Guys here is a listing for a 428 block I can pick up for 650. Should I keep looking or should I buy this?
The following work has been done: All cylinder bores measured to STD 4.13" Gasket surfaces cleaned Lifter bores honed Block magnafluxed with no cracks detected Entire block hot tanked The main caps are all included. The date code on the block is 9C1 and the partial vin on the backside is 9U158031. The block has the well known "C" on the backside of it and has the extra thick cylinder walls which were measured with the 15/64" drill bit in the freeze plug holes. The block does have a sleeve in two of the bores from a previous owner. If any additional details are requested I can have the machine shop check for them.
Thanks,
Tim
Tim Krause 1967 red Convertible Monterey.
390 with edelbrock rpm heads intake and cam. MSD Dist 6 Plus controller electric water pump and fan and headers
Wes Adams FORD428CJ
Built Ford Tuff With Good Ford Stuff
79 F-250 X-Cab 4x4 with a 6.9 Turbo Diesel
64 Falcon X-Ram 428
55 FORD Truck 4-link Rides on air with X-Ram 428
2000 Yamaha V-MAX VMOA#4277
2000 Yamaha 700 Mountain Max
2001 Polaris 600 Edge X
2001 Polaris 500 SP
Although the 2 sleeves wouldn`t normally bother me, assuming they were installed properly, I have to question why the sleeves were needed. After splitting 2 cylinders in my Fairmonts .030" over 428 last year, I`d be hesitant to buy any 428 block without a sonic check. Although I normally like .150" min thickness cyl walls, I took a chance on this block, which had a few in the .100-.110" range, and after splitting the 2 cylinders,at 2 different times, I finally gave up and Hard Blocked it after the 2nd hole was sleeved. For mild street use, a bit thinner wall thickness may be useable, but I`m gun shy myself now.
If this block you are looking at has good sonic test numbers, and nothing else looks funky, it sounds like a decent buy. Standard bore 40 year old blocks don`t grow on trees!
428 powered Fairmont drag car, Best ET:10.03@132.11MPH, best 60 ft: 1.29
59 Meteor 2 dr. sedan 332, Ford O Matic
74 F350 ramp truck 390 4speed
If I buy this I will be taking it to the machine shop to be totaly gone through so I can buy a stroker kit from Barry. I just want to know if this is it a bad idea to start with a block that already has two sleves? I will never take the block to screaming R's but will put my foot in it ocasionally to catch the little teeny poppers who are out in there 5.0 and Dad's new Bow tie stuff. I can already do that with my 390 but it is starting to show some signs of wear. Losing a little compression and making a faint noise from the bottom end. So I want to be proactive and build something over the winter so next spring watch out for the red Monterry Vert
Tim
Tim Krause 1967 red Convertible Monterey.
390 with edelbrock rpm heads intake and cam. MSD Dist 6 Plus controller electric water pump and fan and headers
Wes Adams FORD428CJ
Built Ford Tuff With Good Ford Stuff
79 F-250 X-Cab 4x4 with a 6.9 Turbo Diesel
64 Falcon X-Ram 428
55 FORD Truck 4-link Rides on air with X-Ram 428
2000 Yamaha V-MAX VMOA#4277
2000 Yamaha 700 Mountain Max
2001 Polaris 600 Edge X
2001 Polaris 500 SP
It does seem odd that it would have two sleeves and still be at standard bore size. From my experience 15/64ths spacing is not extra thick, I would be suspicious and personally I wouldnt buy it.
though the combination of 6 "standard bore" cylinders and 2 that are sleeved is sort of a red flag..?? However, a CJ block with a good date like this one brings $1K+ any day of the week, even with condition issues, so the price is very tempting.
Tim,
After losing a build to a split cylinder myself, I am very hesitant to put any folding money into a build without a sonic check, preferably one that I do myself.
A quick idea - if you have doubts, offer to pay for a sonic check while the owner still owns the block - whether you buy it or not. Then you'll know.
Of course, there maybe some other reason that somebody worked on this block and then "just stopped", ya never know.
What's "acceptable" for a sonic? That is always somewhat risk or chance based. Of course on the sleeves, all you'll see is the sleeve thickness but they are made of better stuff, not just flaky gray iron so an .080" sleeve is a lot stronger than a .080" gray iron cylinder.
As far as wall thickness goals, Rory gave some good data on the upper end of the range, and I used my own experience on the low end plus some factory data to start building a "Wallolator" model of what minimum wall thickness to take a chance on (because it is always still a chance). My own experience here was on a 400M block that I built up, ran hard over 1000 miles, and then during some testing on a warm day it split a cylinder. Come to find out that cylinder was only .040" thick. You could punch through it and several others with a 1 lb hammer and a punch and a few taps. The amazing part is that this engine had SURVIVED as a truck 400M-2v at about 375ftlb and 265hp with an .060" wall, wore out, was bored 30-over to give an .045" wall, wore out again (ie a zillion miles on it), then we bored it 40-over to the .040" wall at about 425 ftlb and 350hp. Only then, and 1500 miles later, did it split.
Any other stories to share on wall thickness, what survived and what didn't, as a function of peak torque, hp, and rpm, much appreciated.
Based on this primitive "Wallolator" model so far, and consistent with Rory's comment, you should not need a wall as thick as Rory if you just used the parts you have with a 428. If any of the sonic showed much under .090", then I'd either pass or start scaling back on the build and RPM planned.
Good luck, hope you can get it and put another 428 on the road, the thing that big Merc will want most is more inches.
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