A drill bit test isn't going to prove much, the question is condition of cylinders and core shift. The 2 bolt motor mount blocks seem a little more consistent, but after that, they are all over the map. Last fall I turned down a 428 standard bore irrigation motor for the hyd roller build in the dyno section because four on one back were "over and up" and I didn't trust the block at .030 and 500 hp.
Of course if no-one checks, any block might work!
I guess its not surprising a bunch of guys that have no idea how to find these blocks think that they don't exist.
Falcongeorge you sound like a very experienced and knowledgeable individual but I wouldn't downllay the knowledge and experience of others on this forum. They are simply being honest and expressing their own knowledge and experiences, in hopes of saving someone alot of grief. Also preventing someone of thinking they have something that they really don't and throwing a ton of money at something that could end in failure.
You are correct that I am mocking, early on I was sharing usable info, now I have resorted to mockery rather than sharing info, in fact, I am deliberately withholding that info. Earlier on, I had posted a fair amount of solid, hard-core stuff on what the thick blocks are all about, when they were produced, and how to identify them. When it turned into the usual internet forum dogpile, I went back and carefully edited any usable information that would help guys find these blocks, as they aren't interested in that.
They don't have any of these blocks, and haven't seen any, because they don't have the required knowledge to identify them.
And the nature of the typical post-modernist mob is so hubristic, that if THEY dont know about something, then it doesn't exist. This is the predominant groupthink on internet forums. The line of reasoning (if you can call it that) goes like this. "I might not know much about the information being presented, but most of the people posting here are saying this information is wrong, if I join in, I can piggyback on this, and appear more knowledgeable than I actually am. Even if the people I am agreeing with are incorrect, the sheer weight of numbers lends credence, and I can safely ride on the coattails of that". I alluded to this on page three in post #43, but naturally, it had zero effect, and didn't cause anyone to pause and reflect for even a moment. So it really shouldn't be surprising that I am mocking them rather than sharing information. Sharing that information would be a wasted effort, due to their hubris.
So, especially in light of the fact that I have a late 390 block that is cast on 428 cores sitting less than 100' from me as I type this, it shouldn't be surprising that I choose to mock, rather than inform. Taking the low ground? Well yes, I am, but then I am a notorious iconoclast, so...
A quote from a famous American iconoclast, I think it applies rather well in the context of critiquing the post modernist groupthink that dominates internet forums
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."
Mark Twain
Hubris (/ˈhjuːbrɪs/, from ancient Greek ὕβρις) describes a personality quality of extreme or foolish pride or dangerous overconfidence,[1] often in combination with (or synonymous with) arrogance.[2] In its ancient Greek context, it typically describes behavior that defies the norms of behavior or challenges the gods, and which in turn brings about the downfall, or nemesis, of the perpetrator of hubris. The adjectival form of the noun hubris is "hubristic".
Hubris is usually perceived as a characteristic of an individual rather than a group, although the group the offender belongs to may suffer collateral consequences from the wrongful act. Hubris often indicates a loss of contact with reality and an overestimation of one's own competence, accomplishments or capabilities
FWIW, I am not at all angry, in fact, I am rather enjoying this, I hope that is coming across in my posts.
To show a little goodwill, I will expand on my flippant response to My427stangs hubris. The drill bit test is vitally important, it tells you what cores the block is cast on. This is a field test, it helps you to decide whether it is worthwhile to haul the dirty chunk of cast iron laying in front of you into the machine shop for a sonic test, or to leave it where it lays. This test is vital even if you intend to build a +030 390 out of said chunk of cast iron, as blocks that will accept a 1/4" or 3/8" bit aren't even suitable for that.
So there you go, just so this debacle isn't a total waste of bandwidth. Of course, the hubris of most members of any given internet dogpile will prevent them from even utilizing this little tidbit of information. Carry on...
