This morning I dropped the 454 block, heads & crank off at my local machine shop. Here is what is going to be done:

Crank:
Magnafluxed
Hot Tanked
Journals Polished

Heads:
Magnafluxed
Hot Tanked

Block:
Magnafluxed
Hot Tanked
Bored +.060"

I just received my ARP Head Bolts in the mail as well today! They were donated to me from a Corvette Forum Member who was no longer using them (Thanks Robert). I can't wait to get crackin'!

 

Ok, I'll let my inexperience show, magnafluxed- I think fixes cracks in the metal? Hot tanked-no idea. What do these terms mean?
Good luck with the work...Cool watching this project unfold on the Forum.
:cheers:
-Tom

 

Bence, you'll want to have your machinist check your crank for straightness. You want it to have a max runout of .001". Cranks don't come this straight from the manufacturer so they have to be straightened. This is done with a large mallet and a chisel. If someone says they are going to use a hydraulic press to straighten your crank, grab your parts and run.

 

Magnafluxed = Reveals cracks in metal that aren't visible to the naked eye.

Hot tanked = Runs the parts through a machine that's similar to a giant dishwasher that uses various solvents, chemicals and/or really hot water to clean off all the grunge.

 

How about aligned-bored and balanced?

 

Big Block Chevys rarely require an align bore.

Balancing is a very good idea.

 

bence: Cool! Mine is about to go to the machine shop as well. How much did they quote you for all the work?

How do you get all this stuff donated to you?!? How about you get yours done, and then we start the ddn 454 fund and direct parts to me ;)

You're gettin closer than I am!

 

And now you have to wait like a 5 year old at christmas knowing you will be getting a bike...and praying that it doesn't have training wheels. :)

Crank:
Magnafluxed <-usually unnecessary for a crank...if there's a crack then it's usually in 2 pieces already.
Hot Tanked <-ditto...if it needs to be soaked in acid (hot tanked) then you should get one that has been reground, not just tanked and polished.
Journals Polished <-if the crank is clean then this is the final step. Usually it should be checked for straightness, out-of-round, within journal diameter tolerance (at the largest diameter if you are blueprinting) and balanced before this is done.

Heads:
Magnafluxed <-ALWAYS GET THIS DONE. Heads tend to warp which results in uneven stress...and if there's enough warpage (there is always some in mass produced heads) then stress fractures will show up with magnafluxing...it's like the equivalent to an x-ray...only dead serious builders x-ray though...magnafluxing is inexpensive and detects all but the tiniest hairline plastic deformations.
Hot Tanked <-I rarely do this cause after about 6 months the coolant passages will be back to having about 1/32" of crud; but, it's easier for a shop to hot tank instead of what I do which is scrap, scrub, and remove deposits with a wire wheel.

Block:
Magnafluxed <-a good idea if you are going to run it up to some high horsepower...I usually just reserve magnafluxing for the heads cause the block doesn't usually get the kind of stresses which cause cracks.
Hot Tanked <-with all the oil passages and water passages that are out-of-reach this is the part that can benefit from a good hot bath. REMEMBER that hot-tanking usually means that the shop will have to install new cam bearings cause the hot-tanking will eat the soft coating off the bearings.
Bored +.060" <-this isn't that big of an enlargement to make the engine bigger....060" is excellent for ensuing that the cylinders are perfectly round; which is the most import thing. I normally take the block in, tell them to make the cylinders round, THEN when the shop tells me how far he went I measure the cylinder walls and purchase my pistons and rings. Unless the cylinders are really oval then .060" should be fine, but I've heard of blocks that needed a bit further to make them round. Of course I would have to think of this now. :(

My estimate would be about $225 or $250 for the crank, heads, and block...never paid for a hot-tank before so that includes $100 for hot tanking them all. Usually, I would pay $150 to $175 for magnafluxing the heads, boring the block, and balancing the crank.

When you get them back be sure to keep them oiled so they don't rust. I usually go through a case of oil during an engine rebuild including a tub with about 6 quarts which I keep the crank and cam emersed until I'm ready to slide it into the block.

 

Cam:
I guess I'll call up the machine shop and tell them to check the crank for straightness too.

Paul:
I'm not having it align bored...but I am having it balanced. I am not quite at the balancing stage yet (awaiting the arrival of my rods, still need to purchase my pistons).

David:
Let's see here. $160 to bore my standard bore block +.060". $45 to hot tank the block, heads & crank. I'm not sure how much the magnafluxing & crankshaft reconditioning is going to cost.

Rockn-Roll:
I wasn't planning on hot tanking the heads and crank, just the block, but my machinest told me that $45 includes an entire engine hot tanking. The outsides of the heads are kind of dirty and I plan on painting them (orange of course) so it will save me a little bit of time. I know the cam bearing will have to be knocked out before hot tanking. Thanks for the reminder though (I forgot to tell him to put new cam bearings in).

So I guess I'll call him tomorrow and tell him:

- Check my crank for straightness/straighten the crank
- Tell him to press in some new cam bearings for me

 

Bence, how is he going to bore the block if you don't have the pistons yet. I'm assuming you're having it honed after the bore job. The bore should be honed to the correct size to fit each piston.

-Joe

 

Flareside:
He is not honing the block, only boring it out.

 

Not honing the block, just boring it. So, the final hone will be done once you have the pistons and they are measured, right? I don't know that much about big blocks, but one thought I had was if you might want to get the block sonic checked for wall thickness. I really don't know about this for a BBC, but for other blocks it's smart to get the wall thickness checked for a .060 overbore to make sure you'll have a thick enough cylinder wall left after the bore. Also, it'd be a good idea to have the deck surfaces of the block checked to make sure they're flat. Another thing that can be done is to have the decks checked to make sure they're squared up relative to the crank centerline (main journals). Just a couple thoughts ...

Roger

 

Why are you boring the block +.060? Has it already been bored .030 over and
now needs another bore to clean it up?

 

I called my machinest up today and told him to put new cam bearings in and check the crank for straightness. I will also be purchasing my pistons within the next day or so, that way I can take my rods, pistons & rings, balancer and flywheel over to the machine shop to balance the engine. They quoted me $175 to balance it....but I figure it is money well spent.

Why am I boring my engine +.060"? I'm building my engine similarly to one of the 454s on the Chevelles Forum (Propelled a 3800+lbs Chevelle to a 11.40 1/4 mile time). I also figure that these pistons cost me around $425 (Forged TRWs). If I ruin the block, I would rather purchase another block for $200 and have it bored than have to buy another set of $425 pistons. I am also gaining 12 cubic inches over a 454 which may not seem like a lot but it counts.

 

The project is really underway now!

 

HI Bence,Glad to see you got the project going.Just remember to take your time so you don't overlook anything.As you can tell the guy's >Girl's<here are great help to most of the questions you have.Hope it all goes smooth.Frank>STW<