after just finding the engine block numbers and head numbers i went to mortec and found that the engine is 86 - 88 350 2 or 4 bolt main. the head numbers are 14102193. these are 87 and up 305 -350 heads. this engine has a knock. well after many people listening to the engine a few said it was not a rod knock. i was told to take off intake and remove the lifters. number 6 cylinder was where it sounded like the knock was coming from. one lifter from number 6 had a mark on it where it rode on the cam. it was also scratched up on the one side. this motor was suppose to be rebuilt and developed the knock at 3000 miles. the pushrod in this cylinder was also all scratched up. my question should i keep going on this engine or purchase new one. this is in a 90 iroc. can this engine be changed to roller? any guesses what this engine came out of? i do not have the heads off yet. i was told there could be hole in piston to. any IDEAS?

 

The heads are truck/Caprice 350 TBI swirlies. Have them melted down, they are worthless.

Post the block casting # and maybe we can figure out what it is.

It makes NOT THE SLIGHTEST DIFFERENCE what the block came out of. Since it's been "rebuilt", it could possibly have ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING inside it; and most likely bears NO RESEMBLANCE WHATSOEVER to whatever it was originally. Furthermore, cast iron has no memory, and will therefore retain no influence from whatever sheet metal - or even fiberglass - it was wrapped in during its first life. That is an entirely USELESS path of inquiry, don't waste your time and effort on it, because it produces no information of any value or usefulness. That is to say, there is NOTHING that either the motor will do or have that's any different, or that you will have to do that's any different, depending on what vehicle the BLOCK (since it's been "rebuilt", who knows whether ANY OTHER PIECE was actually associated with that?) came from.

Look at the "spine" oil passage that runs down the top of the cam tunnel, and see if it has the bosses for the spider bolts; and look at the top of the lifter bores, to see if they're machined off flat and wide (partway into the side of the cyl wall area). If it has those features, then it can have a factory-style roller installed into it. If it doesn't, then you can use the "real" original type of roller stuff, with link bars. Unfortuntaely that runs into more $$$$ than just used factory stuff though.

 

block number is 14088548. these heads were compatable with tuned port? this car came with the tuned port. i figured he used the heads from the 305 tuned port . im thinking i should just start over with new engine.

 

after futher searching the block number came up as being in a truck with throttle body injection. it could be a 4 bolt or 2 bolt. this was used in corvettes to according to one site. but with the head numbers matching it came out of truck. so if it is 4 bolt i should fix it and get better heads . if anyone has a better idea please let me know.

 

Can't tell too much about the block about "roller" from the casting #... post a pic of the top of the lifter bores.

Yes those heads are "compatible" with TPI.... about in the same sense that a 2.73 one-legger 7½" rear is "compatible" with a 750 HP big block in a full-tubbed race car with slicks. Sure, it'll bolt up; sure, it'll "work"; but is it right? Will you get the full benefit of everything else around it? Hell no. Those heads belong in the scrap heap.

4-bolt, and whether it came out of a truck or a car or a fork lift, and what heads are on it, are WORTHLESS for determining whether the BLOCK is any good. You're not paying attention.

Have you ever been to a motor rebuilder shop? Seen what they do? Let me tell you, they don't take a motor apart, carefully clean every piece, and rebuild it. No. They tear them down (the FNGs start in tear-down, that's how they weed out the ones that use drugs, don't come in on time, are slackers, etc. ... watch them doing the nastiest, grungiest, grossest work that nobody else will do). All pistons go in the scrap aluminum bin. All bolts go into the bolt cleaner. All blocks go to the vat and get tanked, then to the boring bar and so on, to get prepped. All heads get torn down, vatted, worked, and put on a shelf. Then when it's time to build a motor, they grab a block from the worked block area, 2 heads that mostly match off of the head shelves, and so on. In other words, whatever parts that motor is assembled out of, is PURE RANDOM COINCIDENCE. In fact I'd bet that the head castings aren't within 2 years of each other, or the block; in other words, they're TOTALLY RANDOMIZED. None of those parts had any connection with each other until the very moment they were bolted together.

The block IS WHAT IT IS, no more and no less. It's basically good at face value. What you see is what you get. Even if it came out of a Corvette it wouldn't make THE TINIEST DIFFERENCE to what you're doing. It has whatever features it has, is in whatever condition it's in, and so forth. Its origin doesn't cange that. That's the WRONG kind of inquiry and research to be doing, because it tells you NOTHING WHATSOEVER of any practical value.

