Vortec 350 Carnage

[SixSpeedSS]

All that happened cause it was hydro-locked when he attempted to start it???? Damn.......

That motor clearly ran alot after the hydro lock damage was done. If it were shut down quickly, it probably would have just needed a rod or two and a full rebuild.

I would scrap it all and start fresh.

 

[SixSpeedSS]

Here's what it looks like under the valve covers.

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My guess is it has been apart before, because those are FelPro silicone valvecover gaskets.

EDIT - the intake gasket may have been the start of the issue. These trucks are infamous for the leaky intake gaskets. My gues is someone just kept driving it and adding water instead of fixing it. Similar to my 1996 K2500. I just bought it and it had a miss at idle in gear. Ran great otherwise. It only had 10psi in one cylinder (actually had 10psi when cold and 80-90psi when hot). I decided to pull it apart and have a look. Both heads were cracked, and it had a bent connecting rod. You could see where the rod just kissed the crank. My truck had a brand new water pump, radiator, plugs/wires/distributor, O2 sensor, etc, etc and a 'waiver' emissions sticker when I bought it. It appears someone just kept throwing parts at it to get it pass emissions, instead of fixing it correctly. When the inspection/emissions ran out they traded it in. I bought it from a guy who deals in wholesale salvage vehicles. He sold it cheap due to him thinking it needed a motor. I figured I may have to rebuild it in the future, but the price was right for a really clean truck.

If I can only find the time to finish it now. All the machine work and parts are obtained. I just need to put it all together.

 

[JonZ71]

you can get a gm crate engine for 2400 bucks. just think about that haha

 

[Edahall]

that is nasty, sure was one very neglected engine.

What a shame because this engine had almost zero cylinder wear at 180k miles. Is is normal to find minimal cylinder wear on these engines?

 

[TylerZ281500]

depends i had a 307 block with 4000 miles on it that the cylinder walls were so worn that it basically bored itself. then again my friends truck has 280k on it and he can see the crosshatching from the rebuild he did 100k ago

 

[Balzer]

Not too shabby! LOL I have always lived by some simple rules for engines.

piston failure: have the block mag'ed (checks for cracks)
crank damage= block damage (likely the main caps)
anytime a piston contacts the head or valves: do not reuse heads.

This was in the past. Now that im older I would rather rebuild a running engine than even mess with one that has damage. Its just peace of mind starting with an engine that hasnt had any mechanical failure/damage.

I just dont see the point in trying to salvage a blown engine. They used to do stuff like sleve the cylinders and line bore the mains and use oversize bearings. But in my mind theres just far to many good SBC's to waste time and money repairing damage.

side note: someone mentioned engine wear. I have honestly seen a 010 4 bolt main 350 with 32x,*** miles that you could still see the crosshatching from when it was built new. I knew the truck, it was my uncles and was all original never rebuilt. However all 010 blocks are HIGH nickle content and IMO the best blocks to rebuild.
I have also seen TBI 350 blocks with fairly low miles (right around 100k) that had visual piston ridge and visual oblong cylinders. Some engines are just made of better metal than others.

** 010 refers to the last 3 digit's of the casting number **

 

[Tempted]

My TBI engine at 300k+ is all original, valve covers never removed, shows below average wear and tear. I burn/leak zero oil between 3k mile changes. 5 quarts go in, 4.5 quarts plus the filter come out. I religiously change my oil. This truck was bought new by my father and was never neglected or improperly abused. What makes it more impressive is that the majority of the 300k was done while towing heavy loads since that is all the truck was/is used for. The only thing that gives away its age and miles is the low oil pressure at idle. Honestly though I've seen 100k small blocks that dip into the red zone at idle. Mine stays above red when hot. It stays above half when cool.

One thing that strikes me odd is that you say the walls show little wear while the cam shows clear signs of abuse. Normally a neglected engine shows vast amounts of wear and has ridges on the top of the piston stroke. This is because the oil, or lack of it, can't properly lube the rings. Increased friction = increased heat = increased wear. Have you mic'd the bore? Honestly it is pointless because you need a whole new long block but it would be interesting to know the amount of cylinder wear.

 

[TylerZ281500]

yeah if you can find an 010 block i recommend it. they are some of the best factory produced blocks ive encountered, they really keep wear down and are strong if treated right from what ive seen