Crack or Casting?

Going to pull that cam bearing and look for a crack in the journal. Similar "groove" on the other side of the main, and on the other center main as well. Both sides of the mains.. doesn't look sharp enough to be a crack, but I don't know.

Just looking for more eyes on, and some opinions.
 
That would definitely spook me from using that block. I'd go shopping for a SC block or a 96+ block, both are strengthened from the early NA blocks
 
Airwolf-90 said:
Going to pull that cam bearing and look for a crack in the journal. Similar "groove" on the other side of the main, and on the other center main as well. Both sides of the mains.. doesn't look sharp enough to be a crack, but I don't know.

Just looking for more eyes on, and some opinions.
Click to expand...
Can you post some more pics? Am I wrong or is the block freshly prepped?
 
I'd call those stress risers, and grind them smooth.
Anyway, crack is bad, mmmk.
 
I'd say it's a crack you can follow it all the way to where there is a chip missing in upper left of picture
 
Airwolf-90 said:
Going to pull that cam bearing and look for a crack in the journal. Similar "groove" on the other side of the main, and on the other center main as well. Both sides of the mains.. doesn't look sharp enough to be a crack, but I don't know.

Just looking for more eyes on, and some opinions.
Click to expand...

That's a crack emanating from a stress riser in the casting extending up to the horizonal joint. I'd find another block. Put an inspection mirror in that lower hole and see how deep the crack is in that location. I'm certain that it will turn the corner and be visible into that penetration. What does the other side look like?

Trunk Monkey
American Society of Nondestructive Testing Level II inspector (ASNT II) AND American Welding Society Certified Weld Inspector (AWS CWI).

No charge for the professional assessment. :D Tips appreciated! LOL

Donations can be made to the club by clicking on your username in the upper right hand corner and selecting account upgrades.
 
:uppoint::uppoint::uppoint:
 
XR7-4.6 said:
That would definitely spook me from using that block. I'd go shopping for a SC block or a 96+ block, both are strengthened from the early NA blocks
Click to expand...
Does spook me a bit.. think I'm going to push forward though. This is a learning project, I've never "blueprinted" an engine so this 3.8 is my first. Not looking to make huge power, mainly just go through the process of block prep, getting all my tolerances measured and bang on (prove oil clearances, not guess or assume). I want to make any mistakes on this E9SE block before I get into the 351w that's sitting in the corner waiting for it's chance to push the tbird around. Originally I WAS going to turbo this 3.8 but I don't know if that's a good thing now.

Derphound01 said:
Hit it with a hammer. If it breaks, it was a crack. If not, you'll probably still need a new block anyways.
Click to expand...
I did actually.. smacked it around a bit with no issues.

Grog6 said:
I'd call those stress risers, and grind them smooth.
Anyway, crack is bad, mmmk.
Click to expand...
Trying to grind them out today.. we'll see how that goes.

supergordo said:
Can you post some more pics? Am I wrong or is the block freshly prepped?
Click to expand...
Yeah, I've got some additional pics.. in the process of prepping the block. I saw those lines but didn't really think much of them until I got down into it and realized they were more than just shadows once I cleaned up the block.
 
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Trunk Monkey said:
That's a crack emanating from a stress riser in the casting extending up to the horizonal joint. I'd find another block. Put an inspection mirror in that lower hole and see how deep the crack is in that location. I'm certain that it will turn the corner and be visible into that penetration. What does the other side look like?

Trunk Monkey
American Society of Nondestructive Testing Level II inspector (ASNT II) AND American Welding Society Certified Weld Inspector (AWS CWI).

No charge for the professional assessment. :D Tips appreciated! LOL

Donations can be made to the club by clicking on your username in the upper right hand corner and selecting account upgrades.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the assessment! Haven't pulled that cam bearing yet but I will update once I've done that. This "artifact" in the casting is present on both sides. Got info from a few Ford foundry worker types (I live right near Windsor, ON where the casting plant is/was) and they're thinking "cold pour". Block may still be okay for stock power levels (it already has 170k km on it - pulled it from my tbird that ran fine.. no clangs, bangs, knocks or pops).
 
Grog6 said:
I'd call those stress risers, and grind them smooth.
Anyway, crack is bad, mmmk.
Click to expand...
Grinding today.

97teebs said:
I'd say it's a crack you can follow it all the way to where there is a chip missing in upper left of picture
Click to expand...
That chip is probably some in-progress radius work I'm doing on the block, if we're looking at the same thing.
 
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Airwolf-90 said:
Grinding today.


That chip is probably some in-progress radius work I'm doing on the block, if we're looking at the same thing.
Click to expand...

Looking forward to your update after grinding and removing the cam bearing and having a look under it.
 
Airwolf-90 said:
Does spook me a bit.. think I'm going to push forward though. This is a learning project, I've never "blueprinted" an engine so this 3.8 is my first. Not looking to make huge power, mainly just go through the process of block prep, getting all my tolerances measured and bang on (prove oil clearances, not guess or assume). I want to make any mistakes on this E9SE block before I get into the 351w that's sitting in the corner waiting for it's chance to push the tbird around. Originally I WAS going to turbo this 3.8 but I don't know if that's a good thing now.
Click to expand...

