How do you feel about this?

[PrairieDrifter]

Wondering what you guys would do?

Im 99% sure I'm gonna run it. For this reason.

Im doing top end, my heads were wore out, I found out why. Apparently this is a virgin block from all I can tell, perfect 4 inch bore, 4.06 inch head gasket, pistons just have H or J on them no oversized marking, as well as when I refreshed it there were no marks on the connecting rods. So long story short, she's got a pretty good ring ridge. It makes good power and I really don't believe I have a super weak hole, burnt oil from wore out valves, seals and guides. Not much if any crosshatch.

Its a virgin 70's 350 boys, too bad it's got some stripped holes, a couple oil pan and one bell housing, strangely enough they're all open on the backside to get a nut on them lol.

The edge is superficial, can't grab with a fingernail, the center is not. I'm gonna run it and hopefully by the time she chunks I'll have a dead hole or two!

What would you do?!

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[Scott91370]

If it was not my daily I'd probably run it too.

 

[squaredeal91]

I've had stuck ones. Soak it with some penetrant and keep working it. Alot of the lifter ridge is build-up

 

[PrairieDrifter]

I've had stuck ones. Soak it with some penetrant and keep working it. Alot of the lifter ridge is build-up

No ridge. Not stuck, ran perfectly fine. Just missing a little chunk. The cam looks totally fine.

 

[squaredeal91]

Lol my bad. It don't look too big. As long as it's not protruding and it's flush I'd run it too

 

[PrairieDrifter]

If it was not my daily I'd probably run it too.

It's my usual daily lol. I just can't justify the money and time on a cam and lifters, for an engine that has a decent ring ridge. Plus the cam could get munched when and if the bottom end goes or wears out.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

Lol my bad. It don't look too big. As long as it's not protruding and it's flush I'd run it too

It's flush and the lifter is still slightly concave like the rest. Just wanted some opinions!

 

[mxer147]

If you’re not going far with it, run it but if you plan to go far, fix it right. I don’t like driving something questionable far since it could leave me stranded at the worse time plus the headache to fix it afar and get it back home.

 

[squaredeal91]

It's flush and the lifter is still slightly concave like the rest. Just wanted some opinions!

When I tore down my 454 for rebuild my bore was decent and lifter bores good but the cam was so flat and lifters would literally hold liquid they were so dished out. But still driving a square,I think I still have a couple of the worst ones saved in my tool box for a souvenir

 

[PrairieDrifter]

If you’re not going far with it, run it but if you plan to go far, fix it right. I don’t like driving something questionable far since it could leave me stranded at the worse time plus the headache to fix it afar and get it back home.

I usually take my 98 if I'm goin out of town. But back and forth and in town I use the burban. My main thing is that ive put 20,000 miles on this motor plus a lot of run time, who knows how long the lifter been like that?! Also I should be able to notice a cam lobe disappear if that does happen, without sending a bunch of crap through the motor, but it'll need a full rebuild by that time even if it does.

 

[Albrigap]

That lifter in the picture is totally junk.
It needs a new cam and lifters.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

That lifter in the picture is totally junk.
It needs a new cam and lifters.

Running 20,000 miles on it and it's junk? Also the cam is 100% fine, I just fail to believe that. Obviously I don't know how long. But it ain't recent lol.

Appreciate your opinion!

 

[Albrigap]

Running 20,000 miles on it and it's junk? Also the cam is 100% fine, I just fail to believe that. Obviously I don't know how long. But it ain't recent lol.

Appreciate your opinion!

Then it is a garbage picture as the bottom of the lifter should be bright and shiny. That looks dull, black as if it has not touched the cam.

 

[PrairieDrifter]

Then it is a garbage picture as the bottom of the lifter should be bright and shiny. That looks dull, black as if it has not touched the cam.

You wanna get a better picture of a shiny reflective small surface? While also trying to show what I want to show? Not a mini sun in the center of the picture?

 

[PrairieDrifter]

Also i can almost guarantee that this was a small spot of rust on it before i got the engine running, I am willing to bet that this didn't happen within the 20,000 miles I put on it. That being said. It's survived 20,000 miles plus idle and tuning/setup time.

I want to preface everything ive said up to this point with, this engine had CORN in the valve chamber. When I opened it up, it literally had corn kernels in the intake and head.

I traded for this engine, it had been sitting on a shop floor for a year or two, before that it was ran in one derby, and before that is anyone's guess. It had to have been sitting a long time before my buddy had it to be a virgin block. I resealed it, couple mods and ran it.