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Post Info TOPIC: Building a 265 for my 55 Chevy


WOODLAWN, ONT

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Building a 265 for my 55 Chevy
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Good for you guys. Here are some sites for you to get info. Lots of good guys here. The 265 cams have a notch so be advised when buying a replacement. Check out my picturetrail site for pic's of my wagon.

http://www.trifive.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=11

 

http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showforum.php?fid/27/keyword/1955-1957_Modified_Chevys/



-- Edited by henrys57wagon on Monday 29th of July 2013 06:25:42 PM

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OLMSTED, OHIO

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This engine has a story. My dad pulled this from his car in high school in 1960. I decided with my son to build it for my car instead of the 350 in it now. 350 runs great but for him to learn to build THE ORIGINAL small block Chevy, is just cool to me, him and his grandfather. As a matter of fact, the last time a teenager wrenched on this engine, it was hid grandfather ! It hasn't run in 53 years and yes we pack rats have kept it all these years  ! I am trying to get some pistons from a member here CANUCKTRUCK. It is most likely one of the first blocks cast due to the casting date and was on of the first 3,000 or so engines assembled by the engine pad number. My car (dads car) was the 999th car made in the Flint MI plant, Oct. 3 1954 !



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Bfalfa55


SOUTH RIVER, ONT

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Nice to hear its been in the family for so long.

Happy wrenching.biggrin

Janice



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Janice



NORTH BAY, ONT

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Great story on having that engine for 53 years. Those 265's are getting hard to find now, and at one time they were just everywere.
Over the years many of them got used up in stock cars, drag cars, and the NHRA stock classes.

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OLMSTED, OHIO

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Thanks everyone, it will be a fun build. My dad is into it too ! I just joined Chevytalk and joined Trifive a bit ago. I have been searching the H.A.M.B. too. I am going to modify the block so it oils like all other small blocks. I did notice though the notch in this cam is really small compared to others I have seen. This going to be built with as much modern stuff as possible but hidden under some old stuff. The challenge, have a mid to low 13 second, light weight, high winding 55 Chevy !

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Bfalfa55


WOODLAWN, ONT

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Sounds like you have a handle on the build. I helped my buddy on his 55 SS/P back in the 80's. Fabbed an angle adapter to have the carb lower in the front, don't know if this is relevant today.



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LONDON, ONTARIO

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bfalfa55 wrote:

Thanks everyone, it will be a fun build. My dad is into it too ! I just joined Chevytalk and joined Trifive a bit ago. I have been searching the H.A.M.B. too. I am going to modify the block so it oils like all other small blocks. I did notice though the notch in this cam is really small compared to others I have seen. This going to be built with as much modern stuff as possible but hidden under some old stuff. The challenge, have a mid to low 13 second, light weight, high winding 55 Chevy !


 Sounds like a good plan brother and all very do able........best of luck with the build..........nice to see another 55 hitting the street.



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BARRIE, ONTARIO

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not to sound like a dick , but will a 265 pull a 55 ????. using odd or smaller engines is cool , but that's like the smallest v8 chebby made ( yea we all know there was a smaller one in a chebby Monza , but no one cares ) .
couldn't you just do what I do , build a bigger cube engine an just tell people its a 265 ???? Most people couldn't tell one from a 327 - 350 anyways ..77.

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NORTH BAY, ONT

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Re: Can a 265 pull a 55:
Back in the late 60's Bill Jenkins had the "Monster Mash" 55 chev -265 powered running in "STOCK" class at the NHRA nationals turning high 13's and 14's in the quarter.
Note ---i posted "STOCK" class, and it went through "Tech Teardown" and passed.

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KETTLEBY, ONT

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yep, nothing like a high winding, small cube small block smile



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dave

'69 bel air 454 M20



NORTH BAY, ONT

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Great pic of a great car!!
High winding is correct, as some of those small blocks in the lower stock classes running 265's were running 5:38 rear ends!!
Nothing to sneeze at being they were breathing through the old WCFB four barrel carb.

