[Schurkey]

Originally Posted by Ragtop Man

my original 400/335 (TH400) engine.

Verdict - 190-210 lbs across the board in all the cylinders.

That's suspiciously high for an "original" engine. Are you SURE the gauge is accurate?

Originally Posted by Ragtop Man

So to the question: yank it, re-gasket, clean up the heads, stab in a cam, or go the whole nine yards and do a full rebuild?

Easy. You pull the heads off to re-gasket...LOOK at the bores. Either you still see hone-marks at the top of the cylinder, and no ridge...or you pull it down. You yank the pan, pull a main cap and a rod cap, and the bearings are in great condition...or you pull it down.

For that matter, a borescope might tell the tale of hone-marks, depending on the resolution of the camera and screen.

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by Schurkey

That's suspiciously high for an "original" engine. Are you SURE the gauge is accurate?


Easy. You pull the heads off to re-gasket...LOOK at the bores. Either you still see hone-marks at the top of the cylinder, and no ridge...or you pull it down. You yank the pan, pull a main cap and a rod cap, and the bearings are in great condition...or you pull it down.

For that matter, a borescope might tell the tale of hone-marks, depending on the resolution of the camera and screen.

It's a 60 year old Pontiac V-8 with 150K on the clock. It is worn. Worn out is in the eye of the beholder. It comes down to your personal goals. If you want a leak free, dependable driver to cruise around in on the weekends, I would remove the engine, clean it up and reseal the entire thing with a gasket set. The end result would be a reliable cruiser making 275-maybe 300 HP tops but would run just fine. Could probably accomplish this for $300-400. To do a proper rebuild, replacing all the parts to blueprint it properly back to like new condition would run 5-7 K to have it done by someone who knows what they are doing. The result would be the same engine making 340-375 HP using all stock castings and modern pistons and rings.
If you live in the Dayton, OH area and I think you do, shoot me a PM for an intriguing option where you can build it yourself for free, (labor), and have a great engine fresh off the dyno when finished. (assuming your over 55 years old).