Absolutely! In fact, before the latest methods of seasoning a new block came around, racers use to sit a new block out in the weather for "seasoning"; letting it be exposed to all the weather and rust maybe a year or more.

Now, last I read, the thing is the big boys are having their new blocks cryogentically (?) treated to accomplish the same thing. A new, green block hasn't take a set and things move around once put under load.

It takes many heating and cooling cycles for that set to occur. Once that happens, the block needs to be RE-MACHINED to bring everything back into spec. The walls, main bores, etc., move around before taking a set. That's one main reason why so many guys search the wrecking yards for blocks out of a school bus or taxi, police car, etc., to get that seasoning they've been through.

Also, when filling a block's water jackets with something like Block-Rock, which is often done when a block's bores are over-bored a LOT, the engine should be built then run under many high load conditions, then torn down and re-machined.

As far as this 2-bolt Vs 4-bolt discussion, you only have to have look-see at what the GM engineers did with the Z06. How many "bolts" do those mains have? Ever wonder why they went that route?

Should tell you something, at least to a reasonable person it should.

Jake

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