Bad day in Pennsylvania

[amstaff]

I received a call from my mechanic tonight... the 350 in my 72 C10 has blown up! Now I need to figure out if I should part the truck out or sell it as is for $500. It is a solid truck with rust in the typical spots, but nothing too bad. I do have brand new front fenders (still in the box) and rockers, also I believe it is a Muncy sm465. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Amstaff

[progress]

Short blocks are cheap...can you replace it yourself? You can just about get a running 350 for $150 in the local nickel ads. Sometimes they are even free. Keep your truck and throw a new motor in when you have the time.

[progress]

If you are not particular you could find a running 305 for free...just post on here and ask! It will get you by for now! Just what was wrong with your engine? Not to cast any doubt on your mechanic but was he specific in what was wrong with it?

[amstaff]

I did not speak to him directly, my wife took the call. I will talk to him tomorrow when I go to pick it up. I will get all the gory details. As for swapping motors myself, I don't have the space, tools, and let's not forget, the ability to do it!

[Class of 69]

You didn't rule out desire !! Lack of space is a major stumbling block, but it could be a good time to get your hands greasy!! Most area's have a rental shop where you could rent a hoist for under 50.00 for a day, or maybe a weekend. You would need a trans jack also to remove the SM465, as they are to heavy to do by hand. I'm sure you could get plenty of help on here as to what needs to be done to swap a motor out. Just something to think about...hate to see you give up over just a motor.

[racedvl]

Heck swapping a small block chevy, is like changing a fuse. . . .

[Longhorn Man]

I have to agree with the others. Heck, even if you can't/won't do the swap your self, there should be a grease ball in town that'll do it cheap. Heck, you could haul it to another members house and have an engine swap party/board gathering.
And they are right...305s are pretty much free, and it'll be WAY cheaper than getting another vehicle.

[O'l Buck]

I have the same problem with the space thing.....the ceiling in my shop is too low to pull an engine with the front clip on, so I do almost all my work outside. It sucks having to work on a truck on the dirt, but it is alot cheaper than having someone do it for me......besides, I couldn't live with myself if I spent all that money on tools, school, bandaids, etc to have someone else work on my junk for me.......of course if I couldn't work on it, I'd probably own a new truck instead of 5 old ones.

[casey]

don't let that motor thing stop you, bad news sometimes turns out to be great experiences, try working something out with your mechanic, if not ask around, not to offer anyones help or anything, but I'll bet some board members close to you would help out a fellow truck member,obviously you want to restore the truck if you got new fenders, so big deal your starting with the motor first, you'll meets some cool people on your restoration journey.

[old Rusty C10]

Let me know if ya sell it i am def interetested

[amstaff]

ttt

[dwaite72lnghrn]

So did you hear what really is wrong with the engine. What was it doing to make you take it to the shop.

[amstaff]

dwaite, I was heading down the highway doing about 60 mph. Minutes before, when I left my house, the truck was warmed up and a had great oil pressure. Back to the highway... I'm cruising at 60, and I think I hear a metallic noise in the motor. I say "think" I hear something because I have super short glass packs that end under the cab. Well within 15 seconds I notice I have no oil pressure at all and the motor has a heart attack! It was louder then the glass packs and it sounded like the pistons were thinking about shooting through my hood. It died, I slipped into neutral, and I coasted to the side. I did try to fire it up a short while later and it seemed like it turned over two or three times, then stopped, and smoke poured out of the breather on the valve cover and sparks started to fly from my battery.
As for my mechanic, he was not in when I picked it up. So all I know is what he told my wife: "You blew up your trucks motor."
Does any of this make sense?????????????

[amstaff]

I was checking the local ads and found a complete 402 out of a 70 Chevy. Will this bolt up relatively easily?
Amstaff

[Hutch]

Pretty easy even though I think that you would be better off finding a 350 of the same vintage.
I know that the brackets and motor mounts(stands)are different
A 402 was the optional Big Block in 1970.
If I were you I would get a rebuilt long block from one of the rebuild houses. This is a short block assembled with the heads.
Then make sure the accessory holes in the heads match up then you could use all of you accessories with out any modifications.
Just my opinion
Probably could get out for around $800

Have fun

[dwaite72lnghrn]

It sounds like the timing chain sprocket went on the cam and bumped the drive chain timing. The metal clinking could have been the valves hitting the piston. Just a guess. (My timing chain went on my BB at 83,000 and going at about 60 I heard a loud sound like stones in a coffee can rattling then a loud burp like a burst of a machine gun then nothing). The BB would go if you got everything with it, towers, alternator, pulleys, and the unit came from a like auto or stick so the linkage for trans/carb matched. The engine would have to be real cheap to do it or it would be cheaper to put a rebuild in it. Auto parts rebuild long block would be around $900 then put your intake and the rest on it.

[dwaite72lnghrn]

Thinking about it some more? Pull the valve covers and see if the push rods are bent. If it is then you might get by with a timing chain and some push rods and maybe a valve job. I don't think it should be to much. if the chain went it would not turn the cam which turns the oil pump. The stick trans would have pushed the crank, so if you didn't go to far you might be OK with the bearings and no oil pressure because the crank would slosh oil in the pan.
Pull the valve covers crank the engine and see if the rockers move.