This engine was build to live in the Grey Mouse, after the previously installed ZZ4 engine blew a head gasket and has been sold. Now that the Grey Mouse sold without engine, I will build the 350 Vortec for a potential future project
PROGRESS:
05/30/03: Picked up the freshly prepared engine block today...
05/12/03: YUPPIE, my machine shop found a freshly prepped 350 Block for me. Two Bolt Mains, Align honed, Std Bore honed, new freeze plugs, new cam bearings, all for $250. I hope to pick it up in a few days...
05/05/03: BUMMER! The Magnaflux showed a crack in the lifter valley which will cause coolant to leak into the oil. Looks like the coolant I found in the oil was more than just a head gasket. The engine block is junk... Back to square one...
04/29/04: Finally got around to drop the block off at the machine shop. It will be cleaned and magnafluxed, new cam bearings and freeze plugs, bored 0.030 over and honed.
04/06/04: Cleaned the block and oil pan. Tried to hone the cylinders. Bummer: Some cylinders have scoring on the walls which does not clean up by honing. Got to have the block bored 0.30 over, hmmm
04/04/03: Ordered some more parts. This will be a budget-build 350 Vortec, but with as many new parts as possible. I am shooting for around $2,000. Check out my parts list & prices here Engine Parts Price List
03/30/31: Picked up the 350 short block (Casting 3970010) from my buddies house today. Very small ridge on the cylinder tops got my hopes up. However, after the first teardown, I found out:
2 bolt mains, which had beeen previously rebuild
Some water in the oil (milky)
4 spun rod bearings
The spun bearings trashed the crankshaft
No visible cracks. I will clean the block and get a new rotating assembly. The cylinders should be fine with just a hone job.
01/05/03: Received the new parts for the VORTEC engine: Cylinder Heads, Intake, Rocker Arms, Cam&Lifters, Distributor, Spark Plug Wires, Valve Covers
More pictures to follow soon:
This is the Short Block before disassembly:
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