First off, i stated earlier that #2 cylinder was split. I was wrong. The spot was deep enough to catch a finger nail on, but may clean up with a hone. At most it would end up about 4.508. Water must have sat in there a long time to leave a mark like that. #1 has a minor scratch that needs a rehone.
So what i have is a Megablock from. Year 2000. Fresh line hone. Bushed lifter bores with .060 holes for oiling. Deck hieght of 10.695. Cylinders 3,4,5,6,7,8 are at 4.5043 bore and only have dyno time and seven runs on them. Here are the sonic #s. How would you fix it? What would you value it at as is?

Would a half fill with hardblock be ok without a rehone? For cylinder thickness #8 needs the most help. #6 isn't far behind. If that would work, i could put it back together with little expense. Recoat #1 and #2 piston at line2line to the new size. There is a scratch in #1 that needs to be cleaned up too.

Not that your want to or will, I’ve heard some of the early Mega blocks can go out to 4.62.

My opinion only. If the block is good, sell it and get an aluminum block. By the time you 1/2 fill it your going to have a 350 lb block. Unless you want the weight.

Sleeve all 8 back to 4.310 & sell it to me for 3k, & I'd be a happy camper!

I bet you would!

If you are gonna worry about it - sell it as-is!

Personally I would hone it have the the pistons coated and put it back together - if that one cylinder needs a sleeve no biggie - it makes a nice spare engine

I would never fill a mega block there is no point in doing that

On a serious note though, sell that lump off before the new Callies blocks come out. Winter is here & folks have nothing to do with their cars except build. Its worth the most it can be worth right now. And, if the Callies thing falls through, put the money toward an aluminum block and go faster. That's what I'd do, to answer your question.

What caused the nick? If the nick wont catch the ring and it's not a crack, touch hone and run it. It's not like you put many passes on it anyway. The bores will be as round and stiff as they've always been. Or spend 10k on a new short block and maybe pick up .10
Doug

I PM'ed you again.

Fill it and use it

Do not fill it with any cement filler
As far as piston to cylinder wall clearances I would have the block rehoned on the cylinders needing it to remove the damages and have those pistons coated, in fact I would probably have them hone all the cylinders and rering it and have the pistons needing coating done
My reasoning on not filling blocks is you end up with two different temperatures zones in the cylinders that are less than completely filled, saw that with a 340 block half filled that the filled area was 180 F and the upper non filled part was 130F when dyno testing

Send it to pro motor in NC they can weld it and bore it. We just sent a block that we broke a wrist pin it looked like a boom went off in the cylinder it looks great know. Best part usually only a .001 bigger when they are done.

There is a scratch in #1 that is barely able to be felt.
Todd (Sasquatch) from Marsh performance and said my block will ship soon. So i plan on selling the megablock, pistons and rods. Listed in the engines 4sale forum.
Thanks everybody for input. It has helped me make a lot of decisions. I plan on starting a new post on the next build.549 cubes, new pistons, long rods, getting rid of the gear drive , moving to a belt drive.