Well, I've had enough of this 440 Mystery Motor

[moparedtn]

Just had another thought for people to put their .02 in. After you remove the intake and distributor while the cam and lifters are in it with rockers still bolted down hook up your oil pump priming rod and prime the motor. Since you know how post videos (i dont know how) video the lifter bores. I think those that are really verse in what things look like in this area might be able see something really obvious. If you have a manual oil press gauge hook that up while you are priming and share that info with us. Maybe we get lucky with helping you out

Gotta get me one of them thar priming rods...
Ok, so everyone agrees my teardown procedure needs to BEGIN with taking off the intake like Ski says?

 

[moparedtn]

Hey y'all, I'm in contact with a fella who has a '68 440 short block that apparently has never been bored/machined. This includes the reciprocating assembly with original forged crank. He's had it stashed in his shop for over 30 years!
He's asking $500 for it, but I'm thinking that's high.
What's it worth and should I grab it?

 

[miller]

What year is your mystery 440 block? Do you know any particulars on it...like bore size, and such? What kinda crank?

$500 for a block sitting around for 30 years...I'll leave someone else to make that comment.

Bottom line...that 68 block vs your mystery block...either way, you'll have to do the same damn things to either! You've already got the mystery block bought and paid for.
Mystery? Only mystery is what in that block was NOT done right?

Your call on it. That's just my lousy opinion on it. Guessing your short block cut some corners on the build (or somebody not knowing what they were doing), and that's why your having problems with it.

 

[moparedtn]

What year is your mystery 440 block? Do you know any particulars on it...like bore size, and such? What kinda crank?

$500 for a block sitting around for 30 years...I'll leave someone else to make that comment.

Bottom line...that 68 block vs your mystery block...either way, you'll have to do the same damn things to either! You've already got the mystery block bought and paid for.
Mystery? Only mystery is what in that block was NOT done right?

Your call on it. That's just my lousy opinion on it. Guessing your short block cut some corners on the build (or somebody not knowing what they were doing), and that's why your having problems with it.

I'm going to have to go back thru my old threads on here, but if memory serves correctly, it's a 1975 block with I think forged internals?
Let me do a little research here, I'm pretty sure I posted a bunch on it way back when.

 

[Beekeeper]

The 68' block is a mystery block also

 

[moparedtn]

The 68' block is a mystery block also

You are correct of course. Either this one or that one will head off to some yet undetermined machine shop at some point.
An unmolested original from the correct year has an appeal, though.

 

[moparedtn]

I found a couple pics from the last time I did the cam swap:

Wonder if that shot of the lifter valley shows anything?

 

[moparedtn]

Oops, my bad - 6T means it's a '76 block!
The E means cast crank, but this one's been swapped out and if memory serves, it sure looked like a forged one to me back when.

 

[Beekeeper]

I can see how the correct year block would be something to consider but 500 would go a ways on machine work on your existing block. If you aren't using oil and have good compression
Then I wouldn't see the need for any cylinder work. At this stage I would do a complete tear down and inspect all parts before moving forward with the purchase of a different block.

 

[Beekeeper]

The cam bearing I see in the pic has something going on with it

 

[dieseldazzle]

Cam bearing and that front lifter bore look suspect in the low quality pic

 

[dvw]

Why would you switch to an unknown block? At least you know yous holds water. Why do you think the block is contributing to your valve train issue?
Doug

 

[kiwigtx]

I've been erroneously calling the #4 cam bearing "#2" also, I see. I stand corrected.

Is the problem as simple as this - the installer of the cam bearings was as similarly confused as to the cam bearing locations as the OP?
Thus not giving correct oil flow as pointed out above by @Challenger340

 

[oldbee]

Like dd says- frt lifter sure looks bigger in dia. I say keep the block you have & go for it.

 

[Beekeeper]

Yep for 500 you could get the lifter bores bushed if needed. I'm bettin that the cam bearings were installed at a machine shop that builds Chevys

 

[Beekeeper]

Like dd says- frt lifter sure looks bigger in dia. I say keep the block you have & go for it.

I noticed that also but I think it's camera angle playing tricks on us. But the cam bearing sure looks like it's been starved of oil.

 

[Ski 61701]

That far right lifter bore looks funny to me. Looks like there are shiney spots almost as if the the bore itself wasnt honed when it was machined or maybe it was and now its oversized enough that the lifter is getting cocked in its travel. Is that one of the lifters that got munched with the old cam? I agree about the cam journal bearing looking so so . The bottom half of the bearing is going to have a little more wear on it due to the downward pressure of the lifters being pushed by valve springs. Ive seen worse and the valve train was ok not perfect but ok. Id start to really focus on lifter bores and lifter rotation when you start checking things

 

[Cornpatch MO]

Oops, my bad - 6T means it's a '76 block!
The E means cast crank, but this one's been swapped out and if memory serves, it sure looked like a forged one to me back when.

The harmonic balancer will tell you , at first glance, if it is external balanced cast crank . or internal balance forged crank...Unless it has the wrong balancer installed........................MO

 

[moparedtn]

The harmonic balancer will tell you , at first glance, if it is external balanced cast crank . or internal balance forged crank...Unless it has the wrong balancer installed........................MO

Especially if I've replaced it myself.

 

[moparedtn]

Why would you switch to an unknown block? At least you know yous holds water. Why do you think the block is contributing to your valve train issue?
Doug

Because that's the common denominator in all this (and where the oil comes from to get to the valvetrain)?