My L72, F41, no power nuthin' car was built about a month after yours. A candidate poster car for extreme abuse. We pulled the engine as part of a front end replacement. Ideal to time to inspect and upgrade the L72. I was never comfortable taking this engine near redline because I had no idea about the health of the internals. BUT I wanted to without fear! I want to enjoy the full potential of my hobby performance car.

Upon pulling the pan found extensive block damage from probably several high rpm "events". No idea how it held water since several cam journals were GONE. If I took that engine to it's designed 6500 it probably would have scattered. Fortunate enough to find a mid-Feb '66 cast 942 block. Was not cheap but worth it to me (again this is my current hobby so it's about pleasure).

First - IF you find a correct date 942 block that's not in a car, there's a VERY high probability there's a reason. When I purchased my car the owner said the engine had languished at an engine shop for a long time and he finally pulled it to find someone to put it together. Well duh.... he obviously pulled it from a reputable shop and moved it to a disreputable shop..... Bottomline, my current (replacement) block came from the estate of a "60's drag racer who apparently ate 942 blocks like Snickers. The nephew of the deceased discovered my current 942 with a bunch of race stuff.

Second - IF/WHEN you find a block or short block make sure it's cleaned, inspected (I think ultrasonic), pressure tested, and all critical bores mic'd. The pictures of my "new" block looked excellent and according to the seller passed all tests with the exception of one rust pitted bore that needed a sleeve. All true... mostly and I believe the seller was honest. My engine shop repeated all the inspections and pressure tests and found an almost imperceptible, easily repaired water leak from some type of minor rod contact event. What else could have hit a web? This explains why it was sitting in that racer's basement.

Sorry to be so long here, but boy have I gotten a C2 BB education. Cool to want to put back a date correct block but they are extremely scarce and if not in a car there's a VERY high probability there's a good reason. BTW, that's why my "new" engine has a top of the line, U.S. made bottom end components. To the best of my ability "Made in China" isn't anywhere on my engine and she went to 6500 on a dyno no sweat.

There's another thread going on now about a guy agonizing over buying a date correct backup block for his '67 L71. I probably should have shared this story with him. Best wishes and expect it could take a long time to find a good, date-correct block.

 

If you don't get anything else out of this thread.....this should be it. If the CF had existed back in 1997, learning this lesson the hard way might have been avoided. The block I ended up with, in a fully assembled, rebuilt motor had two cylinders sleeved, one of which leaked, the crank bores were .006 out of alignment and there was a hairline crack in the cam tunnel into the water jacket.

 

Best advice you have received on this post! You notice NO date after the build date.