Yep, that's me, LOL! Getting prepped to tear into a C2AE block (you fellas may remember that industrial block I bought last year?). I really wanted to use this for my 312 crank, blower cam, 471 heads, blah, blah, blah. Anywho, we started out pretty good. I was amazed when I pulled the valve covers, but when I pulled the intake, I could see that we might have been headed for trouble, the tell tale signs of rust stains going down the intake runners of the driver's side gave me some doubts.

          Very, very clean inside!!! Not dry either...the pics may look that way at the rocker arm shafts, but there was oil dripping all over the place when I removed them. They have very little wear, and NO step in any of rocker arm tips. The heads had a couple of valves replaced (new one piece retainers on valves, looks like) and it seemed as if this thing had a rework not too long before either a head gasket went on it, or it got put out to pasture.

The tag was still on the coil mounting boss. I am going to assume a 1964 292...what this thing was used for, I have no idea - bought it as a swap special. The front mount and the rear mounts are pretty good. Lets you run the thing with no bellhousing. The rear mount holds the starter in place.

Ok, above are the photos of the passenger side on the left, and then the drivers side on the right. That's PB blaster in the cylinders on the left, and to be honest, the surface rust is not that bad in those cylinders. However, over on cylinder #6 (and #7 to a degree) we have some serious rusting. Whether or not I will be able to get those pistons out of there remains to be seen. cylinder 8 is fine, and 5 has some nut shells from vermin.

Is this worth fooling with, or should I get another block altogether? The cylinders must have had something done to them at the same time as the heads, because there was no ridge in any of the bores. I did not mic the bores yet however...the lightest colored piston was stamped STD. So I would probably assume that they are still even 292, but I have seen a few wierd things when tearing down blocks. Who knows who had a hold of it back in the day.

Don't want to disassemble, take this down to the machine shop, only to bore and "bore alike" and find, "Oh, you can't use this one, find another one and then spend all the more dough on block number two..."

Arggggghghhhhhhhhghghghghhghghghghghghhghghghghghg!!!!!

Ok, I'm done.

Edit: Forgot to mention - take a look at that cobbled mess of an alternator setup. People are CRAZY.

Google it. Coke is a very mild acid (posphoric) and given time will disolve rust. Pete

 In all instances the pistons came out.  Using wooden or aluminum sticks on the inside of piston top.  Just soak well with blaster or product of choice prior to removal for a day or more.  You may have to rap each side, top and bottom, several times to get some initial movement.  There was one stubborn piston that I ended up breaking through the crown, but got it out.

Thought I was the only one to use an old broomstick to break a stuck piston Seriously I have a designated old brooomstick to tap on stuck pistons, upside down in the engine stand. Soak with diesel for a couple days then PB Blaster for another and a couple of taps and they come loose..

Just went thru the same kind of situation.Had to literally beat the pistons out breaking 6 of the tops thru.

I would be concerned mostly about the rust in the coolant passages.I sent my block out to a place to have it chemically dipped to clean the passages out.The cost was $100.00.

The places that do this chore are the same ones that dip bodys (automotive-not for the mafia)

Oldmics

The camshaft was a crossdrilled cam! And it had the correct cam bearings...C2AE block,,,, go figure. Probably one of those "late" changes right?

Number 4                                                                Number 6 (worst one)

Is this block for your blower motor or another build? Anyway, Gord McMillen convinced me that relieving the block would be a good plan for my blower motor project. This is something you could do with a right angle, front exhaust die grinder and good carbide burr.

Rono

C2AE block

1. 312 crankshaft
2. 312 standard bore cylinders
3. C1TE rods
4. isky camshaft (per oldmics and what is believed to be the blower camshaft specs - I know it's a can of worms, but I like the specs on this cam)
5. 471 Heads - no mods as of yet
6. hi ratio ford rocker arm assemblies per McMaster
7. Rollmaster Timing gears and chain
8. 4 barrel teapot (modified for blower use)
9. 56 4 barrel "A" Intake manifold
10. VS57C supercharger and passenger car bracketry/setup
11. fenderwell exit headers (yep, I can hear the "all original" people griping now!)
12. early 60's distributor modified for blower, with ACCEL pointless ignition

I am planning to run a T85 with R11 overdrive transmission...lots of plans...too much in the way right now. My son and I are putting new tires on the rear of his go kart, and we decided to blast the rims and paint them with a chrome metallic paint...fun stuff.

here is an e-mail from another shop located about 30 minutes away from me...

