The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Darn block is cracked

We tore down our original engine and took it to the machine shop last week. Call came in, 15" crack at the bottom of the water jacket. I have a spare 235 out of a same year Chev car. How much will not having the original engine hurt the value of our truck?

In my opinion, if it fits into the family and year of engines it would not decrease the value. The possible difference would likely be the stamped pad number below the distributor.

The real value of these old trucks is the enjoyment and pleasure you get out of driving and using it. Using a replacement engine won't hurt your enjoyment.

The right machine shop could sew that up. Never know it was cracked. But if you have a good block, use it. Like Cletis said. Enjoy it.

"Sewing" a 15" crack would be a terribly expensive job. Every time another threraded plug is added to the line of overlapping plugs there is a possibility for leaks where the plugs meet. That operation is usually used in a combustion chamber where 3 or 4 plugs are installed.
Jerry

That type of block cracking seems to be very prevalent in 216 blocks. It happened to my 216 also in the same relative location as yours. I sawed my block through mid-crack just to see if anything particular about this design stood out. To this backyard mechanic, I couldn't see anything unusal. I suppose the original casting process or metallurgy can account for this happening so much, but I don't know for a fact. And of course age and use can damage the block.

This is the first time I've heard of 216's cracking. Mine is cracked, so I can see it happening I just didn't know happened. Someone has slathered some sort of epoxy in the crack (10") and it holds water with a zero pound cap with only the slightest trickle. I've been driving it that way or months.
I think, as long as the engine doesn't get hot and the water is not going in to the crankcase a small water loss is acceptable with theses old engines.
having said that I overheated it the other day driving over the Santa Cruz Mountains from here to Half Moon Bay. The temp was fine until I pulled over to let some tailgater pass and once the rpms dropped, the temp spiked. and I sat on the side of the road pouring water in the rad.
When i came home I pressurized the cooling system to 4 pounds and there is water leaking everywhere except the rad and the crack so I am pulling the head and putting the head gasket I have in if the head/lock surface is straight...

Not to hijack a thread....

Jeremy

Jeremy,Plenty of people have used expoxy and it works to a point. But not forever.The crack will grow. Engine vibration adds to it.

Thanks Drew!
I just need the engine to last for a while longer while I put my 261 together.
Which I purchased when I saw the repaired crack in the 216.
So the Head gasket is just another temp fix as I'd purchased the gasket set then I saw the crack so I had the gasket here anyway.

Jeremy