up cast iron blocks with great success , (grave yard cars) , you might try to get ahold of him , shipping would be a killer tho....jfyi

Its not my engine.. I was just reposting the picture of the JB welded area for another member.

 

[rickseeman]

Looks like it was already saved. Put it back together new rings and bearings and run it.

I certainly wouldn't do a high horsepower build with it, but if it has ran like that since 2008 I would put it back together and run it.

It appears to me to be an old Top Fuel block. (Since it looks like it has been converted to 1/2" side bolts with a stroker crank and aluminum rods.) In Top Fuel you used to run the block until it cracked, then replace the block. There were many hundreds of these blocks used up in the 60's and early 70's. Sometimes people were too lazy to throw them away or they kept one for mockups. In the 80's when Hemi blocks were non-existent many of these old blocks were dug out and repaired because there just wasn't anything else out there. It will cost some money to put in a stock crank and rods and rebalance. But you will have to decide what to do. It sounds like you're not real passionate about the car, therefore it might feel like a burden pouring a seemingly endless amount of money in it. Engine teardowns always go way over budget. They say they want to change the cam and it turns into a total rebuild and many thousands spent. There are a lot of different directions you can go on this. You will have to do some soul searching on this one.

 

[SgtSuperbird]

Very good advice, rickseeman.

 

[Splangj]

If it was an old top fuel block with aluminum rods, how did it run? I’m assuming someone put a streetable cam and springs into it, but what about pistons? What’s a Top Fuelers compression, and if low enough to run on the street with no blower?

 

[rickseeman]

I hope they changed the pistons for more compression

 

[Bird 426]

7:1 supercharged? Adjust compression with blower overdrives, mostly.

 

[Chilsam]

My Dad always said "If it ain't broke don't fix it." Seems like a solid repair but it was a repair just don't think you can throw tons of power through it.

If it ain't broke...fix it till it is.....

 

[INTMD8]

What seems odd to me is the mega chamfers at the bottom of the bores. Looks freshly ground out like chasing a leak.

 

[Bird 426]

Clearance for rods?

 

[BeepBeepRR]

I just noticed this... Maybe it was already mentioned.

 

[rickseeman]

I assume that is the bottom of a sleeve

 

[RJ Squirrel]

Hey I think I bought some Cordoba roller wheels from you a couple years ago-Home Depot parking lot?
Anyway, as others have said, I would just hone the cyls, new rings and put it back together.
If it runs 8000 more miles- terrific!

 

[Jrpontiac]

It appears to me to be an old Top Fuel block. (Since it looks like it has been converted to 1/2" side bolts with a stroker crank and aluminum rods.) In Top Fuel you used to run the block until it cracked, then replace the block. There were many hundreds of these blocks used up in the 60's and early 70's. Sometimes people were too lazy to throw them away or they kept one for mockups. In the 80's when Hemi blocks were non-existent many of these old blocks were dug out and repaired because there just wasn't anything else out there. It will cost some money to put in a stock crank and rods and rebalance. But you will have to decide what to do. It sounds like you're not real passionate about the car, therefore it might feel like a burden pouring a seemingly endless amount of money in it. Engine teardowns always go way over budget. They say they want to change the cam and it turns into a total rebuild and many thousands spent. There are a lot of different directions you can go on this. You will have to do some soul searching on this one.

 

[Jrpontiac]

Thanks for all the reply’s. As Rick picked up on I am not very passionate about the project. The Roadrunner was my father in law and when he passed it became mine. I’m a car guy but not a mopar guy, but a mopar with a Hemi I could live with, and that is how it has been the last 5 or 6 years. Now it has turned into a mopar with a Hemi that is in bad shape and RR that in my opinion need a complete restoration. So I sold the RR last night not running with the good non original 440 that came with it when father in law bought it. Guy gave me a deposit and picking up tomorrow morning. RR was a 383/auto car. Not sure what I’m going to do with hemi stuff, looked a bit closer at block and in addition to the other issues every head bolt hole had been helicoiled. Heads/valve train/intake is quite nice. The hemi was pieced together in 2008, judging by the receipts it has been a disaster since day one.