This is more of a race shop, from what I understand. I do plan to visit their shop on Friday. Can't get over the price differences though. The Carquest shop I have been to before, and had a 312 crank ground their once, plus some light head work on another engine, etc. However, the shop has changed management again, and I have had issues with "staying on top" of things when it comes to Y block relevancy...guess everyone owns chebbies around here. Maybe staying on top of things is to be expected in the modern era.

Daniel Jessup (3/15/2011)

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Not to belabor the issue of machine shops and my dilemma, but two more shops closer to my residence closed down. One closed down about 1 week ago, literally...I have to keep going further east of where I live...nothing but West Virginia woods and mountain sides west of where I live.

here is an e-mail from another shop located about 30 minutes away from me...

Daniel, Thanks for your inquiry as to our services!.  Sorry I took so long to get back to you,

we have been very busy for over a year now.  I am going to give the prices you requested and some others I thought you may need as well. 

Clean block only [wash]  80.00

clean complete engine  150.00

mag. block  30.00

mag heads  20.00

bore & hone block  250.00

align bore mains  300.00

R & R cam brgs  40.00

R & R  exp. plugs  25.00  [ includes oil gallery plugs] 

deck the block  150.00

reface lifters  - I can get it done OR get you new ones

Valve job  3 angle  250.00  both heads

surface both heads  100.00

You will need hard seats in the exh. valves [ unleaded gas]   approx. 125.00

polish crankshaft  40.00

balance rot. assm.  200.00

 

We can get parts for pretty much anything [ we do a lot of resto. work ] .  We would be happy to help you with your project. We don't cut corners or get no-name parts from

who-knows where. We specialize in doing it right!!!.  I also understand many people are on a budget so we try to advise you how best to spend your money to get the results you want. We have many satisfied customers [ stock & racing ]  and would be glad to add you to the list.  You can call or come by M - F  7:30 - 5:00  or Sat. 8:00-12:00.  We look forward to serving you soon!!.    Thanks again,   XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

This is more of a race shop, from what I understand. I do plan to visit their shop on Friday. Can't get over the price differences though. The Carquest shop I have been to before, and had a 312 crank ground their once, plus some light head work on another engine, etc. However, the shop has changed management again, and I have had issues with "staying on top" of things when it comes to Y block relevancy...guess everyone owns chebbies around here. Maybe staying on top of things is to be expected in the modern era.

 

A question about align boring the mains - anyone know why there might be such a large difference in pricing between the two shops?

Wow, those are some steep prices!  We are lucky with 6 full service shops in the Grants Pass area (pop. 40,000), plus more guys that do head work and similar tasks taking less machinery.  It keeps the costs down.  Balancing and crank turning is done in Eugene at a big specialty outfit.  They charge $110 to turn cranks, $300 for offset ground cranks, $110 for crank balancing and do fine work.  They turned a 312 crank to 292 mains for me and saved the oil slinger.  That one cost $200. 

The Eugene outfit has a guy that makes a weekly circuit, picking up and delivering 1-2 weeks later, at no charge.  Eugene is 200 miles away.

Last year I had a shop in Carquest install hardened seats on intake and exhaust of heads, along with new guides, positive valve seals, milling of one head, setting of installed spring height, cleaning and beadblasting of heads.  The charge was $100 plus a set of used 312 rods they needed for someone's T-bird.

Wow!  They gave you that job.  No extra for the seats and guides?  (parts) They really must have needed those rods.

I didnt mention that the first set of heads I took in were found cracked upon magging.  So there was cleaning and mag of two sets of heads in addition to the previous mentioned work.

Oh there was another thing I forgot.  They cut down the top of the guides for .460 lift.

The guy is meticulouse though and I feel it was money well spent.

I like my machinist too!