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WOODLAWN, ONT

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Who says you need CUBIC INCHES to go fast. Here is a list of SS class record holders, check out SS/OA and SS/PA, 56 Chev, 265+

SS/OA11.37113.9104/28/13Myron Ramey - Martinsville, IN
'56 Chevrolet
Indianapolis, IN
SS/PA11.76111.3710/22/12Myron Ramey - Martinsville, IN
'56 Chevy
Indianapolis, IN

 

 

http://www.nhra.net/stats/ss_record.html



-- Edited by henrys57wagon on Friday 2nd of August 2013 12:59:56 PM

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TORONTO, ONT

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If you are unable to get the pistons from the member here, I have a friend that has several brand new sets, and many 265 parts. He used to race hydroplanes in the 275 ci class back in the day, and used 265 Chevy's.

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OLMSTED, OHIO

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No bad thoughts at all, thanks for the support. I have a 350 in it now and I know it runs well. If I was running a full out race car, I probably wouldn't build the 265. This car is going to be more street driven, with some track duty. I think it will be a fun challenge to see what we can build. when my dad was hot rodding, he only had 265's and 283's. He on the poor kid budget ran a back yard ported,massaged 270/283 combination and ran mid to low 14's with a full bodied all steel 55. I he could do that 50+ years ago, the possibilities today are endless with the choice of parts that are available. Most any v8 will turn 6500-7000 RPM but how quick the small stroke engine turns up RPM and the sound it makes is unlike all other engines.

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Bfalfa55


OLMSTED, OHIO

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I have a new questions for all the 265 gurus. My block has a tube shape in the casting that will line up under the breather tube and a similar shape that the distributor fits down through. Are only 265 blocks like this ? Front is no big deal but the rear, the way it is cast is real close to the last lifter bore. When I modify the block to accept the roller lifter dog bones, is it going to hurt anything grinding away enough of it to allow the dog bone to sit flat ? I have never seen these cast in the galley of other small blocks I worked on so I would like to know what you think. If I didn't explain it well enough, I will have to take a pic.

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Bfalfa55


LONDON, ONT

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You're probably looking at the road draft tube casting, if it's to the right of the distributor casting. 265's and early 283's used a road draft tube to let the engine breath(COMPLETELY politically incorrect)

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OLMSTED, OHIO

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It is actually where the distributor goes in the oil galley but it sticks way up. Here is a pic. Look at the back side of the oil galley. Were only the 265's like this or were some of the 283's like that too ? I am betting I will be fine as long as I don't clear it away too much. There is no place in that tube shape that the dist. comes in contact with. I wonder if it was there for the purpose of helping with oiling because the 265 has it's own  unique oiling.



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LONDON, ONT

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I think you're right if you only take enough to get clearance. That area would be just above where the dist. gear runs on the cam and right at the bottom machined section of the dist housing.

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OLMSTED, OHIO

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Picked up some 1985 305 "416" casting heads, ex. manifolds, Q-Jet carb, air cleaner, intake, valve covers, water pump for $100 ! Only wanted the heads but I'm sure I can get rid of the others stuff. All of it came of the same 305 engine. Heads are dirty but appear to be good cores to start with as they came off a running engine. They do have 1.84/1.5 valve combinantion but I think all of these came with 1.84 valves and not 1.72's. Gotta get them stripped down and in the parts washer at work and go from there !

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Bfalfa55


NORTH BAY, ONT

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Thanks for the update, was wondering how the project was comming.

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WOODLAWN, ONT

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I had a 69 350 that had the dis't tower almost to the top of the block. I gave a buddy for his 69 Camaro.



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OLMSTED, OHIO

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Taking apart the heads so I can clean them up and start porting. Went to my dads to get the spring compressor and burrs. Was thinking about carb/manifold I should run. I was going to use my Torker and 650 holley I have but I forgot this was on the shelf. Should I talk my dad out of it ? Before he retired a guy gave it to him because he said it needed a good home. It has never been put on an engine ! It is the better one with the pre-marked bosses for fuel injectors.



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CLINTON, ONT

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MAN A FRE.jpg

SMALL BLOCK 101.jpg

I14 code.jpg

 



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NORTH BAY, ONT

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Great manifold for that 265, i haven't seen one of those for years!! Perfect era manifold.

Thanks for the great pics.

