Sonic testing?
- Thread starter 2tudors
- Start date
I can spend an hour per bore checking for material thickness. You cannot expect your local shop to expend that much time if they are doing it at a flat rate charge. The sonic micrometer checks a very small, specific, area with each reading. Doing a dozen or more measurements in each bore will only reveal a "general" view of the conditions. Do not bother to check the upper areas of the bore (approximately 1 1/2" from deck down) nor the lower 1+" because the casting core has allowed extra thickness in those areas. Be concerned with the remaining areas and if a "thin" section is found look around it more carefully.
rotorwrench
Well-known member
Sonic testing will give you an average thickness unless it finds a rust pocket that is only thin in that one spot. To bore one of these old blocks out to 3 3/8 is always a gamble unless you have a really nice 99A through 29A type block and even one of those can have a bit of core shift. The Sonic test will at least kind of let you know if you have core shift or extremely rusty walls. If one or more bores hit a rust through spot then they can be sleeved and still work. This is why most builders settle for 3 5/16 inch bores.
2tudors
Member
The block is very clean and should give a good reading.I have all the signs of a 99 block except for intake surface,but come to conclusion it must be military because of confusing canadian numbers.Although it has a 19 on the deck a 19 in water jacket.This is one of two we have between Dad and I.
Thanks for answering question.I was not where we should be looking,I am sure the blocks they usually check are mostly chebbies.
Thanks for answering question.I was not where we should be looking,I am sure the blocks they usually check are mostly chebbies.