Well, I found the limit of the stock block.....

I've always been a doubter when people have told me that the stock blocks are real weak and they will not handle much power. Now i'm a believer......while taking the motor apart I found a crack across the center main journal. It extends about and inch up the block towards the lifter area, on both sides of the journal, parallel with the oil feed hole. I've attached a picture......keep in mind that this is with ARP studs, stud girdle and top notch machine work.

At this time I need to eat some crow........to anyone that i've doubted or argued with about the strength of a stock block, I'm sorry.....I was wrong ......stock blocks are weak.

At least I caught it before it lead to catastrophic engine failure and killed a bunch of good parts.

 

if this is the block you stood that comet up with...it ain't weak...
you just found the ...weakest wink...frank...

 

That WAS a 200 shot you were using, right? From what I've heard you were living on the threashold.

Well, it was fun while it lasted. Time for that 351 based engine...... or that Sportsman block - else back down to a 150 shot on another stock block (nahhhh).

But, you've convinced me to stay with a 150 shot.

With the numbers you ran, how many horses do you think you were at?


Sorry to see it happen,


Good luck with the rebuild.

 

maybe it cracked the last time you bounced it off the pavement on one of your wheelstands? just kidding.

that sucks.but like you said, at least you found it before it really messed things up.

I guess now you have an excuse to built it up even more huh?

 

Usually it was a 250 shot. This motor had low mileage, probably no more than 5,000 total miles and probably several hundred runs down the dragstrip. Probably 50+- nitrous passes.

Yeah Chris, it's time for a good block, something that will handle 1000+- horsepower and 8000+ rpm's.

 

Sorry to hear the news Steven, but you have to admit you pulled ALOT of horsepower out of that block before it gave up.

Now when you get the new engine ...with that STRONG block you can go ahead and
:bananaman :bananaman Spray the daylights out of it!! :bananaman :bananaman

 

For hsits and giggles, what was the weight of your car and your best e.t. and mph (on the gas in the 1/8th or 1/4)?

(to calculate estimated HP)

 

Yeah, whatever horsepower you were getting when you cracked it...I will stop about 50 HP earlier

But, you have to admit, you did some beautiful things with that engine

 

man that sucks, but i would have to agree that you were pushing it well beyond what a stock block was meant for. I would just put all the parts in a stronger built block and keep pushing em:evilsmile

 

Ouch. Well, at least you didnt bounce all your high dollar internals off the pavement. Time for that Dart block!

 

Like a ticking time bomb...it might work great for a while, maybe a long while, but eventually it'll blow. 302 stock blocks...ain't the greatest foundation for 600+ HP.

 

WOW!!! Why did you decide to tear it down? No matter why, it was a good decision.

 

Steven, how often do you/did you tear down your block? Was this on a standard tear-down that you discovered the crack?

 

He probably decided to tear it down after he heard that loud KRAAAK!!!

 

I'm sorry. I guess that wasn't all that funny...

I still admire how far you pushed the limits before doing any damage.