Just back from the machine shop with dirty hands and a big smile. The "030" block I picked up a couple of weeks ago looks like a winner. Several points that may be of interest to others that may run across one of these "030" blocks:

Thin rib behind the water pump, but it does have the steel crank. Just gotta pull the pan and check.

Casting date 2 10 76 right on the block deck, along with a 225"R" (not an "E", that's the cast crank). Pull the head and carry along a wire brush. Numbers are on the front right corner of the block. You will want to check before you pull the block in the junkyard.

Cylinder walls checked out with ultrasonic. VERY consistant wall thickness. Basically 0.210"-0.230". WOW. Much less variation than I ever would have expected.

We're going for it. Boring 0.085" tomorrow. That will leave us with 0.1675" wall thickness (give or take). From what I understand factory "Blue Oval" 5.0's with a std bore have 0.160" walls.

Can't promise that they're all like this one, but if it's a 1976 OR older "030" block, you may want to give it a second look. Don't know if it's as good as a "BH" block, but for my project, this one looks like it's gonna do just fine

Gilly



tlg225ccr@aol.com

You do not have to pull the head to see those numbers that are stamped in the top right of the block. You may have to get the alternator and bracket out of the way however. Much quicker than pulling the head. I think I had one of those blocks 12 years ago. It went to the junk yard because I had no place to keep it.
Some of the blocks from that era are bored .020" over from the factory. I forget what code is stamped on the block to indicate that. I've ran into a couple of those over the years.

cfield@ll.net

Thanks, Craig. I didn't see the darn number until we hot tanked the block. Looked like it would have been covered-up by the head. Also very good info on some of these blocks being 0.020" from the factory. I ASSUMED that this was a std bore. I'll throw a mic on it. It would be really good news to find a 3.42 bore! I have been very nervous about boring this block (we're going 3.485"). Anything over 0.060" for a "Bowtie Guy" just seems unnatural LOL. Thanks for the extra info.

tlg225ccr@aol.com