97 5.7 volvo crack in block crazy repair ???????

[BRowe]

I am working on a 5.7 Volvo motor. It was cracked bad on the outside water jacket. With the help of JB weld I was able to repair the water jacket . But when i was testing the motor, I stopped it to check the oil for any sign of water in the oil. To my surprise I had a nice white thick mess in the oil pan. So i am looking at replacing the motor. After just a few min of looking on line I found a replacement that was way out of my price range. With that said i started to think of how i could repair the inside crack. Has any one ever tried to re plumb the motor to a used car radiator and use a good block sealer. I had in mind of getting a used radiator and plumbing it just like a car or tuck and making a fitting to run to the exhaust manifold to hook a garden hose to keep the exhaust cool. I have used a block sealer on a truck before and it worked well. I just don't know if doing it this way would enable the block sealer to circulate in the motor and have time to work. I think i want to try this before i spend a bunch of money on a motor that i don't have. Any thoughts?????? Is this crazy or worth a try???

 

[fisherguy123]

Re: 97 5.7 volvo crack in block crazy repair ???????

my friend purchased an old 32 ft Cape Island fishing boat for recreational salt water fishing that had a ford 390 cubic inch v8 that had a car radiator and fan set up like it was in the car. The engine house was a glassed over plywood box with vent holes and screen in front and rear. The exhaust was flex pipe in asbestos wrap to a muffler and stack stuck straight up alongside the cabin with an asbestos board as a seperator and the pipe had a tractor flap on it. Sounded really good and ran perfectly for many years that way. Of course this turned about a max of about 2500 rpm and never got too hot ..........just wanted to tell you this to let you know that it is possible

 

[BRowe]

Re: 97 5.7 volvo crack in block crazy repair ???????

My big issue is the manifold and how not to melt the boots. It may be to big of a crack to seal with the block sealer but It sure would be a cheep fix and get me on the water this century. LOL

 

[bruceb58]

Re: 97 5.7 volvo crack in block crazy repair ???????

Is this crazy or worth a try???

Its crazy!

First of all, what you would have to do would be to get a heat exchanger system instead of a radiator because you still need to cool the manifolds. That is going to set you back over a grand by itself. And that stop leak stuff will clog up your brand new heat exchanger while it trys to seal the block which I doubt it would do very well.

Buy another block. It can come out of a wrecked truck if you want to go cheaper and just replace the core plugs with brass and transfer over all the parts from your present engine.

 

[BRowe]

Re: 97 5.7 volvo crack in block crazy repair ???????

I don't intend to leave the motor like this and run it. This would be only till the crack was sealed up and then I would return the plumbing to stock. the type of block sealer I will use has to flushed out after you seal up the crack. If I did change the block to a truck motor what is the difference between the 350 truck and the 350 marine motor? Would I need to change the rings?

 

[wifisher]

Re: 97 5.7 volvo crack in block crazy repair ???????

The block itself is made by GM. There is no difference whatsoever. The difference is in everything that is bolted on to it. You can reuse all of your marine parts. And if you have the motor that far apart, I would re-ring it. And bearings, at a minimum.

By the way, do you know red-green? Sounds like his kind of project.
Hmmm. Maybe you could duct tape the crack?

JK find a smashed truck and steal the block.

 

[BRowe]

Re: 97 5.7 volvo crack in block crazy repair ???????

Okay I went ahead and went to my local junk yard and bought a core 350 motor. Then I took it apart down to the clean block. I guess I was lucky because the local motor machine shop looked at it and said my stock pistons will still work. he is going to install new cam bearings and clean and hone it. while I was unloading it he ask me what i was going to do with the old heads from the truck engine and the crank. Long story he is going to do the work and all I have to pay for is the $18 cam bearings. I was able to get the motor for $100. So it looks like $118 for the ready to go block. Now to get a rebuild kit and swap all the parts. Just hope that my boat heads check out okay. I am going to have the machine shop check my baot heads and also change the crank bearings.

 

[cobalt1999]

Re: 97 5.7 volvo crack in block crazy repair ???????

Don't forget to replace the freeze plugs with brass ones.

 

[BRowe]

Re: 97 5.7 volvo crack in block crazy repair ???????

The freeze plugs were allready brass.