2.4 block is broken, will i be alright?

[spoolinhard]

i just picked about a 2.4 to start my swap, i just scored an 04 long block for $130. Im guessing that it cant have more than 20-30k on it, the guages were already gone out of the car. i didnt want to pass on this, because i have read that the 00+ have better flowing heads than pre 00.

the bad:
the car was hit super hard on the pass side. it was hit so hard that the tranny was pretty much desinigrated and all the motor mounts were broken, the engine was just sitting inthe engine bay. after i got it pulled i realized that both lower ears were broken off the block, where it bolts to the tranny. I have both ears. there is no indication, nor do i believe that the block isnt good. all the aluminum pieces absorbed the impact, there was really nothing to smash the block against to break it any further than it is.

i want to do a turbo auto setup, my ultimate goal is 500hp. i know i can have this proffessionally welded but is it going to hold under such conditions?
-kaleb

[Speedeuphoria]

I would check the bottom end because the one ear is the on the bedplate and could have tweaked that in relationship to the block if its was bad enough to break/destroy the trans.

[contraption22]

I wouldn't risk using it. These blocks are relatively easy to come by.

[spoolinhard]

I wouldn't risk using it. These blocks are relatively easy to come by.


yeah, but 00+ blocks are NOT plentiful around here, and i dont want to have to switch to an older block and deal with the issues. if it is just a matter of welding ears on, that is not problem. i am wandering if the cast block will crack or if it will hold over time.

[88_pacifica]

At those hp levels, I know I would be very concerned. I think that is what Mike is saying too since it's a point of structural mount....

[turboshad]

The car was hit on the pass side and the trans was disentigrated?? That means almost all the force needed to turn a trans to pulp was sent through the block. There is a chance the block is fine but don't trust a visual inspection. I would at least get it magged. Even though it's not fool proof it's something. If you decide it is OK then be sure to stress relieve the welds that are made to reatatch the trans mounts or you may just break them off again. Also be careful to keep the repair flat. I would be tempted to machine that end once you get things welded up or you will be putting stress into the tranny when you bolt it up. I'm with the others in finding a new block but I can see if they are hard to come by. My .02

DJ

[contraption22]

yeah, but 00+ blocks are NOT plentiful around here, and i dont want to have to switch to an older block and deal with the issues. if it is just a matter of welding ears on, that is not problem. i am wandering if the cast block will crack or if it will hold over time.

I'm not aware of any big changes in the 2000 model year that would make earlier blocks undesirable.

[TurbododgePirate]

The better flowing head problem can be solved by sending your head to www.indyheads.com :)

[spoolinhard]

i am wandering what kind of #'s their port work does

[TurbododgePirate]

315 CFM, but that is at some unrealistic amount of lift. The numbers are on their site.

[t3rse]

if some of the bolt hole is intact, so there is some material that the washer will bite other than the welded repair points, i'd use it, but if it took off the whole tab, i'm not sure i'd trust it to hold, welding cast is a pain...

[contraption22]

We're not talking about a high dollar aluminum race block here. It's not worth fixing. And even if it were worth the try, the likelihood of it cracking again is high.

[t3rse]

do you want to buy him a block? i don't know about anywhere else, but they aren't so easy to come by here...if i could get one for 130$ i'd jump...

[contraption22]

do you want to buy him a block? i don't know about anywhere else, but they aren't so easy to come by here...if i could get one for 130$ i'd jump...

No I don't want to buy him a block. I know many of us are on tight budgets, but you have to think outside of what you're spending this week and think about what you are going to be spending next month.

My math may be off, but I'm pretty sure it's cheaper to build one engine than it is to build two.

[Speedeuphoria]

http://car-part.com/

[spoolinhard]

obviously this isnt going to be a weld up the crack solution. I have been talking with a certified welder, he doesnt think it is going to be a problem. probly have to grind most of the metal away, and then weld from the inside and build up the weld until its flush. i think that it will work

[TurbododgePirate]

Go for it!!! I say........... if it breaks, let us know.

