I bought a Pond aluminium block about 10 years ago to use for the engine in my race car. The block has had a number of issues requiring what I would consider not normal for a new aftermarket block.
The first problem we came across was the width if the saddle on the #3 main was wider on the cap than it was on the block by approximately 0.010", but only on the front thrust face. The cap aligned correctly on the rear thrust face.
The next problem was the deck surfaces had depressions at both ends that looked like they had been left by a finger clamp. This was on both decks. I know this may have been caused by the machine shop and not a manufacturing defect, but the shop that did the machining is fairly competent and should have known not to overtighten on the aluminium decks.
The next problem was the 2 of the main studs stripped out the threads in the block. The studs were installed correctly, only finger tightened, and the nuts were only ever torqued to correct spec. To fix this and prevent any further problems, all main stud holes in the block were fitted with thread inserts.
All the above problems occurred before the engine was ever started. The engine was finally finished and run in on the dyno. However, after the break in procedure, it was found that the cam bearings were excessively worn. To overcome this, a set of roller cam bearings were fitted. The engine was fired back up and a further break in cycle carried out. It was then removed from the dyno and the oil pan was dropped to check the bottom end. That was when the latest problem was found, pictured below.
When the tension was checked on the #1 main stud nut, the stud was loose. When the thread inserts were installed on the main stud holes, it was made sure there was enough material between the hole and the main saddle.
I understand that all these problems can be caused by bad machining or assembly practices, and if only 1 or 2 of these problems had occurred, I would not suspect anything more than that. But to have all these problems, and the engine has not even made any power runs, let alone been installed in my car, leads me to suspect that there could be a problem with the block.
I've started this thread to see if anyone else has encountered similar issues. I have emailed Robert Pond about the problems, but have yet to hear back from him. I'm not trying to get any sort of refund, I understand that problems can occur. But it appears to me that maybe the block did not have the correct heat treatment done, leaving the aluminium weaker than it should be. Does anyone know what level of heat treatment the block should have had?
My plan for this block is to try and have the broken saddle welded and repaired. But before I go ahead with that, I would like to have the block metallurgically tested to see if the aluminium is the correct strength. Assuming that is checks out okay and can be repaired, I will only use it for a lower power application than I had intended for my race engine.
