Okay you guys I just bought a spare from one of the members on board so I can put my new internals in. Besides boring, honing, and assembly of the block with internals what else should be done out of IMPORTANCE?

Also I found a reasonable priced machine shop that’s bores, hones, and assembly but does not blueprint the blocks, should I pass on them since they do no blueprints blocks?

Do you know what "Blueprinting" a block means?

have your crank polished and knife edged :)

This is all strictly imo, but...

Must haves
block inspection/evaluation
crank inspection/evaluation
Bore/Hone
machine the head gasket mating surface
machine crank (if needed)

Ought to haves
new freeze/oil galley plugs (good shops will tap and install threaded pipe fittings)

Nice to haves
balance rotating assy (pistons, rods, crank)
professionally spec'd rod and main bearings
professionally gapped piston rings
professionally assembled block

Very nice to haves
"Blueprinted" machining/assembly

FYI: I got everything above short of blueprinting for under $500.

Originally posted by DR1665
Ought to haves new freeze/oil galley plugs (good shops will tap and install threaded pipe fittings)

Whats the point in having a freeze plug if its threaded and screwed in. The freeze plug is there to push out if the coolant freezes in the block. I imagine a good shop in AZ might do that where it doesnt get below freezing, but in general that wouldnt be good. Ive seen them pop out on turbo cars when the turbo pressurized the cooling system due to a bad headgasket or something of the sort...

Maybe Im just stupid... I dunno

Originally posted by Pitchblack98

Originally posted by DR1665 Ought to haves new freeze/oil galley plugs (good shops will tap and install threaded pipe fittings)

Whats the point in having a freeze plug if its threaded and screwed in. The freeze plug is there to push out if the coolant freezes in the block. I imagine a good shop in AZ might do that where it doesnt get below freezing, but in general that wouldnt be good. Ive seen them pop out on turbo cars when the turbo pressurized the cooling system due to a bad headgasket or something of the sort... Maybe Im just stupid... I dunno

My bad. That is correct. I seem to screw that up every time. The freeze plugs are designed to pop out. Having them threaded in is a bad idea. (Although you're right, we probably don't need them at all down here.) ;)

Originally posted by DR1665

Originally posted by Pitchblack98

Originally posted by DR1665 Ought to haves new freeze/oil galley plugs (good shops will tap and install threaded pipe fittings)

Whats the point in having a freeze plug if its threaded and screwed in. The freeze plug is there to push out if the coolant freezes in the block. I imagine a good shop in AZ might do that where it doesnt get below freezing, but in general that wouldnt be good. Ive seen them pop out on turbo cars when the turbo pressurized the cooling system due to a bad headgasket or something of the sort... Maybe Im just stupid... I dunno

My bad. That is correct. I seem to screw that up every time. The freeze plugs are designed to pop out. Having them threaded in is a bad idea. (Although you're right, we probably don't need them at all down here.) ;)

lol ok... I was like thats not right... haha

Actually the "freeze plugs" which is a misconception, are there just to plug the holes in the block. They weren't really designed for freeze protection. The block manufactures put in the press in plugs to seal the holes in the block which are there for the casting process. I would not count on them to protect your engine from cracking. I would say 9 out of 10 engines that freeze will crack even thought the plugs pushed out, which they don't always do. I have had several different problems with the press in plugs like rusting out and leaking or pushing out of oil galleys and loosing oil and pressure. I did have a 1970 BOSS 302 that came from the factory with screw in "freeze plugs" and oil galley plugs. I think the reason that most engine manufactures don't put in the screw in type plugs is cost.

BTW: I have also heard of the freeze plugs pushing out under hard driving such as racing, which is the reason they put in the screw in type in the BOSS 302 cars sense they were built for road racing.

My block froze up last year when it got down to -25 here and 3 of my freeze plugs popped out and a lot of the coolant ran out as it froze. After a day sittin in the garage I hammered in some new ones and flush the cooling system. No problems at all.

I went to school for mechanical engineering. The holes are there to hold the cast for the water passages which are ceramic. They also serve the purpose of expansion protection (ie freezing or pressurization)

All I have to say is that you were lucky. I have seen many engines that have froze up and the blocks and even some of the heads were cracked. My grandfather owned a automotive salvage yard that I pretty much grew up in and he would get a lot of cars that the blocks had busted from freezing. He also had good engines in wrecked cars that froze and busted while at his yard.

But what I am try to get at is, that is not what the plugs where intentionally designed for and I would not count on them to protect you engine.

thats cool, so what do you guys think this guys best options are?

Originally posted by hs_elrod
thats cool, so what do you guys think this guys best options are?

Originally posted by DR1665
This is all strictly imo, but... Must haves block inspection/evaluation crank inspection/evaluation Bore/Hone machine the head gasket mating surface machine crank (if needed) Ought to haves new freeze/oil galley plugs (good shops will tap and install threaded pipe fittings) Nice to haves balance rotating assy (pistons, rods, crank) professionally spec'd rod and main bearings professionally gapped piston rings professionally assembled block Very nice to haves "Blueprinted" machining/assembly