88 mercruiser 4.3 small crack in block and head

Nick2020

Cadet
Joined
Mar 20, 2020
Messages
27
I have been tryIng to find a compression issue on my 4.3 and after taking the head off I found that the head gasket was blown between 2 cylinders and there is a small crack in both the head and block where it blew. The crack does not go very far. I don't know if it would be ok to replace headgasket or replace engine. I know this engine had overheated at some point.
 

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achris

More fish than mountain goat
Joined
May 19, 2004
Messages
27,468
The head's gone, that crack will be very deep. The block has a burn, you MIGHT be able to have a machine shop do a weld build up and refinish, but it likely will cost more than just getting a second hand block and starting again.

Putting another head gasket on that will see it also blow within a very short time (minutes)....

Chris.............
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,307
Block is fire slotted from running with a blown head gasket

Its toast.

Time to buy a new block and heads

Suggest a 93-95 block and 9y and later vortec heads
 

Grub54891

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
5,908
Yup, Seen this before. Needs a new block, One I saw the guy replaced the head gasket, it lasted about a week. The block finished burning through about 1/8" groove.
 

Lou C

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 10, 2002
Messages
11,802
Yep with that kind of HG failure you get that kind of damage, when mine went because of an overheat the heads cracked in the exhaust valve seat area but the HG blew near the coolant passage, so no fire slotting on the block, had normal compression actually but water would seep into a cyl when the engine cooled off and sat.
 
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