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Is this L33 salvagable?

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Old Apr 24, 2016 | 10:32 PM
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ClarkW's Avatar
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Default Is this L33 salvagable?

I'm accumulating parts for my next project, and I picked up an L33 that had a "knock" the first time it got started after a swap and was immediately replaced. I figured it had a spun bearing and took my chances. Got it home and started messing with it. I couldn't rotate it past top dead center on #3 going forward or back, so i looked in the spark plug hole. I saw some shiny spots but couldnt see anything in there that led to pulling the head. Turns out there was what is left of a nut, and maybe a washer, in cylinder 3. Oh great, that'll do it alright!

The head is a little narfed but the valves appear fine. The piston looks like one edge is slightly/barely mushroomed(at the 6 o'clock position), and there is a tiny scratch on the cylinder you can just barely feel with your finger nail. The damage appears mostly superficial, and this would probably run if i put it back together as is.

What would you do with this if it were yours? scotch brite it and slap it back together? Full rebuild, hone, pistons, head repair? Bore and Forge everything, then get the heads worked? Or should I make a table from the block, sell the heads and buy another longblock? I'm at a crossroads here on what to do and would love to hear some other peoples opinions.

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Old Apr 24, 2016 | 10:57 PM
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JaxMustang50's Avatar
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Either way, cheaply or not so cheaply rebuild it. Depends on your intended purpose for it. See if a ball hone will clean it up, smooth the piston back to shape with some 400 grit ( as long as it didn't deform the ring lands), smooth the damaged areas of the combustion chamber as well, clean it all up, re-ring and bearing it, run it.
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