How do you guys find so many core blocks lol. I needed a 7.3 engine once and just bought a running driving truck to rob parts off of it. It was way easier to do that then find a core.

 

Auto wrecking yards via car-part (dot) com. You need to be creative with your search though; look under "engine block", "engine", "engine core". Years 98 and up crank case castings are compatible with our trucks IIRC. Don't just search the Superduty 250, 350 trucks, search the 450, 550, search the 7.3 E series vans as well. Can also look at heavy truck salvage (LKQ, etc) as T444E crank case, heads, rods, crank, etc are the same. Can also look on FB and Craigslist but people want too much money generally, and auto salvage usually have a 30 day refund policy if the core isn't build-able (cracks, etc) which you don't have with buying from an individual.

Two of the crank cases were sourced by the shops, I found three via car-part. I also found a T444E through LKQ but that was purchased for other parts, not for the block.

 

What in God's green earth is that block sitting on Bridgeport table for?

 

Pan rails and registers need to be made flat and the distance between the two needs to be made uniform for the bedplate. The shop owner is choosing to do that on a mill as, from what I recall, the other machines that could do it would involve too many setup issues (I can't recall the specifics).

 

Im down to (4) complete 7.3 cores at the moment. I’m either going to scrap the bare block I had dipped and inspected, then retrieved from machine shop after months of them not getting to it - or it’s going to be some kind of 500lb art. I’ve thought about using it as a thermal mass/heat sink on top of a shop heater or something..

The last time I posted 7.3 cores for sale for $300 I got zero interest for months. This block is currently listed for $50!

 

Around here I can buy entire rusted out trucks, running for $1000-1500 right now, so just buying a core isnt worth it, when I can get all the other core parts with the entire truck. Wife just had to talk me down from going and buying one off marketplace for like $1200 . She wont let me go full-junkyard. Maybe I can store some down at the farm.

 

Being in the trade, that is an awful big job for a Knee mill. I hope it comes out well.

 

Yeah it's not the ideal machine for the work and the owner knows it. Biggest concern of his is the mill head sagging when extended. As long as he can mentally account for the variables and takes light cuts it should turn out okay (I hope).

 

Rusty trucks have their own problems...

Its unlikely these head bolts are coming out with just a socket. Yes, that is a HOLE in the exhaust manifold. I’m hoping the heads are not compromised at the exhaust ports - if that looks like it’ll seal, I’m going to toss this 130k mile engine in my truck with fresh exhaust manifolds and all the good parts from my dead engine.

 

Just got the call that the crankcase is done. The shop owner said that even after the 200 ft-lb main bearing studs were tightened, tightening the 30ft-lb pan rail bolts still changed the shape of the main bores and closed the gap between the pan rail and bedplate. Just goes to show how these blocks benefit a lot from the additional rigidity a bedplate provides (as well as preventing cap walk). Would be nice if there was a aftermarket bedplate that was a little smaller, cheaper, and required less machine work to fit up.

 

“Is done” as in complete and ready for service or FUBAR?

 

He meant done as in all machine work is complete. This guy (owner of the 3rd shop) seems pretty on top of things so I'd like to think there won't be any FUBAR, though I won't know for sure until I get my gauges on it.

 

I wasn't going to add anything more to this dumpster fire, but ......


Or that none of the time, expense (especially for the poor machine shops that have had to deal with this and buy you more parts), and frustration of this whole mess is even worth it since these engines will go hundreds of thousands of miles without all of this - even AFTER A NORMAL REBUILD.

 

I have a great amount of respect for your experience and the opinions they have informed but I don't understand your hostility in this aspect.

The first replacement crank case was because shop #1 lost air pressure to one of their machines and the cutting head dipped in to the deck of the crankcase.
The second replacement was after the work came back and it was out of tolerance, sub par, didn't include things we had worked out prior.
The third replacement was after shop #2 honed the main bearing bores so out of round that it would interfere with bearing crush.
The forth replacement was due to a noobie at shop #3 fixturing the block at an angle, causing drilling and tapping to be done at an angle.

These errors aren't caused by the work required being too esoteric or elaborate (and only shop #3 has had to "deal" with the bedplate). This was commonplace work they claimed to be within their means to complete after clear explanation. Work that wasn't completed either due to operator inexperience/error, machine failure, setup mistakes, etc. I sympathize with them that **** happens, and I've been patient, but ultimately those failures are on them and not something I inflicted upon them. The irony is, if shops 1 or 2 had done their work properly, a bed-plate wouldn't even be part of the equation.

It's fine if you think my aims are foolish and my MO misguided, but I don't appreciate the framing you've employed casting the machine shops as poor victims of my crazy project.

 

Oh thank goodness. I'm rooting for you.