Tonight I finished clearancing my block for the rod bolts at the bottom of the cylinders closest to the oil pan rail, on one of the cylinders, I got a little too happy and got a pinhole into a water jacket I assume. I think I need to use block filler to fix it now, however I dont know much about the process. How much do I need? I just want to fill it enough to plug that hole and perhaps give the rest of the cylinders a little extra support where I had to grind, I dont know how thin those walls are now. Any tips would be appreciated.

 

Cover hole with something (gas tank repair works great). Buy filler. Open lid. Insert water. Mix. Pour into freeze plug holes, tip block so that that side of block is vertical (deck horizontal). Wait overnight (or as specified on filler package). Repeat on other side.

"Support" isn't really an issue.

 

How much should I pour in? I only want to fill it at most, to the bottom of the cylinder walls, I don't want to run into cylinder wall distortion at all. Just enough to cover the hole I filled and give a little support to the rest of my clearancing just in case another hole decides to pop up where i've clearanced. Would an inch of filler cover what I need properly?

 

Probably....

OTOH, a standard "street fill" is up to the level of the freeze plugs. Basically zero cooling goes on down there anyway, as all the heat loss from the cyl occurs up at the top; probably 40% of all the heat that gets into the coolant, gets there via the exh port walls, another 40% through the chamber walls, and only 20% through the bore walls, and probably 80% of that occurs in the top ¾" or so of the cyl, since the charge cools rapidly as the piston descends.

I'd recommend doing both sides, up to near the freeze plugs.

Don't forget to put a piece of plastic tubing or something similar in there from the drain hole up to that height, so you still have a coolant drain.

 

If he's filling up to the freeze plugs, then wouldn't he leave the engine "upright", rather than on it's side?

 

No; you tip the motor so that the side you are filling has the cyls vertical, and then fill it to the freeze plugs. Then you let it set up, and tip it the other way and do the other side.

 

oh, yes yes, that's what I was thinking. I misread you before.

 

I dont want to fill it up to the freeze plugs because im afraid of cylinder wall distortion. I think Im only going to try to get away with what I need. Unfortunately, I dont know how much to pour in to cover what i need.

 

Standard street fill is to the bottom of the freeze plugs. Very common. Hasn't ever ruined any block I know of.

It's about 2-2½".

 

Do you need to re-hone the cylinders after a short fill? I heard you do after a full fill, but short? I think that's what Traviz is asking.

 

Not that I know of.... it doesn't apply force to anything, it just kind of sits there.

 

I still dont want to risk it, Im not too familiar with the filling process, I guess it does not matter which hole I pour it into, all the passages share a common cavity in the block is that correct? I put jb weld over the hole tonight to let it cure so the block filler wont leak when I pour it in my engine tomorrow. (yes, I picked up some moroso block filler today).

question now is, How can I tell when I've poured enough to cover my hole that I made?

 

According to the instructions on the moroso bottle, 2 gallons would be enough to fill a sbc up to the water pump holes per side, so I am thinking only use a quarter of the gallon per side? I really do not want to get it filled up past the cylinder wall line.

 

You can always add more later...

Sorry Traviz, don't want to sound picky, but this is bugging me, because it seems REALLY obvious to me...
Poor - to lack funding, money, moolah
Pour - to transfer a liquid. What you are meaning to say.

 

True sonix, I think I will add a quarter gallon on one side today (with the hole) and you think tomorrow I can break my jb weld plug off and see if it made it past the hole? I may even give moroso a call today see what they have to offer for advice.
Thanks for the poor/pour fix. Didn't even realize.

 

Well today I bit the bullet and filled the block, I left the block standing upright and not tilted one way or the other. that way the filler will be more concentrated in the outer corner inside the block - where I made my hole.
The stuff is hard to work with and overal, sucked. I used about a quarter gallon per side just to get in that bottom corner of the block.
As long as it doesnt leak under pressure I'll be happy I suppose.