Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
440 block cracks in lifter valley #1974349
12/22/15 04:35 AM
12/22/15 04:35 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,766
Central Valley, CA.
Quicksilver440 Offline OP
I Live Here
Quicksilver440  Offline OP
I Live Here

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,766
Central Valley, CA.
I had this block hot tanked and magnafluxed and they found these cracks in lifter valley. Is this block savable?? What causes these? Heat from exhaust crossover? Or?

IMG_20151219_121632077.jpgIMG_20151219_121625675_HDR.jpgIMG_20151219_121611016.jpg
Re: 440 block cracks in lifter valley [Re: Quicksilver440] #1974353
12/22/15 04:47 AM
12/22/15 04:47 AM
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,890
North Alabama
M
Monte_Smith Offline
master
Monte_Smith  Offline
master
M

Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,890
North Alabama
Looks like it froze at one time.......likely junk

Re: 440 block cracks in lifter valley [Re: Quicksilver440] #1974354
12/22/15 04:47 AM
12/22/15 04:47 AM
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,559
Oh
H
His and Her 69's Offline
pro stock
His and Her 69's  Offline
pro stock
H

Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,559
Oh
From what I hear it is from water freezing in the block and expanding causing those cracks. Chevy's are known for cracking in the lifter galley area like that.
So my opinion is it's from not being properly winterized.
I would NOT use it since it isn't hard to find big blocks and I don't think the cost to weld it would be cheaper then a different block.
Just my 2 cents.
David

Re: 440 block cracks in lifter valley [Re: Quicksilver440] #1974397
12/22/15 10:47 AM
12/22/15 10:47 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,988
Warren, MI
J
Jerry Offline
master
Jerry  Offline
master
J

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,988
Warren, MI
get a new block. no point in spending money on something that is already damaged.


Superior Design Concepts
2574 Elliott Dr
Troy MI 48083
jerry@sdconcepts.com
www.sdconcepts.com
Facebook page: Superior Design Concepts
www.bcrproducts.com
Re: 440 block cracks in lifter valley [Re: Jerry] #1974420
12/22/15 11:27 AM
12/22/15 11:27 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 43,555
Round Lake Beach, Illinoisy
Rhinodart Offline
Rhinotruck
Rhinodart  Offline
Rhinotruck

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 43,555
Round Lake Beach, Illinoisy
That happened to the original 383 block in my 69 Dart GTS. I had Indy Cylinder Head stitch weld it and everything was fine afterwards. It happened in 1979 when I put the car away for the winter. I put pure antifreeze in it because I was a dumb kid and figured if 50-50 mix was good then 100% would be better... realcrazy


The funny thing about science is that if you change one miniscule parameter you change the entire outcome to the way you want it.

JB Rhinehart, Realist

A-Body's RULE!
Re: 440 block cracks in lifter valley [Re: Quicksilver440] #1974435
12/22/15 11:51 AM
12/22/15 11:51 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,365
Marion, South Carolina [><]
an8sec70cuda Offline
I Live Here
an8sec70cuda  Offline
I Live Here

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,365
Marion, South Carolina [><]
Yep, it froze. They'll crack like that on the outside of the block b/t the core plugs too.
It could be stitch pinned and saved, but not worth it in my opinion...unless it was the matching numbers block or something.


CHIP
'70 hemicuda, 575" Hemi, 727, Dana 60
'69 road runner, 440-6, 18 spline 4 speed, Dana 60
'71 Demon, 340, low gear 904, 8.75
'73 Chrysler New Yorker, 440, 727, 8.75
'90 Chevy 454SS Silverado, 476" BBC, TH400, 14 bolt
'06 GMC 2500HD LBZ Duramax
Re: 440 block cracks in lifter valley [Re: an8sec70cuda] #1974468
12/22/15 12:27 PM
12/22/15 12:27 PM
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
MR_P_BODY Offline
Master
MR_P_BODY  Offline
Master

Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 52,972
Romeo MI
I used stop leak on a old Imperial that was like
that.. it lasted till I sold it.. I had to change
the oil twice then it was fine... I wouldnt race
a block like that
wave

Re: 440 block cracks in lifter valley [Re: Quicksilver440] #1974612
12/22/15 04:02 PM
12/22/15 04:02 PM
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,651
Stuttgart, Arkansas
rickseeman Offline
master
rickseeman  Offline
master

Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,651
Stuttgart, Arkansas
Throw it is the dumpster and get another block.


