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Originally Posted by leegreen
I hope the engine can be fixed. If the bill looks to be more than it is worth, just bolt it together and run it as-is the worst that can happen is you wreck the block - which is probably the cheapest component on your engine right now! That plastiguage result looks promising and your oil leak should be fixed.
For a different perspective and meaning no disrespect to your engine builder's experience but in my much more limited experience I don't think warped heads or coolant vapor locks are common occurrences on these engines. I can't speak to the need for an extra key in the crank nose for a supercharger, but the stock engines never had much issue with spitting the pulley off and unless you drive it hard you are not putting much additional strain over stock.
With a new corvette to fill your speed needs you don't need to build this truck in that direction unless it suits you!
You can also get a 'crate' rebuild of a 250 or 292 inline 6, you don't have to go v8. you'd need a bellhousing, maybe adapter ring for the car 4 speed, side motor mounts. Everything else you have should work with a little tweaking.
you'd get 150 - 175 HP, which is probably more than the blown 261 can produce reliably. This is in keeping with the rest of the systems on the truck you built to match the 235, so you don't have to start thinking about new suspension etc.
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As usual, all great points. I think of this truck as a hot rod tribute truck. You are correct in that the Corvette meets and exceeds all my needs for going fast. Given that my engine builder is encouraging me to assist in the process so he can pass along some skills and knowledge, I'm still hopeful that this route succeeds. He even mentioned that the taping of the head and the machining of the crank are not absolutely necessary but fit into my definition of "while we're at it" since the cost of doing it now is negligible as compared to later if needed.
In the past two years since I started this rebuild/restore I've seen at least 50 of this generation Chevy/GMC truck. All of them either had an LS or small block. One had a very sad original ooking 235 and only one had a 235 with a McCulloch supercharger which blew me away. While this will never be the truck with the $20k paint job, I want it to be as good as I can make it on my own. But it has to be a decent runner, not for drag racing, but for taking to car shows and O'Reilly's as needed....LOL