Hello, Just about wrapped up my 283 build for my 29 Tudor.I got to the last main cap bolt and it would not torque and pulled out. I am not sure what the next step would be heavy duty helicoil, maybe try a stud? I have about 2k in machine work into the engine, would love to salvage it. Any suggestions? Thanks
Did the bolt strip or did you pull the block threads? After $2000 in machine work, I'd run it by your machinist. Did you do a tear down before you dropped it off at the machine shop or did they do the teardown? Even if you didn't pay the machine shop to chase all the threads in the block they should have caught that in pre machining inspection, same as they would a compromised cylinder, etc.
I'm rebuilding a 1965 283 block and after the tear down I chased the threads before and after machining.
Yes if properly installed. ^^^^^^ I would use a heli coil and then stud mount the lower end. That way you are not trying to get a torque reading off the heli coil.
Ok let’s say you stripped or crossed a valve cover or oil pan bolt.... No big deal. You can do a home remedy with the next size up bolt or a heli coil, A main cap is a big deal. It’s critical. Load it up and take it to the machinist.
Not sure on the "meat" left in the block but a steel nutsert is an option. Not because of costs but I have just about eliminated using cap screws and have gone to studs in every engine I build today with mains and heads.
If you’re unsure about using a Helicoil & and the original cap, you could Helicoil & add splayed 4 bolt main caps. Remember, it’s only money.
not what you want to hear, but it needs to be broken all the way back down to a bare block, and the block and main caps taken back to the machine shop to fix the threads. be it helicoil or however they fix it, it need to be bare so that any and all metal shavings can be cleaned out after the repair. plus the block really should be put in the mil so any drilling and taping that is done in the repair is done in the proper plane, if its not dead straight it will not be right, and will cause main bearing problems.
Wow Old wolf, thanks for the help!! You offered amazing insight. Have you been to a machine shop lately, they are expensive? The 2k includes all the decking,boring cam bearing, all soft plugs and heads rebuilt, crank polished ect ect ect. It is a 270 hp late 61 out of my vette, so money well spent in my opinion.
Yes, I will start the breakdown this weekend. you stated exactly what the machine shop said. They are going to repair and replace bolts with studs.
I have about the same amount in the 283 in my 39 Sedan. Just put it all together and into the car. Also built to early vette specs. I paid 1857.00 in machine shop bills, and I got the local boy hook up. 2k in machine shop bills comes fast. Good work costs money. I also feel that it was money well spent.
Yes they quoted me a price of over $400 to bore a block. And I told them not from me. Before I spent thousands I would buy a guaranteed 350 short block and dress it up to look like a 283. and store the original block for the next owner. actually I wouldn't do that! I would get a 283 or small journal 327 from my hoard and install a $100 ring and bearing kit in it. There are not any machine shops left in my area. Those greedy fools priced themselves out of business.
With all the high dollar baloney that snakes on to this forum; especially the new fad bagged in da weeds custom stuff, two grand into a 283 is money well spent comparatively speaking. How much does a tri power, cam, intake, lifters ,distributor and linkage cost for a 8BA Flathead? I figure my 289 short-block is going to cost me 1200 bucks at the least not counting heads. It does not take long to get into some coins at the machine shop. News Flash.... A C Note (100 dollar bill) is the new 20.
I'd have to pull the bill on my 355 from 2016, it was not inexpensive, but fair for all the work done. Most was labor and services, I bought most of the hard parts.
I don't see where this was said, but when studs are installed, the block then needs to be line bored. Line boring may lead to needing a special timing gear set/chain to compensate for the line boring. It just snowballs, does't it? It might be a better thing to just start with a new block; maybe the machine shop will give you a break on the work needed? I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
I have been trying to scrounge up a 283 for a while now. They are not that easy to find at all. Machine work is expensive but if it is quality work and holds up over time - it actually ends up being money well spent.
I hoarded 283's and small journal 327,s when nobody wanted them. I sold a 67 short block for$200 a few years ago. The 67 -283 doesn't have the protruding rib cast in the block like the 66 and older blocks. I even have a 1957 side mount delete block in the collection. In the past I ran some .060 over 283's with a 30-30 cam 300 horse double hump heads and a z 28 intake. with 411 rear gears they where lots of fun. Every one that I blew up it was a piston failure. Never had a piston fail on a factory stock engine that I just honed and installed new rings & bearings. never had any crank turned or polished and used a stock Z28 oil pump. never had a rod of main bearing failure. and I really hammered on them. Right now in the shop I have a 64 truck engine. its getting new molly rings. I just honed the block enuf to break the glaze. New cam and rod & main bearings. new stock oil pump , stock timing chain. used 305 cam & lifters. and a set of 602 casting 305 heads that I cleaned and lapped the valves. Going in a 64 short bed with a factory powerglide trans. Im confident it will give good service and last many miles. And not one red cent spent on machine shop work. The new parts cost less than $150
Why must it be line bored if studs are installed, how does that change the saddle to cap relationship enough to require line boring? If this is true, I'd just Helicoil it and run it. I've never used a Helicoil in that type of application, but have used them in many other applications and never had one fail. I was taught that the Helicoil thread insert was stronger than the original threads.
This is for Tri-power 37: I've got a .060 over 283 block, a balanced rotating assembly, .125 domed pistons, full skirt pistons, 097 cam and lifters stored in the correct order, and you can have it if you come get it. It all needs to be tanks, cleaned, new rings and bearings, but you can't beat the price. Just another project I'll never get to. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
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