Should I be concerned about this casting line

B

bhays

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Jul 19, 2009
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Indiana, USA
I am rebuilding my engine and trying to learn engine building as I go. A friend is doing his side by side with mine and a friend with years and years of engine building experience is teaching us.

Tonight we finished tearing down both our motors and pulling out the rotating assemblies. We did his while our 'teacher' was there, then pulled mine apart after he left.

In my block, under the cam journals there is a line of rough material from almost the front to the back of the block. It seems to be just leftover material from when the block was cast, but the other engine was totally smooth in that area.

Is this anything to be concerned about? Should I try to clean it up with a die grinder or does it really even matter?

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you should worry about it only if it breaks

That's a cast-in oil line - not a structural member. I'd clean it off a bit, but remember there's a hole in the middle of it - so if you go too far, you'll lose oil pressure....

with that said, on a Ford 302, that's the parting line when they break.... I've seen several of them separated there.... but never on a 4 bolt main 350. I suppose you could be the first, but honestly, unless the cam lobe can hit it; I'd leave it alone.
 
Thanks. I was just concerned because the other engine were doing is also a 350 and is totally smooth in that area. It's a 2 bolt main, however.
 
its not until you work on an old ford flathead or on my 1950s MGA engine that you see really what really nice cast engines look like.....the new stuff is done literally as cheaply as they can....having said that obvseration i would be inclined to leave it all alone.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. I am learning as I go and didn't know what to make of it when I saw that.
 
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