Yep, Tony, I keep forgetting those stovebolts have more iron than the average battleship! I hope he finds a good machinist who won't just whack away until it's smooth, and maybe put the pistons into the head!
I always begin machining a block with a line-bore job, as every other dimension indexes off the crankshaft. A very light decking job comes next, so the cylinders will be square with the crank. (I'm still using an antique Van Norman boring bar that squares up to the top of the block) After getting all the rods equal length, I do a test assembly and measure for final deck height. On the block we're discussing here, unless the sealing area of the head gasket is compromised, there shouldn't be a problem, just do a light decking job to make sure it's flat, and bolt it together!
Oly, drop in anytime! I'm sure I'll learn a few tricks!
Jerry