Yeah with a twin turbo I'd not use that block even if that is a casting artifact, the older 3.8 blocks just aren't built for boost like the SC blocks are(and 96+ blocks are friendly to). As a learning project though that'll be adequate I imagine. I don't necessarily think that's a crack, but if you were to test the limits of the block, I do bet that main would turn that into an actual crack!

351W sounds fun, that foundation would be my pick if I had to start all over again.
 
Well I can't find my cam bearing tool, so they're still in there. Carbide burr took care of that casting artifact.. I think?

23-12-13 15-36-16 4845.jpg
 
XR7-4.6 said:
Yeah with a twin turbo I'd not use that block even if that is a casting artifact, the older 3.8 blocks just aren't built for boost like the SC blocks are(and 96+ blocks are friendly to). As a learning project though that'll be adequate I imagine. I don't necessarily think that's a crack, but if you were to test the limits of the block, I do bet that main would turn that into an actual crack!

351W sounds fun, that foundation would be my pick if I had to start all over again.
Click to expand...
I may just turbo anyway.. we're not talking 20psi, more like 7psi. I can probably keep it out of detonation.. if she pops, she pops.

.. for science.
 
Airwolf-90 said:
Well I can't find my cam bearing tool, so they're still in there. Carbide burr took care of that casting artifact.. I think?

View attachment 2510
Click to expand...

You can do a poor man's penetrant test (PT) test on the area (like they did in the old days on the railroad). Clean the area with isopropyl alcohol, apply a light oil - cooking oil or other light weight oil to the area (not WD-40 light but something light), let soak for about 5 minutes. Clean the area again with alcohol and let dry. Then lightly sprinkle the area with baby powder and look for it to draw the oil out of any cracks or porosity in the casting in that area.

Be sure to apply the oil up to and over the horizontal joint on both sides of that area.

If it's cracked you'll see it.
 
They used to sell purple uv reactive dye at all the parts stores for just this use. I would clean a part with brake parts cleaner, spray it with the dye, clean off the excess with a towel and isopropinol. baby powder, powdered sugar, flour, pretty much any fine powder wiill work. Your cocaine stash is probably not the best thing, lol.
 
Grog6 said:
They used to sell purple uv reactive dye at all the parts stores for just this use. I would clean a part with brake parts cleaner, spray it with the dye, clean off the excess with a towel and isopropinol. baby powder, powdered sugar, flour, pretty much any fine powder wiill work. Your cocaine stash is probably not the best thing, lol.
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Cool. Yea, save the cocaine for more important things. ;)
 
Was he ever busted for that? I know he did time as a kid for gun charges.

Either way it's not hard to sniff out a crackhead from the litigants on his show.
 
Derphound01 said:
Was he ever busted for that? I know he did time as a kid for gun charges.

Either way it's not hard to sniff out a crackhead from the litigants on his show.
Click to expand...

I don't think so .. but yes, I found it intriguing Grog suggest the OP sprinkle some cocaine on crack .. 🤔
 
I knew a guy, that accidentally poured a shitload of cocaine across a motorcycle engine, that was sitting in his kitchen, lol. B the time he gt out of jail, they had washed the coke out of the engine, and dried it as evidence for trial. I heard later the cops used ether to wash it out, lol. It never moved again. :( It was a 1977 Z1r-TC a 1000cc turbo kawasaki with over 250 hp. For the recory, no kawas of that size in my past. My bikes can corner better, even tho my center stand gets ground on, lol. I did trade a 350 Kawa for 500 bux and 500 bux of rice cakes. Specially treated. :)
 
Trunk Monkey said:
You can do a poor man's penetrant test (PT) test on the area (like they did in the old days on the railroad). Clean the area with isopropyl alcohol, apply a light oil - cooking oil or other light weight oil to the area (not WD-40 light but something light), let soak for about 5 minutes. Clean the area again with alcohol and let dry. Then lightly sprinkle the area with baby powder and look for it to draw the oil out of any cracks or porosity in the casting in that area.

Be sure to apply the oil up to and over the horizontal joint on both sides of that area.

If it's cracked you'll see it.
Click to expand...
That's great info.. love these little tricks of the trade.
 
Grog6 said:
They used to sell purple uv reactive dye at all the parts stores for just this use. I would clean a part with brake parts cleaner, spray it with the dye, clean off the excess with a towel and isopropinol. baby powder, powdered sugar, flour, pretty much any fine powder wiill work. Your cocaine stash is probably not the best thing, lol.
Click to expand...
lol none of that around here for at least a decade.
 
That was a casting mark, I think. Doing tm's penetrant test is never a bad idea; you might find some thing elsewhere, and it's not too hard to clean off when you're done.


Dye penetrant inspection - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org



Magnaflux Spotcheck® SK-816 Penetrant Inspection Kit – MX Industrial Distributors

www.mxindustrial.com www.mxindustrial.com
Amazon will have a cheaper kit, or try eebay.
This is a real kit; you can find cheaper, but these guys originated it, and named the process. I've seen these kits that came from the 30's. There were a shitload of these floating around here from the manfattan project, lol. They were still handing out vice grips from a train car load, delivered in 1943, lol. I still go to the surplus sales, when I can.
 
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