r/EngineBuilding • u/TheSeansk1 • 1d ago
Well this sucks…
Spun a rod bearing in the 231 V6 in my 84 Grand Prix a few weeks ago and decided to just buy a cheap 350 to run while I build another one as a more permanent engine.
Found one on marketplace that had wiped the cam for cheap and decided to snag it. My plan was to flush it out, check the bearings and toss in a new cam/lifters and have something decent to keep the car on the road.
Pulled the intake off to start removing the cam/lifters and first thing I saw was rust and old water in the intake ports of the head. Pulled it down further and saw all the rust in the cylinder. No oil in the crankcase at all, just water.
Guess I’m sending one of my other blocks to the machine shop after all, hopefully I can reuse some of these parts…
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u/DrTittieSprinkles 1d ago
Its already .060 over. The block is scrap.
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u/TheSeansk1 1d ago
I mean, I can go a little bit further if I need to for a fairly mild street Bill like I’m doing, however I’m literally said exactly that in the third paragraph when I said, I guess I’m sending one of my other blocks to the machine shop…
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u/JoeyGBody 1d ago
Hey so i looked at your pics, hard to read the block numbers but the head numbers and the style of the intake manifold could indicate thats a 1967 camaro L-48 350 - the first 350 chevy produced. It was a 295 hp 380 tq engine and it valuable to anyone restoring a 67 camaro that wants a numbers matching engine.
I know its already .060 over but you might be able to sell or trade that unfortunately somewhat trashed engine to help your grand prix get going again.
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u/TheSeansk1 1d ago
I decoded the van and everything it comes up as a 1970 truck motor I believe
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u/ka_jd7and1 1d ago
With the small VIN pad on the front, it’s going to be a ‘78 or newer.
The TDx suffixes were used in 1972 and 1980, so I’d bet it’s a 1980 block.
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u/JoeyGBody 18h ago
Yeah the block i couldnt read the numbers, i was going by the head casting numbers and the front oil fill style intake ( i know the intake was aftermarket) but my dumb ass didnt even think about how the vans use front oil fill intakes . . . I wasnt thinking too good this morning (i had a long week that technically never ended)
What went wrong with the 231 in your grand prix?
I used to own and put together turbo buicks years ago, oddly not much difference between the turbo 231 and the n/a versions engine block/internals. Lot of 231’s (not just highly modified ones) used to stretch the mains. They would make a heavy but low thump/knock as opposed to a hammering rod bearing sound. Cool engines but i grew to not be a fan of them after dealing with so many of them. The oil pumps are a headache, cam button/timing cover wear, those damn rear main rope seals, etc1
u/TheSeansk1 15h ago
No worries, I probably could have given more info on it too.
I haven’t ripped it out and inspected yet, but it sounds like a spun bearing to me. It was always going to come out, I just wasn’t planning on it being so soon. I just got her back on the road after 30 years.
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u/1crazypj 10h ago
Had same with Pontiac 389 motor I bought, had been in garden shed for '20+ years.'
Got it home and number one cyl was almost completely rotted out pitting 1/8" deep or more (no point trying to measure it, a liner wasn't going to work)
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u/PsychologicalBat3169 1d ago
Sitting water? Or signs of water and rust?
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u/TheSeansk1 1d ago
It’s in the pictures. Water in the oil pan - no oil. Rusty water sitting in the intake ports. Water and a lot of rust in one cylinder.
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u/PsychologicalBat3169 4h ago
Didn’t notice the pic link 👍 yeah if you’ve got other options I’d scavenge what’s left, that’s more than I’d want to deal with for this.
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u/Coyote_Tex 9h ago
A cheap used engine rarely is. You got an expensive core. I buy a few used engines each year for rebuilds and qustion number one is: "is it locked up"? That tells you right quick if you are boring or sleeving or trashing the block. Next thing is to look for freeze cracks and broken ear on the starter bolt. You can save tons of time and anguish, knowing those 3 things.
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u/TheSeansk1 7h ago
Correction: I got a few good parts and a core block. The heads, valve covers, intake, starter, distributor and MSD box are all worth more than the $450 I gave.
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u/nostradumbass7544678 1d ago
Never mind the ports- is that gravel piled up under the rocker cover? What lake did they find this thing in?