Found some small cracks in my L33 block???
#1
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Found some small cracks in my L33 block???
Bought this motor as a pull out and I was disassembling it down to the shortblock to check out the internals today...
I found three very small hairline cracks around the edge of the oil galley plug that is right above the oil filter.
They look superficial, and I do not think they extend past the thin lip that encompasses the plug.
Here are my questions... The rest of this motor so far has looked pretty good. I was going to take it to the machine shop and have it re-ringed, honed, and have them check out the bearings, so I think they could tack these up with a TIG pretty easily, but...
1. Do you guys think these are from a casting imperfection?
2. If not, what would cause these? I can't find any other cracks anywhere else. The starter boss and all of the other holes on the outside of the block look great.
Opinions on whether or not I should even have these welded up?
Pics.
Thanks,
I found three very small hairline cracks around the edge of the oil galley plug that is right above the oil filter.
They look superficial, and I do not think they extend past the thin lip that encompasses the plug.
Here are my questions... The rest of this motor so far has looked pretty good. I was going to take it to the machine shop and have it re-ringed, honed, and have them check out the bearings, so I think they could tack these up with a TIG pretty easily, but...
1. Do you guys think these are from a casting imperfection?
2. If not, what would cause these? I can't find any other cracks anywhere else. The starter boss and all of the other holes on the outside of the block look great.
Opinions on whether or not I should even have these welded up?
Pics.
Thanks,
#3
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I know right ^^
The stock allen head plug was in the hole... Nothing has ever been touched on this motor as far as I can tell. Stock everything, most bolts had never been touched. You could tell that nothing had been broken loose in the past. None of the bolts had any marks on them, and all of the gaskets were stock GM. Plugs and wires didn't even look to have ever been changed. Ran the VIN and supposedly only 58,xxx on this motor. IDK??
The stock allen head plug was in the hole... Nothing has ever been touched on this motor as far as I can tell. Stock everything, most bolts had never been touched. You could tell that nothing had been broken loose in the past. None of the bolts had any marks on them, and all of the gaskets were stock GM. Plugs and wires didn't even look to have ever been changed. Ran the VIN and supposedly only 58,xxx on this motor. IDK??
#5
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No leaks, it was dry as a bone around the plug.
Thanks!
#7
If it wasn't leaking, and it doesn't go anywhere near the threads, i'd leave it be. It's not a high-stress area, and cracks like that aren't going to propagate further into the block.