[Marv D]

Exactly, Chris is screaming proof you can hit it HARD and have it survive. And I believe Chris's block is a 817 (foggy memory). By all rights, reason and internet rumor he should have been sweeping up pieces of block long ago. I probably have enough fingers and toes to count the 421-434 sbc's I've built for myself and buddys,, but I don't need one hand to tell you how many of those are surviving in GM production blocks. And it wasn't for lack of attention to quality machine work and assembly. Like I said I spent $1380 on this stupid block trying to make it tolerate 650HP. The splayed mains worked, the cement fill to stiffen up the bottom 1/3 of the block worked,, head studs, studs along the center main bolts, pan studs, alll that worked.... but there just aint a darn thing to do about a deck failing. My guess is it tried to lift a head but the head studs did their job and the great clamping force took the deck with it! WHY? really no guess all I know is it, and one piston is a big pricey paperweight!