Why would you "start over with a new engine" when you don't even know what this one is or what's wrong with it yet? What do you think you're going to get with a "new" engine that you won't get with this one? I'd advise doing a little research first. Look at it and see what the block is. See whether the bearings and crank are any good. See what pistons are in it. Could be that it's a total pile of crap; could be also, a "new" engine wouldn't be any better. You never know until you look.

 

what i am asking is do i pull the engine take it to machine shop and pay them to tell me its a piece of junk or its a good block. if its a good block then i have to pay to have it bored and rebuilt and get a new set of good heads. so now i have the price of a new engine in this piece of crap. i dont have the means of doing all this in my driveway.we have determined that the heads are junk and the cam and lifters are shot.cam and lifters around $350 for just decent ones not the best, heads 400 to 600. the machine shop who knows. were close to 1000 already. probably better to get a chevy crate engine.

 

So you've noticed the lifter in #6 went bad (how bad? lets see a picture eh?), so most likely the cam is toast as well, and one pushrod is gone. This is a flat tappet cam right?
Take off the intake manifold and snap a picture of the valley, so we know if it's a roller block. If it is, it's a bit more desirable, because it's cheaper to use a roller cam in it.
You can pull the heads and check the bores, and see if they're still good to use. I'd tear it down to the short block, and if you don't know what you're looking at, take it to a machine shop and ask their opinion. Can you just put heads on it and run it? Does it need to be bored out? Those are good questions to ask the experts at the shop.
I'm not sure from what you've said so far, but i'm guessing you have NOT dropped a valve and ruined a piston, but you really need to get your hands dirty to find out.

By all means, price out a chevy crate engine. But remember, the 290HP mid thousand dollar crate engine is an 882 headed, 929 cammed rocket which might pump out 230HP in the car, IIRC. That's sub 200HP at the rear wheels. That's a guesstimate mind you. (I might be thinking of a different crate engine).
Once you've got that upgraded to a true 350HP engine, (cam, heads, etc) then you're in the mid $2000 range. From where you're at, i'm guessing you have a good shortblock - that just saved you $1500 or so. Now heads and a cam and you're set. You can probably get by under $1000, if you play your cards right. Maybe less.

 

this engine ran when before i took the heads off. as it warmed up it smoked bad.you could hear a mild knock at number 6. the car didnt have much power at all. this knock did not get louder when you throttled it. i had my neighbor listeh to it and he said it was not a rod knock. another mechanic told me it sounded like a collapsed lifter. so i took the intake off and pulled the lifters out. number 6 lifter had a mark on it where it rode the cam and a slight dent .the pushrod was all scratched up.the lifter also had marks on one side.i still have to take the heads off. if the piston and bore look good i will look for heads and cam. this engine would start right up without hardly cranking. it burnt very rich.all you could smell was gas.it set for 3 years when i bought it. i bought it knowing there was a knock. its a 90 iroc with 82000 miles and a perfect body.no rust even on the floor pans. i paid 1200 for it so no matter what i put in the engine im ahead .i will try to get pics of the valley.in a day or 2 i will have the heads off. im not a mechanic but i am maint supervisor so i can do some. thanks sonic .pics to come

 

Don't worry about the block just yet. No block (with certain rare exceptions) is "better" than any other block, except for its condition, and whether it's got the roller provisions or not (if that matters to you, which it should).

You may very well find that there's NOTHING at all wrong with the block, or the pistons, or the rings, or any of that; that all it needs is a roller cam and a decent set of heads, and you'll be in business. Or, you may find that it's only an inconviently shaped boat anchor. But you've GOT TO tear it down and find out first. Just throwing up your hands in despair and going out and getting some phone company van replacement "crate motor" (which is basically what that cheeeep GM one is for example) which is no better than what you already have, is not the path of wisdom.

So scope it out, take as many pics as you can of the important stuff (not wide shots of the whole motor.... we've all seen a SBC before, no need cluttering up the site with even more unremarkable pictures of yet one more typical ordinary SBC), and let's see if what you have now is salvageable. If it is, that's money you don't need to spend replacing stuff.

Although, from your description, it sounds like the majority of its issues were in the HEADS anyway. And since those are already known for certain to be going in the trash, don't worry about them; concentrate on evaluating the condition of the short block.