i got my new block today the casting #'s are 3970010 i read this is a pretty good block and i got it for free and its a virgin block never been bored. now heres my question would this block be still a good reliable daily driver bored .060 over or is that pushing it to much should i just stick with .030 over? thanks

 

Get is sonic checked and see how much you can safely bore it, then only bore it as much as it needs. Boring .030 or .040 or .060 will make no difference in performance. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

Boring is simple maintenance on the block, not a performance upgrade. Only bore it as much as it actually needs to get it back into shape.

 

I have two of these, one is virgin sitting on a stand in my shop waiting patiently and the other is .060 over not a daily driver but a it could be if I used it as such, this is a forged high nickel content block very reliable and if you don't want it I can always use another one.

 

If boring doesn't add performance then my auto instructor lied to me when I was in school oh soooo long ago. Boring increses cubes and increased cubes always means more ponies.

 

Boring will increase cubes and increased cubes always means more ponies, and thats a direct quote of Carrol Shelby, why do you think engine builders bore out there motors.

 

boring does increase power but you only gain a few cubes so its not reay noticable you gain alot mor by stroking

 

If you're building a racing engine where you've done absolutely everything else and you need to squeeze every last bit of power out of it, then boring will produce an increase in power. Probably somewhere around a fraction of a percent.

On street engines, you'd never be able to tell the difference and boring it more than necessary just shortens the life of the block.

 

definitely true focus more on creating a matched up combo. definitely a good block as long as all checks out. with splayed caps they have been good up to 700hp quite a few times. and majority of those where 358's If you want more cubes for the hell of it just swap to a 400 then you gain alot of torque

 

i found a 010 in the timing chain area does that mean its high nickel??

 

No, not necessarily.

 

well how do i find out?

 

Take it to a metallurgist if you really want to know.

Nickel content won't make enough difference to care much about one way or another.

 

how do all these ppl "know they have a high nickel block do they all take it to one if those or is there another way to tell?

 

ok i just found that 010 means theres 1% and 020 means theres 2% nickel is this right?

 

They've all heard the stories about the magical "010" under the timing cover that supposedly indicates a high nickel block, and assume they have one.

There was a thread discussing the myth of the high nickel block not so long ago. I pasted a link to another forum where a worker at one of GM's foundaries explained how it all really works.

 

Nickel content really means nothing to you for street use anyway. The condition of the block is much more important. You could have a core-shifted genuine "high nickel" block which is weaker than a plain old "low nickel" block without core-shift.

 

ye i know it really doesnt matter to much for me right now but you dont know my plans im just wondering how you really tell?

 

If you want to know for sure, ask a metallurgist.

If you're building something where it would matter, you'd probably be better off starting with an aftermarket block in any case.

 

apeiron is right if you are that worried just look for a 184A block. then I guess you won't have to worry.

 

whats 184a mean?

 

bowtie block. nothing speacial other then it is already set up for high performance use

 

where would that be?

 

check this one out. I just looked on Ebay to check for an example.
eBay Motors: SBC SB2 SB2.2 Nascar Bowtie Cylinder block cast 184 (item 130029550628 end time Sep-27-06 12:50:14 PDT)

you can find them for a better price though. also a 182 block is good same spot in the casting for the number

 

The 3970010 casting block is the single most common casting by chevrolet. Virtually all 350's are this casting #. It's not "good", or anything, it's as plain and vanilla as milk. Absolutely nothing to get excited about. I happen to have one. Apeiron, you got an 010 block? Air_Adam?

Boring it out gives you cubes, but a .030" overbore is 5 cubes in the 350 chev case. 5 cubes is nothing, in the grand scheme of things. 33 cubes, ie a 383 stroker motor, is what, just over 6 times the additional cubes? Yea, that'll make a difference.

Going .060", then the increased chance of cracking the block is a bad idea. Just bore as needed, your machinist will know what to do.

 

My 350 is indeed a 010 casting, although I never bothered to check if it was a high nickel block when I changed the timing chain in the spring.

In theory, yes, boring the engine will increase cubic inches, which also increases power - all else being equal. I shouldn't have said you won't gain any power... I should have said you won't notice any gain in power, because its such a rediculously small gain. Increasing a 350 to 355(.030), 357(.040) or even 360ci(.060) will not make any noticeable difference. Its only 5-10ci.

Something like a stroker crank can make a much more noticeable difference, because it changes the stroke, which is a FAR more effective means of improving torque figures than increasing the bore is. Another, is that it adds 33ci or more. Thats alot more displacement gain than you'll ever get by doing an overbore on a SBC.

 

The bowtie blocks are heavier castings than stock.

 

Got a few of them around here somewhere.