TC's Hemi Resto

[heminut]

I hear ya on that , save the 71 block ..........  If that were mine I would sleeve all 8 back to standard bore and be one  happy Moparite  .............   60 over and beyond is not good imop,,,, thin walls  lead to hot running engines, weaker blocks .

Sleeves, when done right, are as good if not better than the original cylinder walls. To me, the fact that it was back to original size and had room for another overbore if needed would give me a lot of peace of mind.

[Topcat]

Still haven't heard back from Angie at M.E.W. on the diagnosis on what my engine block will need doing. She promised me last week before Christmas there would be an outcome by the 24th and sit down with me on what will need doing. She also said a solid cam will pump me up 40-60 HP. Not true on a street cam I'm hearing now. Maybe more of an all out engine...Yeah I could see that. Engine is sitting in the corner of their shop like a red headed step child being punished. 40 engine back log and they took a 2 week break too. I'm still trying to be patient and understanding, regardless.

I know they do outstanding work but now I'm starting to get cold feet getting it done there.

I just got off the phone with Rick Cassell this evening at Cassel Enterprises; OS's friend and ex owner of his car. He said he would get me a referral on who I could consider getting the work done if I do decide to pull out on M.E.W.
He says go the stroker 472 kit since they like to breathe big and then have your hyd. cam and no adjustments. While true that the solid cam in a Hemi does help out a bit. 2.1K for the stroker kit with Diamonds .60 over. Shave 100 gms. with his rods vs. the stockers I have. 550 Hp is seeable. Sounds like that may be the way I'll go now.

[Topcat]

Just got back from the machine shop at M.E.W. today

There's a lot of issues ahead of me on this engine so I decided to keep it with them if they agree to get started.
Which they oblidged me on.

Heres what I found out:

Apparently sometime in the engines past, it was rebuilt by one of those engine exchange places is Dave's theory. It had a rivet head still in it right near the freeze plug hole. no tag. The block was manafluxed and it came out alright. Dave pointed out that whoever rebuilt it in the past, did a quickie job on it. As I mentioned before; it is pretty certain that the alignment of the last time it was bored out to .060 over was off up to a few degrees. Dave said "yes I could build it like it is but that it would rattle until it warmed up."

The bad news:
One head is in really good shape. The other isn't so hot.
Knurled insert valve guides. So it'll need all new guides. A bunch of valve slop play.
A hairline crack in one of the combustion chambers but isn't very big. Repair or replace: Date code heads: 8/69 & 12/69.
Small wounds on the combustion area on another chamber.
One intake valve seat is hardened. No others.
On another chamber is a repaired crack. All pinned up already. Was good work Angie said.
Sonic checking the block very soon. This will determine whether I go custom pistons .065 or sleeves all 8.
Estimate by Monday.

Crank was magged and came out good.
I'm selling it on E bag along with the pistons and rods to put the money towards a 472 stroker kit from Muscle Motors.
$2,499.00 includes Eagle H beam rods, Eagle crank, Diamond pistons, bearings, pins, and balanced to the gm. That's a hard deal to beat IMO.

[Topcat]

Update e-mail received:

 Block is sonic tested, you have a few thin spots which is "normal" nothing too crazy. Block needs to be rough honed now prior to piston order just to make sure the cylinders will clean up at.065 or .070.

Ordering the 472 Stroker kit with Diamond pistons today or tomorrow. 
3 week turn around since it'll be custom pistons.
 

[Street_Challenged73]

Very cool, Mike!  That will be one wicked engine once it's completed!

[Chryco Psycho]

 

[The Cuda Guy]

    

Don

[Topcat]

Dave said it didn't need much honing to true the cylinders. So .062 pistons to order now.

I'm so happy not to pay the sleeving it would cost.

[Topcat]

Block is all ready to go. Just waiting on my stroker kit. I make my final payment on the stroker kit tomorrow morning. Then it's sent out for balancing. So another 3-4 weeks to go till I get everything back. In the meantime, I'll be ordering up more parts before the stroker kit arrives.

[wiging19]

  Sleeves, when done right, are as good if not better than the original cylinder walls. To me, the fact that it was back to original size and had room for another overbore if needed would give me a lot of peace of mind.
[/quote]

If you want to keep the original block it insures you several more rebores.  You never know if the over sized pistons don't wear through the existing piston walls to end this engines useful life.  My dad did it to to classic english cars when I was growing up.  It isn't the preferred way to go but for a numbers matching car it was the only choice.  Of course your really have to know your getting someone who knows what they are doing in this area because as people have stated alot of people talk the talk but few can really do the walk.

[Topcat]

Stoker kit arrives next week it looks like.
Spoke to Eric at Muscle Motors and he said...yours will be balanced and ready within the next few days. Pics of everything comin soon. 

[The Cuda Guy]

Mike very cool bro, and the gunmetal choice is a great one!!!  Is this one going to have3 billboards or no? 

Don

[Topcat]

Mike very cool bro, and the gunmetal choice is a great one!!!  Is this one going to have3 billboards or no? 

Don

Billboards yes. 3 of them? 

[The Cuda Guy]

Type-0 bro LOL!!!

Don

[Topcat]

It was a week late getting out but it finally arrived today. Crank is already balanced. I'm running a solid lifter cam that should kick a$$. 

Next step is to get one of the heads repaired. A small crack on the side of one of the combustion chambers.

Eric at Muscle Motors did great follow up making sure everything went right.