I am a newbie, but I’m going to assume the block in the Big Block Chevy needs a hole as much as I need one in my head. I was giving the 29 Phaeton a good engine cleaning before I fill it up and put it away for the winter, when I noticed that next to the valve cover there was a rusty hole. Its big enough to stick a carpenter pencil in at an angle, and goes in for at least half inch. I also noticed that right in that spot there seems to be a piece of some material adhered to it. Like the thickness of a gasket. Almost like it perhaps was patched? Is that a thing? Hope the pics help. I have a feeling the HAMBERS will tell me the block is shot. :-( Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
It's right over the manifold heat passage but it is also in a spot where someone in the past might have used a pry bar to try to pop the manifold off. Over the past 50 something years I've seen a number of engine parts that suffered the ravages of the big pry bar and got broken or damaged in the process. At first I thought it was part of the gasket that had squeezed out.
I looked at it again, since I’m new at this, and I guess the hole would technically be in the “head”; it’s not in the manifold and not the block. Seems I could swap that out. If I knew how to do it. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
It’s been years since I had a BBC but it looks like your OK. There is a depression in the casting both above and below the exhaust heat crossover passage and the gasket just got “cooked” and has a hole poked in it. Google BBC head images and you will see what I’m referring to. The exhaust heat moves through the center hole, it is connected to an exhaust port. I have no idea why Chevy added those depressions but they are non-functional.
I have a deep space in the same place on my spare 454 truck block. It’s a heat riser passage that the intake gasket covers up but yours looks like the gasket got ripped out. Don’t worry about it, won’t affect the running of the engine. Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
Fordors is right... Mopar big blocks have it too. Nothing to worry about... Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Learning so much on Youtube! Cylinder head and Mr48Chev you seem to be right that the hole is in the passage for the manifold. Replacing these seems like a very involved project; remove carburetor, intake and exhaust manifolds, as well as the valve springs/rockers whatever they are. Geez that sucks. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
If you took the time to read the above you would know there is absolutely nothing wrong with your engine, no repair needed. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Oh! For some reason I missed the response last night after getting lost in YouTube. Phew!! Well, I can breathe again. Thank you so much for taking the time to explain this to me. I’ll stop googling and getting freaked out. Thanks!! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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