Is This Feasible?

blykins · #1 (**permalink**) 11-16-2003, 02:00 PM

Hey Guys...

I was hoping some of you guys could give me your opinion on this...

I'm in the process of having my 390 FE block sonic tested. My buddy came over yesterday to sonic test the block, but he thought the transducer he was using was too wide, and wouldn't give an accurate reading. He was getting around .190" to .200". I kinda expected that considering I passed the drill bit test. However, he wasn't 100% confident of his equipment, so we're holding off until he can get a smaller or rounded transducer.

Anyway, until then, I thought of this...

If you're looking down at the top of the block, would it be feasible to take a pair of calipers, and measure the thickness between cylinder bores from the deck surface? So that you would be getting the distance between the bores...Then, using part of the drill bit test, stick the largest drill bit that will fit in between the cylinders through the freeze plug hole.

So what you have now is the distance on top of the block from the edge of one cylinder to the next...and from the drill bit, you have the space between the cylinders. Basically what you have left if you subtract the drill bit diameter from the measurement you got from the calipers, is the thickness of two cylinder walls. Assuming that all cylinder walls are approximately (+/-) the same thickness, you could divide by 2 and get the approximate cylinder wall thickness...It would be a rough measurement, but it would be close....

Is this feasible, or am I just stupid?

I tried it...and here's what I found with two of my cylinders...This is on a C7ME-A block....390 bore....high nickel block...

(.607" - 1/4 drill bit)/2 = .178"

Now, I did do the drill bit test, and I was coming up with around the same measurements...

How accurate do you guys think this is? It seems logical to me, but then again I've been drinking a lot of Mountain Dew today.

blykins · #2 (**permalink**) 11-16-2003, 08:29 PM

KobraKarl · #3 (**permalink**) 11-16-2003, 10:12 PM

Blykins,

Dont think that method would help identify core shift, or thin walls on the thrust side of your cylinders....

Good luck,.....KK

blykins · #4 (**permalink**) 11-17-2003, 07:04 AM

Well I wasn't gonna rely solely on it...I'm still waiting on the ultrasound...but I thought it might be another variation of the drill bit test. It will give me at least something to go on.