+2 What they said

 

so you are saying i should buy a used block clean it upand stroke it?iwould definetly love to get a old used one from the junkyard or something, but i am very timid because there might be cracks and what not. if there was a way to get around my fear of those things i would do it.

 

when you bring the block in for machine work, the first thing they will do is clean the block and magnzflux it for cracks. then you know you have a good block. you could even take it a step further if your obsessive and have them pressure test it - but thats really not needed.

couple pointers to look for in a junk yard motor......

a) car smashed? usuallya smashed car means it was running when it got hit. and usually a car with a clean body means something mechanically failed.

b) hows the oil in the pan look? if its not milky / watery thats a great sign.

 

about how much $$$would all that machine work run me? also, what are the advantages of not stroking to a 408 and just going with a 393? longer life?