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LONDON, ONT

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AND if you don't want to run it , it can have a nice home here, on my 29

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OLMSTED, OHIO

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Well I bought some pistons. Sorry I didn't buy them from Canuctruck but I couldn't pass this up. I found a guy on the HAMB who lives in Ohio and he had 265 .040 GM factory pistons and wrist pins, new in the box for $125 ! He met me halfway, about a 33 mile drive. They are circa late 50's early 60's. I also bought a set of 416, 305 chevy heads that I have started porting. I bought them, a quadrajet, quadrajet manifold, air cleaner, exhaust manifolds, 305/350 valve covers and a long neck water pump for $100. I didn't want the other stuff but it was a package deal. Now I need to get my hydraulic roller lifters, dog bones and spider and I can really get more work going on this little 265 !

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Bfalfa55


NORTH BAY, ONT

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Thanks for the update, sounding good, and a great deal!!

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OLMSTED, OHIO

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One more step forward. Thanks to a 3800 V6 Buick Regal and a 3400 V6 Chevy Venture van, I snagged 24 roller lifters for the bank breaking sum of $14.14 ! Haven't cleaned them all up yet but I am sure to get at least 16 good ones out of them. Now I just need the spider and dog bones from a V8 roller block and I will be well no my way.

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Bfalfa55


NORTH BAY, ONT

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Man,, i would have to save up for that amount for a year!! Lol

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OLMSTED, OHIO

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A little update. Have started some porting work. I now have the Spider (retainer plate) and Dog Bones (lifter retainers) ! Got them form a member that Poncho62 is a member of (The World of DuckusCrapus) for the whopping price of shipping, $8.75 ! If I don't watch it, I'm going to spend all my money ! LOL ! I will have alomst NO material to remove from the 265 to make the dog bones fit because of how the 265 is cast. Some small block require removing  alot of casting to get them to work. I have some very small spots to fltten out for 7 of htem. The lifter area for#8 cyl. has the large tube shape in the casting that all the early blocks had and I guess some of the first 350's had it too. Bottom left of the pic is the one that will require the most work but still won't be alot.



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NORTH BAY, ONT

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Again , thanks for the update, was wondering how this was going.

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TORONTO, ONT

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We have done this roller lifter conversion before, but you are limited to a pretty low lift cam. The oil band will pop out of the bore and you will have no oil pressure. Roller blocks are cast with taller lifter bores. The 3400/3800 roller lifters also have the oil band in a different spot than factory V8 roller lifters which makes the problem worse. Check it with whatever cam you are going to use.

We used a stock L69 roller cam and it was ok, but it is pretty low lift and has large base circle compared to after market cams.

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OLMSTED, OHIO

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Here is a cam card from a 350 build in a Camaro from the NastyZ28 site. The max lift for this setup is .530. I will be just under .500.



-- Edited by bfalfa55 on Tuesday 10th of December 2013 08:03:06 PM



-- Edited by bfalfa55 on Tuesday 10th of December 2013 08:05:45 PM

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NORTH BAY, ONT

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Good to hear back again on this project, keep us updated.

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OLMSTED, OHIO

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Well a small update. I scored an almost brand new set of 1.52 roller tip rockers and a set of 305 801 casting heads that too were just recently put together with 1.84 valves. 50 for the rollers and 100 for the heads. I will be far ahead with these heads instead of rebuilding the 416 castings I have now. I'll just put the others on the shelf.

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Bfalfa55


NORTH BAY, ONT

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Sounds great, been following you also on another site.

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TORONTO, ONT

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801 is a pretty good head if its the earlier ones with the normal center intake bolt angles. Some of the last ones had the funky angle that requires you to slot your intake bolt holes in your intake. Those later ones also take self aligning rockers. IIRC the only one affected are ones from late 1986.

Its easy to tell if it needs self aligning rockers and the funky intake bolt angle on the inner bolts. Just stick some bolts into the intake face of the head - if they are all the same angle, you are good to go.


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OLMSTED, OHIO

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Good to know, I will have to check. The roller rockers I bought from him came off of it and I don't think they are self aligning so I should be good but I will check tomorrow. Thanks RACERRICK !

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Bfalfa55


OLMSTED, OHIO

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Well I did a crude cc job on both of the sets of 305 heads. the 416 heads are definitely 58cc's. My 801's make actually be 601's, the casting numbers are really hard to read even cleaned off with a wire brush. It is safe to say they are very close to 53cc's ! This makes me happy as I won't have to do much else but clean these heads back up and paint them whether I have them milled or not because thy really look to be in great shape. With my flat top, 4 valve relief pistons and the smaller chamber heads, how much head milling and block decking do you think will be needed with a thin steel shim gasket to achieve 9.5 to 1 ?

