Bad Engine Block?????

[bobcat1/178th]

need some opinions........Sent my 230 block to a machine shop to have it cleaned and checked.....it was magnafluxed and cleaned and found to need some work.....valve guides and some seats done, bored 20 over. other work. total 1200$ in parts and labor. now I get a call when they decked it and pressure tested it they find a crack between cylinders 3 and 4 that leaked...and that it had been sleeved before...now after I have words with the shop tomorrow as to why they didn't find it with magaflux or mention the sleeving here's my question.........

my guess is the block is junk......and putting new parts on a tired/damaged block is waste of time and money. Or can this thing be salvaged and not have to worry about it failing while on the road without putting a boat load of money into it?

Ideas???????

[Cal_Gary]

I'd never be comfortable with a cracked block myself; recommend you PM Charles at M-Series since 230 rebuilds are part of his HMV business-he's probably rebuilt several hundred over the years, and likely has a number of good 230 blocks hanging around.
Gary

[T. Highway]

If I'm reading your post correctly, they didn't see the crack or sleeves when they Magna-fluxed the block. I would have zero confidence in this shop at this point. I sure hope that they aren't planning on charging you for the deck machining.

I would look for a different block from a reputable source (M-Series Rebuild, MWM, VPW, etc) and not take it to the shop that you mentioned above.

Bert

[bobcat1/178th]

yep.....I plan on a fight with them about the price........I have access to another block.....next question is can another shop switch out any of the new parts if needed that were installed in the junk block? things like cam bearings, valve guides????

[Carter]

The cam bearings MIGHT, but probably not be saved with careful work but they are easily distorted and it is not worth the effort when new ones are not all that expensive, the cost to you was for parts and labor and to install the new ones in your engine is a small price for parts but mostly all shop time and having the correct tools for the job.
Guides can not be removed and used again, the 2 ways to remove them from the block are to cut threads inside the top of the guide with a tap, thread in a bolt then using a puller withdraw the guide. The other is even more destructive and involves using a specially made punch turned to fit the inner bore of the guide with a shoulder that rides against the top and with a hammer driving the guide down into the tappet chamber then with an even larger hammer and drift ,break the bottom of the guide off then drive the remaining piece from the block. So you see the parts you ask about in the cracked block are not likely to be salvaged for reuse, sorry.

[Tuko]

I'd pay them for manga flux, and not a penny more.

[T. Highway]

I would think that you only need to pay them for the block boil out and magna-flux. The seats and cam bearings are unsalvageable.

Bert

[bobcat1/178th]

they agreed no charges beyond magna flux.....still with the parts ordered some of which can be used in another block (I hope) it was $628 for a block that goes to the scrap yard......a replacement has been found for $100 but now we start all over again.......