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Bought my first vette, engine was seized. Have block question please.
I just picked up an 84 Corvette with this awesome crossfire injection in it, the guy said it needed a starter. We got it home and tore into it, to come find out the motor is seized. Pulled the plugs and scoped the cylinders and there is rust everywhere..
Now, I found a new engine on craigslist.. at a price I can afford...
Casting #14016379 Which from my research I've found is a 68-85 block, I think a 4 bolt main?
It has 53cc 305 heads with the casting number ending in 601 out of an 86 Z28.
It is very freshly rebuilt with only a few minutes of run time.
My concern is being able to take my CFI intake and all my accessories and what not and bolting to this block with the 305 heads and compression change I assume and everything work out well?
I just picked up an 84 Corvette with this awesome crossfire injection in it, the guy said it needed a starter. We got it home and tore into it, to come find out the motor is seized. Pulled the plugs and scoped the cylinders and there is rust everywhere..
Now, I found a new engine on craigslist.. at a price I can afford...
Casting #14016379 Which from my research I've found is a 68-85 block, I think a 4 bolt main?
It has 53cc 305 heads with the casting number ending in 601 out of an 86 Z28.
It is very freshly rebuilt with only a few minutes of run time.
My concern is being able to take my CFI intake and all my accessories and what not and bolting to this block with the 305 heads and compression change I assume and everything work out well?
Thanks in advance.
Pass on it. I would also tell him to come get his car and get my money back. A starter and a seized motor, not even close! But you probably are stuck with an "as is" sale. Hope you got this car dirt cheap. Sorry this happened to you.
Last edited by TommyFox; Mar 31, 2013 at 10:16 PM.
found a new engine on craigslist..
It has 53cc 305 heads
My concern is being able to take my CFI intake and all my accessories and what not and bolting to this block with the 305 heads and compression change I assume and everything work out well?
Thanks in advance.
Intake and accessories will bolt on fine
Of more concern is what is the actual CR with those small chamber heads on a 350 and is the cam compatible with the CFI rev range?
Originally Posted by DustyJoe
the guy said it needed a starter.
tore into it, to come find out the motor is seized. Pulled the plugs and scoped the cylinders and there is rust everywhere..
If the price was right I would not necessarily take it back but threaten to do so as leverage for some $$$ back ,due to the engine not being in the condition it was represented to be
The other engine is more then likely NOT a 4 bolt... It's amazing how many people think that just because the engine was old that it was automagically a 4 bolt main.
There are only a few small blocks with 4 bolts... trucks being the more common... The LT-1 and the LT1 (but only from the Vette). Don't take someones word, pull off the oil pan.
If that was my Vette, there are other options, one being trying to get your money back. Some states have 3-day cooling off periods, I would check into that.
Only paid 1k for the car. I should of known then what was up. I was thinking he sold it so cheap is due to the paint sucking, needing some fiberglass repair here and there, the weather stripping needing replaced and the fact that its been sitting a while.
We should have the heads pulled tonight. Ill post some pictures then.
Have you tried freeing it up (the motor)? IDK what you long term plans are for the thing, but I have had good luck getting rust seized motors free, and cylinders cleaned with lots of oil and patience w/a wrench on the crank bolt, and then changing the oil a few times after it was running.
It can work and work well...but like I said, IDK what you long term plans are.
X2 on the compression w/the engine that has 305 heads.
Havent tried too hard yet. We pulled all the plugs and tried a brake over bar on the crankshaft but felt like the bolt was gonna snap so we stopped then I scoped the cylinders.
I'm hoping once the heads are off I can really lube things up and get it free... but im kinda leaning towards a new engine either way for peace of mind.
Long term plans are for me to drive this thing to work every day instead of my big ole 4x4 truck.
Don't get too excited; you have a great chance to make lemonaide from your lemon; do get an 86 or later engine, it has several substantial upgraded features over your 84:
factory hydraulic roller cam; one piece pan gasket; one piece rear seal; improved valve covers and valve cover gaskets. Everything from your 84 should bolt right to it; also, sometime about this time the factory started putting more tin in the block alloy, producing a much more durable bock reistant to cylinder bore wear.
"disadvantages": will need a later one flywheel / flexplate designed for a engine with a one piece rear main seal
2 bolt or 4 bolt main caps....not a bit of difference except for bragging rights; if it is an issue, replace the factory cap screws with a main stud kit; and the Z28 almost certainly was a two bolt main motor.
except for a low mileage, numbers matching "garage queen" I don't see any reason to keeping an early style 84 or 85 block.
Will I run into an issue with using a non corvette oil pan due to clearances? Or would I need to swap my pan and pick up tube over to the new motor if the dipstick is on the sime side? (Its on the passenger side now)
Joe, get in touch with qws ( Ed) in the thread below, he has a motor from his 84 that is in top notch shape, I have heard it run myself . He's a very honest guy to deal with and won't steer you wrong..He's been a member of this forum for quite awhile and alot of the guys on here know him......Here's his post for the motor ....WW
Will I run into an issue with using a non corvette oil pan due to clearances? Or would I need to swap my pan and pick up tube over to the new motor if the dipstick is on the sime side? (Its on the passenger side now)
It sounds like this guy is on a really tight budget. I would part out the car and try and get back as much as I could or maybe sell it whole and get out now!
Having said that and you really want to get some hands on, if it is locked up from a broken ring I would do the bare minimum basic rebuild if it is not a worse case scenario. Might as well tear it down and see.
You still have the option of kicking this thing to the curb and moving on with your life. R U N !!!
Get someone to haul that huge money pit away man.
Listen to him if not me. Learning experience. Or lend it to some kid in Highschool auto shop, Let them toy with it and see if they can get it going for you to sell. Or tear into yourself if you want something to do. Don't dump much money in it.
At $1,000, your not in too deep. You can always part the car out and make your money back.
If you plan to keep it for a daily driver, ditch this motor and buy a new crate motor. For$1,500 you'll have a dependable motor with a 3 year warranty.
Unless your into performance,it dosen't pay to rebuild motors anymore.
Part it out and move on to the next project. There is a guy in my area selling a driver 84 for 3k. Imagine the nights wrenching on ths toilet with the seized engine, and how $2000 would make that all go away.
I think I'd grab some hard to find items off this hulk, part out the big pieces to make some money, buy the DD and if you;re real lucky,. only be out the $1000 you threw out there in the 1st place...
You could make 2K on parts and get to keep a few..
For your 1st time....
put it like this.,
if this were a girl it would make you want to switch teams....
Hey there: If by chance your '84 is a stick shift rather than an automatic, you may try marking/labeling your plug wires, removing your spark plugs, shooting some "Marvel Mystery Oil" into each cylinder, leave the spark plugs out, put the tranny into 2nd or 3rd gear, you get on one end of the vehicle, put a buddy on the other end, and then the two of you alternate pushing on the vehicle to rock it back and forth, it'll wear you out but you may get lucky and break the engine loose. This also works after a rebuild to free up the engine and get her turning over. I hope this helps. Gary.
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