[spoolinhard]

ok, there is no reason, that if done right, that it wont work. I was reading up, and they used to weld up early race hemi's that did 200 pmh+ down the quarter, and they were holding. If it breaks, i will let everyone know, and face the guantlet of "I told ya so's"

[mcsvt]

They aren't saying that welding the ears back on isn't going to work. Mainly they are worried that more damage was sustained that you can't see.

Honestly I hope it works and the motor is fine for years. But I would be more cautious and go with a diff block.

[spoolinhard]

magnafluxing is also something I will have done.

[contraption22]

magnafluxing is also something I will have done.


But that's putting yet more money into a questionable part....

[grim]

the welding isnt cheap if its cast ,then hope dude who welds it knows what he is doing .

[spoolinhard]

ok, you win. srtforums say I cant use head on older engine, scrapping the whole deal.

[contraption22]

ok, you win. srtforums say I cant use head on older engine, scrapping the whole deal.

Why not?

[t3rse]

don't listen to those idiots. all you have to do is plug the crank case vents in the front of the block (or maybe it was the head, i don't remeber, my friend down the road did it, i can ask if need be). and for good welding on cast you're looking at 75 an hour, and it shouldn't take them an hour, how do I know, i just had this done...(for different reasons)

[spoolinhard]

don't listen to those idiots. all you have to do is plug the crank case vents in the front of the block (or maybe it was the head, i don't remeber, my friend down the road did it, i can ask if need be). and for good welding on cast you're looking at 75 an hour, and it shouldn't take them an hour, how do I know, i just had this done...(for different reasons)

if I can use it then great, if it is going to be a major PITA then I might as well just buy another setup.
-Kaleb

[rbryant]

Umm this isn't what you want to hear but...

You need to scrap the block and start with a good one.

If you want to make 500HP then frankly you would be just plain stupid to try and fix a block that has a known issue rather than finding a good one! Welders might be able to fix it but cast is tricky and it will cost as much or more as a bare block. If you had already built it up or something I could see you debating it but if it is just a core block then spend your time looking for another one not fixing it!

Afterall you have to do a full engine build on the thing. Pretty much any machine shop can find a core for you for under $200 and if they can't then get another machine shop...

The early DOHC heads are find in either 2.0 or 2.0 form and the blocks don't really make much difference from what I have read. I would just use whatever setup is easier to source incase you need to do some rebuilding in the future. The early heads are easier to find where i am from so why not use an early block and head...

Hell after I sold the turbo from my PT longblock I only have about $800 into it and it only has 911 miles on it from a high end junkyard so I don't see how you can justify starting with a broken block.

www.car-part.com is indeed your friend.

-Rich

[spoolinhard]

ok, you win. srtforums say I cant use head on older engine, scrapping the whole deal.


already scrapped it

[rbryant]

already scrapped it

Check the neons.org forums. They sometimes have more accurate information than the srtforums...

The new head can be used but it isn't a direct swap. Still I don't think it will be hard to find another block. Worst case just buy a new shortblock from the dealer it is still under $2k for the whole SRT bottom end and the head will bolt right on.

-Rich

[Turbodave]

Kaleb I would personally recommend getting the opinion of someone local who can see the block first hand and provide their feedback. A good machinist should be able to provide their input on whether or not it's worth putting time and money into the block. I've run a few blocks with a missing ear or two and never had any problems, but never tried to do it on a 500hp engine.

[rbryant]

Kaleb I would personally recommend getting the opinion of someone local who can see the block first hand and provide their feedback. A good machinist should be able to provide their input on whether or not it's worth putting time and money into the block. I've run a few blocks with a missing ear or two and never had any problems, but never tried to do it on a 500hp engine.

It's broken!

He hasn't built it up yet and the blocks are a dime a dozen it isn't worth fixing it. There is also a posibility that it might have a hairline internal crack in a galley or something which would go undetected until he loses oil pressure one day.

It should be magnefluxed before it is fixed either way just to make sure there aren't any other cracks. In the time we have talked about fixing it he could have had another block in hand!

-Rich

[spoolinhard]

got a complete engine just about pulled already, should have it within the next few days.
-Kaleb

[spoolinhard]

just got a complete new engine setup, I feel much better about this!