That sucks big time Steve! I can look around here for you, if the "new" one doesn't meet the expectations. Just let me know.
Sorry to hear about the block. It sounds though like you're finding others. Even here in the states, old iron is sometimes hard to find. I drove over a thousand miles round-trip through the high desert, TWICE! to get my engine. Got most of it on the first trip and the rest on the second... I spent more on gasoline than I did on the cost of my find. Road trips can be fun!
Well last couple of evenings i've been making something i've thought about for ages so while I have a bit of time while waiting for another block to arrive I got on with it. I've always liked the look of Blower restraints so decded to get one, I was gobsmacked how much they were for a good one $450 plus, I don't actually need one so thought lets make one. Heres the look I was after Don't look that hard to make I didn't have any plate wide enough so went with 6" wide 1/4" stainless and made the strap ears seperatly, first job was to cut slots in the ears for the belts. Next job was to mark out the main plate and drill the mounting holes, plasma out the squares and weld the belt ears I was going to make the straps out of ratchet strap material but couldn't find the flame proof covers so ended up buying some proper straps that came with the covering, not really that expensive. Next up I plasma cut the anchoring plates in 3/16 BMS, luckily I had a friend nearby with a restraint on his blower so popped in and copied the rough shape. Found some 3/8" tube for the release pins so welded them on. I have a box of old pip pins and as luck would have it there were 4 x 3/8" in it which were perfect length. Can't make my mind up to either polish the stainless or black powdercoat it, Total cost ended up less than $100 .
All this talk lately on the HAMB about what is cool . . . this is cool! You, sir, are cool (and you have some cool friends with blower restraints.)
Fresh block arrived today from Shaun (rockit) Shaun had a nice clean spare block and kindly let me have it to keep my project on track, Cheers Shaun your one of the best Heres a pic of the original crack in the first block. Had a good look around with a magnifying glass and everything was good to go, started off by pulling all the oil gallery plugs out and drilling and tapping for 3/8" NPT pipe plugs. I need to go round and remove all the casting flash off for better oil return but first need to get the block onto the mill to deck the block and dowel the main caps and do some other bits and bobs. While ive been awaiting the block to arrive i've been busy building up the baffled oil pan, Its a stock pan cut about and fitted with baffles and swinging oil restraint doors. I started with a stock pan I had beaten straight but couldn't get it smooth so considered it sacrificial to the cause It now holds a lot more oil than a stock pan and keeps it at the pickup where it belongs Here the main removable baffle is back in position. 2nd pic is with the modified pickup in place. Just need to paint it now. .
Well it was nice and warm and needed to get some primer on the sump before it started to flash rust, 2 coats of black Epoxy primer, wait an hour for it to flash off and straight on with 3 coats of Gold miniflake, wait another hour and then 3 coats of Maxiclear, I think we will call that job done !!!
Well i'm on a mission now so the block was taken straight to the hot tank for a good soak and clean while i painted the sump, got the block back and took it straight to my mate Brians machine shop where it was put on the Bridgeport to deck the block surfaces, 5 thou was all it needed which will also help improve the quench point. While it was on the mill the main cap dowels were fitted, the dowels live in the caps and the block is reamed to accept the dowels, this improves the solidity of the main caps a lot ad prevents any walking. also the tops of the main caps were all ground the same to accept a main stud girdle. Once all the precision machining was done the rest could be done at home so loaded up the block into the car and when home first job was to remove the excess casting flash from the block. Cadillacs suffer oil puddling at the rear of the lifter gallery so to get the oil back to the sump quicker a 1/2" hole was drilled in the rear of the gallery, also to get a little more oil to the timing chain the front drain hole was grooved slightly to get a little more oil to the timing chain. Next job was to check the alignment of the main oil pump gallery, the pump is a modified Mellings pump, I was slightly surprised how rough the pump gallerys were so they got a complete smooth and polish, as you can see it was a little undersize and off slightly, a few minutes with the die grinder soon put it right and then the gallerys were polished to smooth the oil flow. That just about completes all the mods to the block so monday it will be off to be bored for the Probe forged pistons, hopefully won't be away too long as i'm champing at the bit to get it together. .
Glad to see you are getting around to the engine, Steve. I've been waiting to see this car move under it's own power. Don
The Jalopy Journal
