Hey guys I have been hinting around and doing some research on the forums on a 98 coupe auto that I have been considering fixing up. It was abandoned at my families body shop 91k, got about 2k into bolt on repairs. Still needs full interior, visors, seats, carpet replaced to be up to my standards. Well it was almost done and shazam there is two small cracks around the water jacket in bank 8 leaking anti-freeze. I think this happened becuase it sat for two years in a storage building with no heat. The shops engine/mechanic said he can weld the cracks. I have no doubt in his welding abilities he does amazing work. But has anyone ever seen this done sucessfully.

I will have to pay for the parts, most likely have 3k into it, but I want to increase the hp either by nitrous or super charger.

So the question is forget it and part it or go for it.

 

If you're going to supercharge or anything else to up the HP, I would find good heads to put on the car. They aren't that expensive.

 

Ok noted. Do you think the welds will hold up for a couple thousand miles, while I beat on it a little before engine work say next summer. I just dont want it to go bad and tear up more parts.

 

If I was in your place and planning on going FI I would get a new block, I would never trust that block under that kind of pressure and you don't know if there is any inside damage, That is just me and my opinion.
Mr.Bill

 

As a welder, the head taken apart and the crack/s once 'V' cut and and re-welded your should expect the head to be excellent. But you have strip done and then while it's out, I have a machine ship (Most likely to same shop who'd do the welding) to put it back together and make sure it is operational and solid by magnifluxed which will give an idea of how well the sealed it is. But once that is done and everything put back together, I think you'll have an excellent car/driver. Perhaps sell it.

Having said that, If your looking at 'Turbo or Supercharging' this head, is not in my opinion going to hold up to massive pressuring and even harder installing a after-market Nitros kits to mod the car. But it would make a great daily driver. If you go over the with a fine tooth comb, and fix anything not up to grade, then fix anything holding it back I believe you could selling it and make a few bucks on it. IMHO !

 

I'm texting back and forth with the mechanic. He said the two small cracks are actually in the block by the starter and that he noticed them after they fired it up an ran new coolant in it.

 

As long as they are just cracks in the outside of the cooling jacket, you shouldn't have any trouble. If there's no water in the oil, your chances are good. I bought an old boat that had a similar crack and just sealed it with JBWeld (not sure if that's the correct name). It held for the 3 years that I had the boat.

 

Good to know. Thanks for all of the input.

 

IMHO I would not chance it either way - for the cheap you can easily find a good running LS1 or just the bottom end and be good to go -

If you are going to pull it to do the welds then it is worth the swap to the different block - You can even pick-up a LS6 block and have the better metal that went into the LS6, grab a set of 243 heads (LS6) or get the whole motor pulled from another Vette and you will be set for a long time.

I just don't trust welds when it comes to expansion and contraction on a motor, especially aluminum!

Just MHO!

Thanks,Matt

 

Until you get it out and apart you can't tell what is damaged. Better to use a good used or new new engine. I can tell you from past experience these engines are not like the old iron 350's. You can't just slap it back together with a bit of liquid steel (been there) and grease and expect it to pull 6-7k rpms under a blower load. Putting it back together, with a hint of left over problems, isn't worth it.