What is up with these holes that are welded up? I've never seen holes in a block here before. Any ideas? I don't think it is stock, I think someone drilled them and filled them from the looks of it.

 

That's part of the oil galley where the holes are welded. I can't remember ever seeing holes there, or welds either?

 

WOW I got nothin.

 

Apparently it is the fuel pump rod passage. There are not supposed to be holes there, not sure what they are for? This is the block I was going to buy, I may still buy it, the internals are more than worth the price of the combined. Plus, it just may be fine being like that, I can't see how it would be an issue where it is. It did pass a magnaflux test when he got it...

 

Just a thought, but he might have drilled those holes to hold the fuel pump rod up while he put a new pump on, my 2 cents worth.

 

I thought that too for a moment, but those welds are inside the timing chain cover. And why 2 of them? That bolt that's below the welds, outside the cover, is the spot for holding the pump rod. Maybe somebody drilled holes there to experiment with adding extra oiling inside the timing chain cover, and it didn't work as planned?

 

If that is the oil galley then that is where you drill a small hole to help oil the timing gear set. It is not common but I have heard of racer doing. Maybe they messed it up.

Drilling a small hole there is supposed to reduce wear as well as drag. It is said it can help launch times.

Just an idea. I have never seen it done.

 

You drill like a 1/32" hole above the timing gear I think, and another one through one of those Allen Headed Plugs. Not sure what these holes are for, but someone said that if the block was honed, then they were for that. This block has studs in the bottom, so I'm thinking it has had all the machine work done to it...

Another oddity, it has the ID on the passenger side front engine pad stamped like 3 times, and the other number there is really faint, I'm thinking that the block is decked.

 

My block is decked, the stock numbers are gone and replaced by 9.005", that is my deck height.

 

I laid a straight edge across my deck and put a feeler gauge under it to my flat tops and came up with 022 thickness. I'm thinking that is about stock, there between that and 025 ish or so, so I doubt it is decked. I need to get me a dial indicator though, actually a cam degree kit, it should have one in there.