Progress Thread 79 Ghia 351 Windsor swap update

[Smcin]

I pulled the engine and have pulled it apart. Was told by previous owner it was over bored .40 . Now I have it apart it was not bored just honed. Need to be bored . Can I have it to .60 and be ok ?if I do should I make it a stroker? And body have ideas that will not break the bank? One piston was real tight compared to the rest . Had a real had time getting out . Will .60 be ok to stroke it ?
Thanks

 

[Smcin]

Latest update. Took the motor to the machine shop. Here is what I found out . Block is ok but needs bored . Then new pistons and rings. Heads are toast . I can buy new ones cheaper then redo these . They need a complete rebuild . And all new valves . Would be $100-$1200 to redo them . Crank look ok and cam is new never been run . So looks like have to slow the job to pay for all of the engine work . Didn’t plan on this much work in the engine . Will keep this up as I go along .

 

[Smcin]

Sorry missed price $1000-$12000 to redo the heads

 

[90sickfox]

Thato redo heads. My machine shop only charges 400 for new valves, guides, seals, springs, and resurfacing...that's for both heads. Yours must be completely tore up.

 

[Smcin]

They have different springs some bigger some smaller . All the valve seat are shot need reground then all new valves , springs, guides whole 9 yards . I found a set made by Flotek that aren’t too bad priced . Has anyone had this brand and have any thoughts ?

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Firstly. You said the po told you that the engine was bored .040. Then you said that that wasnt the case that the engine has just been honed. If the engine was just honed, then a .030 piston is the next bore size up. Then .040, then .060. For a street car running A/C, .060 will potentially cause the engine to run too hot, but it has been done before. I guess it all depends on your cooling system.

Nextly, I dont know why youd expect the engine not to need rebuilding since you started the thread with no back story as to where, or who you were buying it from. Any old pre-90 windsor engine of questionable origin is gonna need it. Especially if it's over 100k miles.

There is an ongoing thread about offshore heads..a few here have bought some. From the way it looks, it may be a " hit or miss" chance that you'll have to take.

Last...for that machine shop to tell you that the head is that bad would have me taking them to a different shop for a second opinion..its one thing to have to replace a valve here and there, but all 16?
The seats are usually cut, and guides are usually replaced. I'm wondering how did different size springs get on there, and how many are different? Again, I'd figure maybe something in the past might've gotten haphazardly replaced... but all 16?

Get another opinion.

 

[Olivethefet]

I wouldn't bore it any more than was necessary. You don't really gain that much in my opinion. If you stroke it, that will produce the cube change. JMO though.

 

[Smcin]

This shop is a very good shop and has a very good reputation of doing quality work . They showed me the heads have various valves in it . Some over sized and larger stem the some still have original stem . They didn’t say they couldn’t be redone just they would cost more then a replacement would cost . The more I dig into this engine the more I find the PO lied to me about it . Good thing I got a good price in it to start with . I am just trying to get a good running engine out of it with what I have to work with . The shop showed me it had .040 over pistons In it but last work was just a re ring and put back together. Cylinder walls had a pretty big ridge at the top which is why it was so hard for me to get the old pistons out of it . They are only boring it to where it has to be done to get to the next size .

 

[Olivethefet]

In your first post you indicated that you had been told it was bored then found out that it had not. That was the reason I commented on only boring it as much as necessary. Not to just go straight to 60 over. If it has been bored 40 over then I understand the need to go to 60.

What year is this motor. If it has been bored twice already it sounds like it has had a lot of miles put on it or wasn't taken care of very well.

Sounds like those heads are all over the place! No telling what somebody has done to them.

 

[Smcin]

It’s a 1979 block . And it does have .040 over pistons . And on the heads they look like they are pretty jacked up . I have not been thru a rebuild before so learning as I go right now but I can see what they are showing me . The block has been cleaned and magnafluxed and it is a good block some got a good starting point . So hopefully won’t run into too many more surprises . Thanks for the input .

 

[Smcin]

Update , picked up engine and have it home . Short block back together. Will have to wait on head till I can come up with more cash .
But the engine they bored out to .060 over . New pistons and rings . Polished the crank and now new main and rod bearings. Put in a high volume oil pump with new pick up . Cam in and timed . That is where we are now . Anyone have advice on heads ? Need at least 550 lift .
Thanks