block crack

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Bill Pursel

Well guys I got this engine for free to go in my pickup as a temp.engine till I get some funds for an insert engine. Well it is .020 overbore and no ridge and a great bottom end but a crack in the deck. Model A Medic say its junk I thought about heli coil the stud hole and run it. What you others think?

My shop would repair that crack using the stitching method followed by a sloshing it with a ceramic sealer, installing a Heli-coil in that one hole, and resurfacing the deck.


Since this is a temporary engine, you might want to try using it as-is and use some sodium silicate or high-powered crack sealer that parts stores sell for band-aiding cracked heads. The key to making this sealer work in your situation is to make sure the water jacket area is clean before introducing the sealer. Then plug the overflow tube where the system can build a slight amount of pressure to force the sealer into the crack once the engine is up to temps. This can be risky if you totally "cap" the system as it can build too much pressure, but being prudent in your method and leaving the cap slightly loose, you can be pretty effective. If it does not work, then you have not lost a lot other than time. To do the job correctly, it will need to be dismantled enough that the block can be stitched and then mounted & leveled in a surfacer.