2011 Drag Pak Challenger
Re: 440 block cracks in lifter valley [Re: Quicksilver440] #1974667
12/22/15 05:33 PM
12/22/15 05:33 PM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,193
Bend,OR USA
C
Cab_Burge Offline
I Win
Cab_Burge  Offline
I Win
C

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,193
Bend,OR USA
Definetily a freeze crack, how is the rest of the block? Usually when you see one there are others scope I had a 426 street wedge block that was crack on both sides, insides and out as well as having a casting flaw on the bottom of one cylinder that had been leaking into the crankcase puke The customer wanted it fixed so he could use it in his 1965 Satelite 426 W car realcrazy I would check with your local machine shops and see what they will charge you to stitch plug repair it scope thumbs The shop I use was so much a inch, it is not a welding process. They drill the crack and insert a twist off plug and then drill out half of that plug and insert another twist and so on until they go past the entire length of the crack thumbs It flat works well, no leaks and no problems scope

Last edited by Cab_Burge; 12/22/15 05:34 PM.

Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: 440 block cracks in lifter valley [Re: Quicksilver440] #1974723
12/22/15 07:42 PM
12/22/15 07:42 PM
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,408
Ambridge, Pa.
R
rickraw Online content
top fuel
rickraw  Online Content
top fuel
R

Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,408
Ambridge, Pa.
Scrap it. Why bother repairing it. It may last, it might not. Why take the chance with $$$ & time involved.

Re: 440 block cracks in lifter valley [Re: Quicksilver440] #1974724
12/22/15 07:45 PM
12/22/15 07:45 PM
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 4,457
Washington
M
madscientist Offline
master
madscientist  Offline
master
M

Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 4,457
Washington
Just use Hard Block and fill it up until it just covers the crack. Then run it.


Just because you think it won't make it true. Horsepower is KING. To dispute this is stupid. C. Alston
Re: 440 block cracks in lifter valley [Re: madscientist] #1974728
12/22/15 08:03 PM
12/22/15 08:03 PM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,193
Bend,OR USA
C
Cab_Burge Offline
I Win
Cab_Burge  Offline
I Win
C

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,193
Bend,OR USA
Originally Posted By madscientist
Just use Hard Block and fill it up until it just covers the crack. Then run it.
I tried that on a old top fuel Mopar cast iron block, most block filler are porous and lets the water flow right through it down If Hard Block is the plastic epoxy filler it may not let water through, maybe it will confused
I ended buying some block sealer from Goodson that you had to put in the block under pressure for 10 to 20 minutes and then empty it, it was resuable up and have the block or heads cook in a oven for a set time at a high temps, under 400 F if my memory is halfway near correct That was twenty years or more ago realcrazy that block sealer flat worked, that block leaked like a siv before, not so after that sealer was done thumbs

Last edited by Cab_Burge; 12/22/15 08:04 PM.

Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: 440 block cracks in lifter valley [Re: Quicksilver440] #1974801
12/22/15 10:17 PM
12/22/15 10:17 PM
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,206
New York
polyspheric Offline
master
polyspheric  Offline
master

Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,206
New York
I'd be nervous not knowing what else moved when the crack happened - like from the jacket to the outside of a cylinder wall.

I tend to make decisions that leave me comfortable!


Boffin Emeritus
Re: 440 block cracks in lifter valley [Re: polyspheric] #1974931
12/23/15 01:43 AM
12/23/15 01:43 AM
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,193
Bend,OR USA
C
Cab_Burge Offline
I Win
Cab_Burge  Offline
I Win
C

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,193
Bend,OR USA
I hear you on that, I've had more than one block stitch repaired with no problems so far, same thing on a bunch of 906 heads luck I had a industrial 413 block machined to 426 standard bore for my old M.W. NHRA stocker, it had a split cylinder(#3) in it and a matching external crack by the motor mount boses on the driver side that the machine shop didn't find when they, supposidlily, hot tanked and magged that block runaway puke
If you think about the pressures needed to expand the block or heads far enough to crack them how much pressure is there on the non crack surface opposite of the cracks work shruggy


Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)






Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.1