360 block, how thin ?

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ateam

A motor can
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Hello, new kid on blocks(pun). Bought the "Big Inch SBM" book, by Jim Szillegy? Seems like slick marketing for "buy all new Mopar race parts". I prefer to squeek-by on a production, early block ? Been blowing $'s on sonic testing 5.9L block, .102" thick, non thrust side with std. bore, so .085" ish at clean-up? I suspect too thin. Now I'm looking for 70-74'(thicker) block, to become Hot 408. Bigger heads than"Eddy's", maybe Brodix "MI"s w. 239cc runners, for 59 deg. blocks ? Thanks, Art.:glasses9:
 
I have a 74 block I'm doing now and it's about .130 on the non thrust side after a .030 overbore so I had a 1/2 fill of hardblock done to it.
 
that book is kinda cool i thought.so is the how to hot rod book.but that 476 stroker is like a lottery dream.lol
 
pick n pull in stockton has a bunch of good non clunker bill vans and trucks for 360s .one even had a performer intake on it as of 2 days ago cheapest core anyway
 
How many holes have that core shift? If it's one, and the others are ok, I'd sleeve the one before I spent another buck on getting/sonic testing others. Done properly it will be the strongest hole in the block.
Back to the question on what you want from it... What DO you want for it and how much do you have to spend?
 
Check Los Angeles cragslist key word Duster in the parts section ... someone has listed a 360 with over 300 horse ... it has x heads, roller rockers, due plane intake manifold, complete from oil pan to carb... looks like a perfect stroker canidate.
 
Dreaming on a wreaking yard with a small veriaty of a bodys .... In the South bay area in californina... In The La area Don't mind driving a couple of hours to find one....anybody out there surf one yet and spot a couple cars .. SOUTH BAY IS BONE DRY...
 
Thanks everyone. To answer some of those questions. I feel "Magnum" in sonic test had too many thin bores on the sides, "Dugans" even marked "rusty in 3 places,(a first).408" will need to make 500+hp,(all motor), street/strip.Engine shop I use,(Southwest Engines), is easiest way to purchase block, but they don't sonic test. I'm leanin to Scat for rotate assem. "May" build smart, hemi heads.Own a machine shop. Art.
 
Is the book an advertisement for MP parts, yeah, but he was a Chyrsler engineer and he knew what worked. That's why he mentions in the book that Magnum blocks are only good for a .020 bore.... Apparently he wasn't bs'ng just to get people to buy a 59 degree R block.

Anyway, I bored a '72 360 block to .040 and had .180+ left on it easy. It's a crap shoot though and just depends on how times the mold was used, who put it together, who filled it, what was in the hopper, how was it degassed, etc.

I have a '74 block that was bored .020 but needs another bore. I have not had it sonic checked but I'm looking at it right now..... Along with a set of J heads that needs seats but are not cracked.
 
If the thin spots are on the pin axis and it needs one or two sleeves I'd sleeve those two and use it. I know guys that use as thin as .080 on the pin axis and I also know a few that don't even test those directions. I have several with one or more holes sleeved because the major thrust were way shifted and the resulting wall would be less than .150". Sleeving costs me $120 a hole and a good sonic test is $175 whether or not the block is good to use. So it's simple economics for me. If you're looking for a minimum major thrust bigger than .200 on every hole you'll probably be looking and testing a lot of blocks.
 
Good news is, I don't "halft" to use a Magnum block and 12point per bore sonic is $80.I've heard earlier blocks are without nickle."Southwest" will let me test, before buying.$250. for a "known", bare early is worth it, to me.I will likely use partial block filler. I'm still in the air about heads. Eddy's with offset int. push rods,by me, seem like best bang/$. Thanks, Art.
 
ricardosdemon72 said:
Dreaming on a wreaking yard with a small veriaty of a bodys .... In the South bay area in californina... In The La area Don't mind driving a couple of hours to find one....anybody out there surf one yet and spot a couple cars .. SOUTH BAY IS BONE DRY...
Click to expand...
I get "all" my orphans on craigslist(NOT an endorsement). Did you peep the clapped-out cuda,formulaS, w. bbm/ask $2,500. ? Hemet, CA. 2 hrs or less if you take a Mopar. Happy Hunting A Team.:
 
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