MTFCA Forum

I have an unnumbered block that has some issues (one crack in valve chamber so far) that I was going to build a warmed up engine with. Last night I test fit my adapter plate (Chevrolet overhead) to see if all the bolt holes in it went deep enough for mounting bolts. Bores lined with the plate at 3&4, but No 1 was really off No2 somewhat. So today I placed the head gasket on with 2 bolts to set in place; Then I placed the same gasket on another block; Wondering now if there were more reasons the block may have been pulled out. Best I can tell it was put into service but does not look to have been run very long. Ether it's warped or something was miss drilled or bored. Need to do a bit more checking. In the first photo, the gasket is off the deck a little, but not enough to make a difference with the photo being shot from straight overhead.

If it’s off that much it would show up measuring from back to front using No.1 center to No. 4 center. An accurate machinist yard stick or a sheet metal yard stick should give you evenly spaced center to center measurements from No. 1 thru thru 4.
I’m not a machinist by no means but to me that would tell you if the bores are off.
Others will have their opinions.
Also was there a crankshaft with the block when you acquired it?

Is it a Ford block or an aftermarket.

No crank and yes Ford block; (ignore the picture of the really broken Dodge cylinder wall that I posted later in the string, there just for example of really busted) viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18953&p=144855#p144855
RE evenly spaced, it is wider between 2 and 3 so not evenly spacing front to back. But good ideas on other checks.

If it's oversize, I'd guess someone bored it off-center to correct a wrist pin gouge or broken ring damage, or just by mistake. If that's the case, I don't think it's a good idea. You could probably get enough side clearance at the wrist pin for the piston to run, but I'd think you'd have a very thin cylinder on one side, and a high likelihood of head gasket issues.

Bolt holes look off, too... maybe it's an experimental block for Fordlandia...

Bore is still standard. Ok so I went out and flipped the gasket over, things line up. When I flip it back to correct orientation, still off some. With a T head gasket, it would not be noticeable because of the cutout for the valves. The overhead gasket has a full circle fire ring. Could be the gasket is off just a little. Bolt holes line up, so you are just seeing a shadow because the gasket is not sitting flat and camera was centered on the bore hole.

I had a factory problem with a 1921 block I was rebuilding.
The top and bottom of the block were not parallel from side to side.
When we set it up to resurface the top of the block after putting in new valve seats we
found it to be 13 thousands off parallel from side to side, but perpendicular to the cylinder bores.
It was a nice block but now is used to template and fabricate custom exhaust systems.
Harry Lillo
Calgary

Have you tried other head gaskets? If you flip the gasket over and it fits, I would suspect the problem is the gasket.
Norm

Have you tried other head gaskets? If you flip the gasket over and it fits, I would suspect the problem is the gasket.
Norm

It is the gasket. First try, it must have been cocked some how. On the first try, yes I did have it laying flat just somehow got wonky. Just went out and tried again, it fits good. Don't know what was going on so will need to watch it when I do the build up. (some day )
Thanks everyone.

That’s a good deal it was only the gasket! When Norman K. posted it might be the gasket it came to mind that there have been earlier posts about the piston hitting something after trying to crank the car and hearing a noise inside the head. Removing the head it was found that the gasket was just over on edge of a cylinder.
I have done the same thing on my cars and thinking about this and that, doing a tare down and etc.
I guess you would call it what some call ‘over thinking’ a supposed problem when it turns out that’s it’s something simple like alignment, tighten a screw, and etc.

perhaps the block was "un-numbered for a reason? Meant to be originally scrapped for one reason or another from the Ford factory? They had to have scrapped blocks setting up machines or operator error, I suspect most got recycled, but perhaps some survived?

The link from one of my earlier post on this same block, it is stamped Ford USA on the water inlet. So don't think it was a reject. In this case it operator error!