[Halldor ragnarsson]

I was wondering if a crack in the lifter valley is repairable.A ad on the net offered
a 400 shortblock for 200 $,with 70K miles on it from a 72 Imp..I have´nt seen the
crack,but according to the seller the crack is small,and should be repairable.Well since he is selling the block he would do anything to sell it,right so i leave it up to you guys
,if it´s worth it?Since it´s already partly disassembled it´s not much work left to strip it,and send it to a shop who could possibly weld it.What´s your opinion?
All suggestions welcome,
Thanks,HR

 

[Cardiac]

Don't walk away, TURN & RUN THE OTHER WAY. I for one would not trust ANY crack repaired block IMHO.

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Lowered '67 Elcamino
ZZ430HP / 4L60
"Canyon Carver"

 

[cjlandry]

I once helped a guy put together a '59 Panhead (Harley Davidson) that had a broken motor case from being trashed by a station wagon on the highway. He had the case welded back together and has been riding the bike since 1987 with no problems other than typical HD issues. The key is that he had it welded by a professional that had done this sort of work before.

Unless there is no other way to get a small block for a reasonable price in Iceland, I would have to agree with Cardiac. Small blocks are just too plentiful in the US for me to consider repairing a cracked block.

Chad

 

[garyB]

I would go with another block if you can. $200 to some is nothing and to others it is four months of saving. Only you can decide. Welding this type of crack in a block is easy and in the states there are some shops that specialize in block welding. Unfortunately it will cost you more than a small block replacement.
Here is another alternative. I have seen this done on blocks and heads. You may have to look hard to find these, but there are small bolt like plugs manufactured to fill these holes. Magnaflux to locate the EXACT ends of the cracks. Drill small holes at each end until you hit air or the water jacket. Tap the hole to match the threads on the plug. You install the plug using a permatex type sealant until it starts to twist off the head. Next drill another hole next to the first hole and overlapping the first plugged hole. Fill the second hole with a plug. Continue until the entire crack is filled. For a finished appearance grind down the tops of the plugs flush with the casting. These plugs may have a small leak but for a non-pressurized fix they work OK and they are cheap. For a fix where they enter a water jacket you need to add some quality stop leak for insurance.
I wish I knew where to send you for the plugs, but its been 30 years since I was in the motor welding business.

 

[Philip]

My concern would be what caused the crack. If this block had frozen from a lack of antifreeze it may have more damage than just this slight crack. The only way to know for sure is to have the block cleaned and checked by a machine shop.

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Philip Valentine
Gold Member #42
"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another."
[email protected]

 

[Doug Garland]

I would look for another block, but I have repaired one that was cracked in the valley before. It was a '91 350 that had a casting flaw in them, the intake valley had a shallow section on the section up from the floor where the cylinders are. I asked several people, and discovered a heavy duty J.B Weld. I drilled both ends of the crack, V'ed out the center, and poured the J.B. weld to it. After it dried, I worked it back down.Ended up selling the engine to a friend that races circle track cars. He still has it in his car to this day. But, I would still rather find a good block. This block I had was a freebee!

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1972 Malibu (1 st. car) Project waiting to happen
Team Chevelle # 427
A.C.E.S. # 1282

 

[Halldor ragnarsson]

Thanks for the replies,and all good advices as well.400 blocks are not common here,engines even less,but i guess if one is out to get one all this distance,it might as well be as solid one.Shipping charges are more than 200 $ alone.

Thanks HR