Quote:
Originally Posted by Longhorn Man
dropping the pan is the only 100% sure way
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This isn't a new topic in the Chevy universe - there just isn't any other way to tell and all the rules of thumb out there (and there have been some really nutty ones!) have been disproven at one time or another.
Besides...that's part of the fun - SBC treasure hunt!
As for 4-bolt vs. 2-bolt; 2-bolts are good up to 400 HP w/studs, factory straight 4-bolts to 500 - anything beyond that and you'll definitely want steel caps. If you're not turning something past 6K or using power-adders (NOS, forced induction, etc) I wouldn't sweat bullets about it. Steel caps add about $450 to the build for the caps and machining. I'll probably have to put on my Nomex for this, but I've never seen a broken cap on a
STREET 2- or 4-bolt factory block.