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Old 06-03-2024, 01:16 PM
soupman soupman is offline
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Default Cracks in lifter valley area? Opinions

Hi
Was putting together my 433 with a set of 47 ported heads. Engine is a 9.7CR, 1969 400 block, with Icon forged pistons and stump puller cam. I have run this motor for over 3 years, no issues runs great, about 3000 miles.
While putting on the valley cover noticed these cracks or indentations. Hard to tell exactly. I do have a picture from the machine shop of the block and looks like those marks are there initially.
Should I try to fix or run it? I think if the cracks were bad the machinist would have said something about it. From my close look it appears they do not go all the way through the block, but hard to tell.
Thoughts?
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  #2  
Old 06-03-2024, 01:28 PM
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It's hard to tell from the pictures. The ones in the back of the valley near the distributor are a non-issue. The one between the lifters and the head looks like a freeze crack. If it is a crack it should've shown with a Magnuflux test.

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Old 06-03-2024, 01:29 PM
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Casting flaw.

I’ve seen several block that were missing material in that exact spot at the back near the distributor due to an incomplete pour at the foundry.

The ones above the lifter bores don’t look like cracks, just the way it was cast.

Your machinist did check the block for cracks after cleaning and before machining, correct ?

If so then run it, there’s nothing wrong with your block.

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Old 06-03-2024, 02:42 PM
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Most blocks are really thin in the back area or do not have material there at all. I'll take the die grinder and remove the thin flashing just so I don't have to worry about it flaking off later.

Nice fat lifter bores and well centered - looks like no core shift at all.

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  #5  
Old 06-03-2024, 03:00 PM
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Looks a lot better than this one!
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  #6  
Old 06-03-2024, 03:48 PM
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Paul- The one between the lifters and head is not a freeze crack, it’s a shadow from the pushrods. I was concerned about the back wall near the distributor.

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Old 06-03-2024, 04:25 PM
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one time long ago i had some funky soft cam bearings had to pry the cam out,.... levered a big screwdriver in that back area against a cam lobe to push the cam foreward and out to replace the cam bearings and i broke a big thin chip out of that area freaked out at first then realized how thin and useless that particular area is and moved on without a broblem

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Old 06-03-2024, 05:06 PM
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Here's an early production 1970 block. The bottom piece was thick and not going anywhere so I left it in place.
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Old 06-03-2024, 06:19 PM
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I would rather have a hole there like in post #5! as I have had in many blocks then a casting flaw like that.

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Old 06-03-2024, 07:13 PM
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I’ve seen some really horrible lifter bore areas over the years, but never were they an issue.

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