The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Anyone seen something like this??

I got a spare engine out of a 49 chevy truck.. I pulled the head to look at the cylinder walls. All the cylinders look good except for #5. It looks like someething has grown inside of it. It is also all over the valve chamber in the head. Anyone know what this could be? Thanks

#5 cylinder

To me it looks like the cylinder has been full of water

Water..

Seen similar on cracked blocks usually in the middle of the block, look the block over carefully it is most likely a boat anchor.

Yeah that's what I figured. I tried to clean the head up tonite and it is really pitted.. But that makes sense about the cracked block. Brad you are right, it's good boat anchor.

don't discount it sitting with a valve having been open and collecting a lot of condensation or some water down the intake - check what it looks like in the pan before you decide block condition .... if you have any real interest in the engine

Bill

Here are a few pictures of my cylinder head growth , after I Pulled it
http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w287/curtwarren2/1948%20Chevy%20Loadmaster/photo-17.jpg
Before I pulled it, I had driven my 48 about 50 miles, with top sustained speed of 50mph, avg 35+.
When I had this motor rebuilt, He completely rebuilt the head, noting no unusual damage after hot tanking.
I would not abandon your head yet.
My $.02

What I'm seeing in the picture is an engine block that is badly
in need of cleaning. If that was indeed dipped in a hot caustic
tank then it was only in long enough to clean the grease of the
outside. Who "rebuilt" your engine???
And what I'm seeing in the picture is very heavy rust scale that
may have been loosened in some way and is now breaking loose
and clogging the water passages. Also as indicated by the color
of the water droplets on the deck you have a heavy rust problem
in that engine.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny certainly has a point, IF the block was also properly hot tanked ..... but my take is just the head was really 'rebuilt' .... also Utah might be blessed with very minerally hard water

Bill

My post was slightly misleading (It was right before bed). The two pictures above were taken right after I removed the motor/head from the truck. Both pictures were taken before it went to the machine shop. Unfortunately I did not take any pictures of the disassembled motor after cleaning, however here is a picture of the reassembled motor.
Bill you are very correct, Utah does have very high mineral content in the water.
Denny the truck had sat for almost 20 years in Nebraska before I got hold of it. I am assuming that is when the rust problem started. I am quite confident however that the rust problem is gone. I had Mike at Ramco Machine do the rebuild/machine work. Here is the disscussion on the rebuild . I am quite happy to say He stuck with his original quote of $1800. Though it did take 3 times longer then originally discussed.
Thanks You everyone who lends their knowledge to this site. My truck would be nothing like it is today without the Stovebolt forum!

Just a tip Curt or anyone else, about the water that
your put in your 'Bolt.
I dehumidify my basement in the summer and therefore
get gallons of "distiled" every day. I save it in a
few old milk jugs and use it for the battery and
when I fill the engine. No minerals!

Denny G

...and if you need to its available most places for about a buck a gallon at any drugstore or family grocery store. . I use it for my C-Pap machine and have it around all the time. Right on Denny.