Block fill or fire rings??

[truckpullin_75]

Jacob's half-filled block on his old 7.3 engine does fine on the street :ford:. You will lose the block heater though if that is a concern.

 

[JDub]

Jacob's half-filled block on his old 7.3 engine does fine on the street :ford:.

Correct. I never had issues with coolant or oil temperatures, and that motor was filled passed the freeze plugs.

 

[02BigD]

No issues after 30,000+ miles on my partial fill. Even in the heat of NC summer, oil temp have stayed within reason.

 

[Cota]

Why would you lose the block heater?

 

[truckpullin_75]

Depends how much you fill the block. As Jacob said, mine is filled past the freeze plugs and thus above the level of the port for the block heater.

 

[JDub]

Depends how much you fill the block. As Jacob said, mine is filled past the freeze plugs and thus above the level of the port for the block heater.

The block heater could still be used, would just need to leave a void in the cement for the element. I just didn't plan on ever driving my 2wd in the winter months here in Utah so we didn't worry about the heater being used.

 

[Magnum PD]

What feedback is there on plain Cometic head gaskets without fire rings?

 

[Cota]

I molded clay to leave the block heater and other water ports open when I filled my block. Worked out great a left nice smooth open passageways for water flow.
I have thought about just plugging off the element as I've never had to plug in my truck even in low teens temps.

On the cometecs both the block and head surfaces need to be really smooth. I forget what the spec is though.

 

[Magnum PD]

Should have that covered.

 

[IDP]

I just used some pipe fittings and spaced mine out a little, seems to work fine. I blew a headgasket once and just threw cometics and arps in it and it was fine, never had any issues. I built my engine and had the sufaces decked and put cometics back in and it has 5yrs on it and no issues mainly all truck pulling with nitrous. Same with the partial fill never had any issues with temps.

 

[superstroker99]

right on well ima try that half fill, main stud gurdle. Im going to use a epoxy on the crack for now. my boss had a head on his race car break a combustion chamber the shop used epoxy inside the chamber never had a problem. so im gonna try it on my block if it crack more then so be it. I have another block just wanna be able to make it to rudys in oct

 

[superstroker99]

Anything i need to know about using hardblok??

 

[JDub]

Follow the instructions that come with it. Make sure it's mixed well and don't forget to create a channel for the coolant to flow through the to the water pump and oil cooler

 

[silverpsd_06]

What did you find under the valve covers was oil mixing with coolant anywhere that you saw?

 

[superstroker99]

no, no mixing just a 8 inch slpit in my block

 

[Short Bus]

did i read this right, your reusing your cracked block?

 

[silverpsd_06]

Was the crack on the outside of the block?

 

[JDub]

did i read this right, your reusing your cracked block?

Good catch. Yikes.

 

[superstroker99]

yes had it repaired, it was on the out side at the bottom of the water jackets on the pass side. I know what im getting in to. Im gonna fill it throw a main gurdle in it. Im gonna add some more mounts to the back of the block on the driver side to help with the twisting of the motor. I know the chances of it cracking again, this is just a few hundred buck this way if it dont hold then putting antother block in it was money i had to spend anyway

 

[Short Bus]

this makes about as much sense as pulling your truck up to the gas pumps and filling it up with e85. Just do it right the first time and throw the broke dick block in teh iron pile.