Engine Rebuild Idea On This Engine (Random Question)

[streetmachine79]

Pardon me for being inexperienced here but, just had a random thought and as I said I'm still learning here. Anyways, I have the original engine out of my old dodge truck. It has been out of the truck since 2007/2008. When it was pulled, the truck ran alright but, had issues mainly coating plugs with oil. When I bought this truck I was just told it was valve seals needed. Long story short, I pulled the heads and had a machine shop check the heads to find one had three cracks and was just barely beginning to leak coolant into the chamber. I was also told the guides were pretty worn. At the time it was cheaper for me to drop in a 5.9 Magnum (Remanufactured Engine) and that's what I did.

Fast forward to today. I sold (rather traded) this truck a couple of years after the swap (that guy stroked the engine and did mainly drivetrain things). Bought it back a while ago and have been gathering parts. I kept the engine just in case rather it would be for a project or whatever but, have been pondering to put the correct engine back into the truck and make it less street/strip so to speak. The positive I remember about the engine is it had great oil pressure and did generally fine otherwise other than oil consumption due to noted above issue. So, that leads me to question or perhaps series of questions.

I'm attaching some pictures of the engine. It still turns over and while there is some rust in the cylinder walls I'm wondering if I could do a home build on this engine? I'm wondering for those more seasoned if I could do a dingle ball hone rebuild as it is called on this engine? I know it might be a long shot but, given some of the positive aspects I just had to wonder what if? Just looking for some thoughts here.

 

[RustyRatRod]

A dingle hone ain't ever gonna straighten that up.

 

[streetmachine79]

Here's what the heads looked like when I pulled them. I have a couple of older pictures. I still have the heads but, they are flash rusted and just sitting as garage art so to speak. I think I have everything else minus original intake now. Anyways, it's just a random thought I had. If I could use it, my goal would just a cruiser anyways. I'm fine even with the old 8.5.1 pistons. I'm hoping I'm posting this in the right forum.

 

[streetmachine79]

A dingle hone ain't ever gonna straighten that up.

I wasn't hoping not to hear that but, I figure it was worth a shot.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I wasn't hoping not to hear that but, I figure it was worth a shot.

The dingle hone will make it look good to the eye, but what happens is, it hides a low spot all the way around just below the ridge in each cylinder. What you might try is a three stone hone. A real one in a machine shop, not some junk on the parts store shelf. That will at least get rid of the low spots, but then you have to contend with the cylinders being too worn at the top. I'm going the long way around the barn to tell you that in all likelihood, it needs boring.

 

[autoxcuda]

Sounds like the current motor doesn’t fit your expectations of street cruiser.

Is the .550/.565 lift calculated with the 1.7 ratio rockers? Cam cards usually calc with 1.5.

Maybe consider changing the rockers to 1.5 to calm down to cam.

 

[Ant]

I'm wondering for those more seasoned if I could do a dingle ball hone rebuild as it is called on this engine?

Take it completely apart to get an idea of what else is hiding. At minimum you need a repair with a proper stone hone, a dingle ball hone is for a quick clean, this is not a quick clean. At worst but not completely, the block will need to go to the machine shop and you may need some new parts.

 

[AJ/FormS]

Ok I'll bite; What's wrong with the 5.9?
Just cam it down and drive it!

 

[streetmachine79]

The dingle hone will make it look good to the eye, but what happens is, it hides a low spot all the way around just below the ridge in each cylinder. What you might try is a three stone hone. A real one in a machine shop, not some junk on the parts store shelf. That will at least get rid of the low spots, but then you have to contend with the cylinders being too worn at the top. I'm going the long way around the barn to tell you that in all likelihood, it needs boring

I'm still weighing ideas and options here. Part of the issue is it getting harder to find a good machine shop these days. The one that checked the original heads closed down a few years ago along with another machine shop here where I'm at now.

 

[streetmachine79]

Sounds like the current motor doesn’t fit your expectations of street cruiser.

Is the .550/.565 lift calculated with the 1.7 ratio rockers? Cam cards usually calc with 1.5.

Maybe consider changing the rockers to 1.5 to calm down to cam.

I'm assuming it's calculated with the 1.6 rockers because later I have the receipt for the whole Crower Valvetrain. Since, it was originally a reman'd Magnum block it would of had the factory Magnum ratio at that time.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I'm still weighing ideas and options here. Part of the issue is it getting harder to find a good machine shop these days. The one that checked the original heads closed down a few years ago along with another machine shop here where I'm at now.

I cannot disagree. It's becoming a lost art. It's gettin tough around here to find something close by. Have you considered a crate engine? @Johnny Mac is our Blueprint Engines rep here. He will be happy to fix you up.

 

[streetmachine79]

Ok I'll bite; What's wrong with the 5.9?
Just cam it down and drive it!

Well, it's a bit much for the street. I would have to be careful on the cam since the heads were also CNC ported. On the valvetrain if something were to happen I don't believe Crower makes any of the Magnum stuff anymore and I'm not how long this stuff would last on the street? There's other things that would need to be changed with this engine whole setup.

On the flip side, the other part of this equation here in this area it's getting harder to find a decent 5.9 engine that isn't high mileage or has been neglected in a huge way. In addition, I do also have an old new in the box stock 340 Crane Camshaft. Anyways, this all give me some more stuff to chew and start figure a plan.

 

[496 polara]

Ok I'll bite; What's wrong with the 5.9?
Just cam it down and drive it!

I agree. Other than making sure you don't increase the cylinder pressure beyond the octane of the gasoline you plan to use,what else would be the issue?

 

[streetmachine79]

I cannot disagree. It's becoming a lost art. It's gettin tough around here to find something close by. Have you considered a crate engine? @Johnny Mac is our Blueprint Engines rep here. He will be happy to fix you up.

That's why as a younger guy I'm trying to learn what I can and able. As far as a crate engine I'm not sure. I have thought it about it.

 

[streetmachine79]

I agree. Other than making sure you don't increase the cylinder pressure beyond the octane of the gasoline you plan to use,what else would be the issue?

My issue is some of the exotic parts and there would a lot more to change to make it more streetable in my eyes. I have also thought of saving this engine and putting it into something else as well if I'm able to in the future. Fuel wise, isn't an issue anyways because even if it was a stock 5.9 Magnum I believe Mopar recommended 91 or higher for the 300hp crate from what I have seen on some written publications.

 

[496 polara]

Not sure what you mean by exotic. What parts are you specifically worried about for street use?