L81 Parts Safely at Home

[GerryLP]

Well people,

I received the L81 engine parts today, and they look great.

Cylinders bored-over to 0.0205" (with torque plates and for moly rings):
View attachment 9632 Look at the quality in blue-printing by clearing the casting flash.

All rotating components balanced (notice the vibration dampener with its balancing void):
View attachment 9633

And crankshaft turned 0.010"- 0.010" and balanced:
View attachment 9634

I also ordered the GM Blue paint yesterday (Thanks, JohnZ).

I am still looking for a set of 642624 heads. And the reason is as follows...
...and hear this people...when I made the call for help on a set of heads, Lanny eagerly offered his help with his own set of heads.

Lanny and I communicated, made arrangements for the shipment of his head set, and ultimately the inspection at Edwards Engines revealed un-repairable cracks. We both were so bummed about this, and I felt so bad to be the carrier of bad news. But Lanny just poored a little bit of his charm and class act, and just told me to not worry about it too much. What a guy!

So that's how I am still on the search for a set of heads. I read in a Chevy V8 cast number book that the 624's cracked easily, and my difficulty in finding a good working head set of 624 heads is not over, so the quest continues...

GerryLP:cool

 

[bill81vette]

Nice shots of the engine pics,I didn't know that the heads lanny had were bad as well :ugh BUMMER!!!!.SO I'll start looking again on this side.I'll let you know if I find anything,Meanwhile good luck getting the old girl put back to gether and running again!!!!!
I take it your going to paint it blue.....nice chioce!Pics when done please!!!!




bill..... ​

 

[GerryLP]

Nice shots of the engine pics,I didn't know that the heads lanny had were bad as well :ugh BUMMER!!!!.SO I'll start looking again on this side.I'll let you know if I find anything,Meanwhile good luck getting the old girl put back to together and running again!!!!!
I take it your going to paint it blue.....nice chioce!Pics when done please!!!!




bill.....


​

Thanks, Bill!

Edward's Engines have a 1978 set of 624's, but I got an estimate yesterday, and they will cost me about $900 :eek . Nothing about their work is cheap, but their work quality is nothing less than Superb. I have invested $1,700 dollars so far in this short block. The same work through Bud Long's Motors would probably have cost me about $1,300 dollars, but their quality is perhaps good or excellent at best. Bud Long's did the work in my Toyota engine ($1,100 including head work and engine kit), and the truck still running great, but it was not an original engine, so the "worry" level on my part was not that high.

I knew my block numbers would not be accidentally erased through Edward's Engines...at Bud Long, I could not shake-off that concern (even though they are pretty good).

Anyway, it is very possible that Gail won't be ready for the first week of June, but I am still trying to convince my wife into flying to BG and spend a couple of nights with you crazy people :crazy ...Are you attending CF-06?

GerryLP:cool

 

[Peer81]

Looks great Gerry,

Always nice to see all those parts shining like new! Did you get a matching "new" camshaft or was yours still in primo condition?
Mine was to far gone to be re-used as the crankshaft...

Groeten Peter.

 

[GerryLP]

Looks great Gerry,

Always nice to see all those parts shining like new! Did you get a matching "new" camshaft or was yours still in primo condition?
Mine was to far gone to be re-used as the crankshaft...

Groeten Peter.

GP,

My camshaft still in excellent condition. It was replaced at around 33K miles when the original went flat in a couple of lobes (I even got a pro-rated refund from Chevrolet at that time).

Nevertheless, I am told that just like the oil pump, the camshaft should also be replaced.

GerryLP:cool

 

[Sensei]

heads available

Dear Gerry, I rebuilt my L81 a while back and put a set of new dart heads on for better performance. The old heads had no problems and were removed and stored properly. The heads are complete but the engine had 100k miles on it so a valve job would be in order. I would like to say just take them off my hands, but part of the deal with the wife when I spent all that money on the rebuild was that I would put the heads and intake on ebay to recoup part of the cost. I kept the dart boxes to use for shipping and would be happy to take the heads to a machine shop to confirm that there are no cracks. Make me an offer she can't refuse! God bless, Cris

 

[GerryLP]

Dear Gerry, I rebuilt my L81 a while back and put a set of new dart heads on for better performance. The old heads had no problems and were removed and stored properly. The heads are complete but the engine had 100k miles on it so a valve job would be in order. I would like to say just take them off my hands, but part of the deal with the wife when I spent all that money on the rebuild was that I would put the heads and intake on ebay to recoup part of the cost. I kept the dart boxes to use for shipping and would be happy to take the heads to a machine shop to confirm that there are no cracks. Make me an offer she can't refuse! God bless, Cris

Sensei,

Thanks for answering my call for help. If you're willing to disassemble the heads, then I would be willing to pay for the non-destructive inspection (NDI) of the heads to see if there are any cracks on them. Here in Albuquerque, I have paid as little as $7.50 and as much as $15.00 per head core for the inspection of already clean heads, so if you like, then please find a price quote from a local and reputable establishment who can NDI (I think that they use magnaflux process) the head cores.

I just feel that if we handle it this way, and if the heads turned-out to be cracked, then we avoid shipping charges back and forth. The 624 head was very prone to cracks due to increased temperatures at the exhaust, weight lightening process, and other factors.

You can always send me an e-mail to continue the communication. Thanks!

GerryLP:cool

p.s. let me know under what conditions (bare or together with springs and valves you're willing to sell your heads.

 

[bill81vette]

Anyway, it is very possible that Gail won't be ready for the first week of June, but I am still trying to convince my wife into flying to BG and spend a couple of nights with you crazy people :crazy ...Are you attending CF-06?

GerryLP:cool

No I wont be able to go as much as I would LOVE to go :ugh
can't get the time off from work....:cry


bill.........

 

[GerryLP]

No I wont be able to go as much as I would LOVE to go :ugh
can't get the time off from work....:cry


bill.........

Bill,

I know the feeling! I'll have two guy's out of my work section gone during that time and I have a sister also visiting near that date, but if I can arrange it, then I might be able to fly-out on the Friday afternoon, and return the Sunday morning...maybe...we'll see...:ugh

GerryLP:cool

 

[GerryLP]

Dear Gerry, I rebuilt my L81 a while back and put a set of new dart heads on for better performance. The old heads had no problems and were removed and stored properly. The heads are complete but the engine had 100k miles on it so a valve job would be in order. I would like to say just take them off my hands, but part of the deal with the wife when I spent all that money on the rebuild was that I would put the heads and intake on ebay to recoup part of the cost. I kept the dart boxes to use for shipping and would be happy to take the heads to a machine shop to confirm that there are no cracks. Make me an offer she can't refuse! God bless, Cris

Well folks,

There still hope out there for my L81. Sensei's L81 cylinder heads (624 heads) checked-out good at his local shop (Dover Cylinder Heads), and his p.o.c. Ralph Perrotta says that there are no cracks on the heads.

After discussing and arriving at an appropriate settlement and compensation, Chris (Sensei) gave me the total for the heads, magnafluxing inspection, and shipping, and I just sent him the money tonight. I should be receiving the heads by the 10th of March.

Again, I want to thank Billy, Lanny, and Chris together with all of our L81 forum members for the awesome support. L81'ers are great bunch!:bar

GerryLP:cool