Hi everyone,

I bought an 88 firebird 350 tpi about 2 years ago... I've only driven it about 50 miles. I let the engine freeze with water, now after a shady rebuild by a shop that's now out of business, I pulled the heads and found out both heads are cracked.

Should I just hope for the best and put new heads on, sell it as is, or pull the block out and go from there? besides the engine car is inspected and good to go.

I can't sink too much more money into this thing if I can never drive it.

Any opinions are appreciated.


Thanks

 

If the heads are toast, the block was most likely ruined too.

You can now see the most likely place for freezing damage, with the heads off... look along the side of the water jacket right above the lifter bores. That's usually the first place that breaks because the casting is thinnest right there. It wll crack all the way down the block, from front to rear, an inch or 2 above the lifters.

Can't comment on the "shady shop" amd "rebuild" parts. You're on your own there. Unfortunately however, your good L98 heads are now gone, for certain; either the shop kept them and gave you back GARBAGE cores (happens at least 90% of the time), or, those are the ones that are now cracked. A shame, either way.