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Bfalfa55


TORONTO, ONT

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601's are slightly better than the 801's, and none I have ever seen have the funky intake bolt angle on the inner holes, and they take normal rockers instead of the self aligning ones. Easiest way to tell is look at the holes for the pushrods - heads that need the self aligning rockers have round holes drilled, while the older style ones have more of a slot to align the pushrod.

Are you going to be doing any porting to these heads? They really wake up with some bowl work and filling in the giant hole under the rocker stud in the port with epoxy.

A word of advice, go to GM and see if you can still buy the 283 steel shim gaskets. They still had them as of 5 years ago. They are 3.935 bore and 15 thou thick.

A 3.905 bore, 25 thou in the hole flattop piston with 6cc of valve relief, 53cc chamber head and the above gaskets give you 9.8:1 which will work just fine on the street.

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OLMSTED, OHIO

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Thanks RacerRick. I will look into those if I can't find steel shim gaskets from a 305. There are some 305 ones out there that had a 3.87 bore and are .020 thick. I was told to hit up marine engine repair shops.

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Bfalfa55
Hog


WOODSTOCK, ONT

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That 1st year GEN 1 SBC is quite unique, doesnt even have an oil filter. That came in 1956, for the 2nd year of the GEN 1 SBC.

Good luck on your build.

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Paul



TORONTO, ONT

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Funny thing is that I have had more luck finding the 283 gaskets than the 305! lol

I would look into the accessory bypass filter if you can find one also for the oil.

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OLMSTED, OHIO

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UPDATE: haven't done much do to fixing up the house because we thought we were going to sell but now we are staying and adding on which will also include a brand new garage ! The engine build is still going to go on but I don't want to jinx it, so there will be a very cool turn of events once I get my hands on some parts. Pics to follow tomorrow. Cross your fingers and hope I get this ! I think I may have finally found one of those "too good to be true" deals that is actually true !

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Bfalfa55


OLMSTED, OHIO

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Well, here it is ! For the grand total of $100 I bought a set of staggered hole valve covers and this 56 265 short block. It is align honed, threaded plugs in the oil passages and fully balanced with what appears to be forged dome pistons ! No clue when it was used. It obviously sat on the engine stand for a long time by the filth on it but it turns over with ease. It was run so little that I can still see the emery paper marks on the cylinder walls to help seat the rings. My bro and I wiped the very thin layer of soot off the piston with a paper towel. There is no ridge in the walls. Other than what can be seen, the previous owner knows nothing about it as it was given to him. The only issue it might have is #7 piston might have a crack in the side of it. How much of a score is this ?



-- Edited by bfalfa55 on Saturday 23rd of August 2014 02:39:23 PM

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AYLMER, ONT

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biggrin A big SCORE! Good find,well done.



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MILTON, ONTARIO

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Looks like that block has the oil filter boss. Very few 1956 blocks had those and to my knowledge they were installed in very early 1957 cars.

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OLMSTED, OHIO

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Some looking over it closely, They are JE Pistons and can't be very old as this engine might have been run one season and tore down due to the most likely cracked #7 piston. These look to be newer pistons and not something vintage. JE Pistons is less than an hour away so this may still be a piston they make or have blanks. Here is a shot of the bottom end.



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S/W ONTARIO

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I am not very sharp and not an engine guy, (maybe it was already brought up or solved) but the first thing that came to my mind was
--------------with those pistons,,where are you going to buy gas for it??----------------
TMJ

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OLMSTED, OHIO

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#7 is definitely cracked ! It's scored up too but the cylinder wall doesn't have the same marks, so I have to guess these pistons were used before. JE Pistons said the don't have many blanks in a 3.75 diameter but if I get them some dimensions and cc measurements they can hook me up. He said a whole set of these will cost $950 and a minimum run is 2 pistons at cost of $300. Not cheap but we all knew it wouldn't be cheap ! I am still ahead of the game, it's a little bummer but that's how it goes. Unless I can find one to replace it. Is it even remotely possible to repair a crack like this ? It doesn't go to the oil ring groove, only in the skirt about 1.25 inches.



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