should i replace more?

[hamesdart]

ok so i have a few topics running but heres another.
Im doing a super speed restore on my 69 440 dart to get ready for pinks.
Im on a serious budget and when i say that i mean about half the budget everyone else has when they say they have a budget.
im talking i drained the fluids into water bottles to re-use when the motor/trans get back together....its that bad.
Now for the motor i ripped the top end off to basically install the following.
-all new gaskets
-440 source alum heads,new valve locks and valve job done.
-new intake, ran through the carb...
-paint the motor and have everything powdercoated.

now i have found the following.
block is stock bore.... great shape no ridges or anything and actually looks like someone has done a at home hone job and i can still see it.
rocker arms show a little wear on them.. so i mite replace them???
And i was having crankcase pressure problems so it was either my broken pcv valve and my cheap breather that wasnt working or my rings could have been bad but its apart already so i cant do a leakdown test.....
There was very slight play in the pistons but not a whole lot.
car is bassically a street strip car i only drive it a few times a year... local car shows and races. so the question is what else should i do before i throw it back together.....
rocker arms? rocker arm shafts? rings? bearings? anything else.
obviously if the money was there i would replace everything but i dont have anymore money in my budget so what i can reuse i will.
i know it sounds cheap and i could have problems later... but everything has looked and ran great. no problems except for the crankcase pressure... and I just dont have the money... story of our lives...

 

[440valiant]

should you replace more?

The more you replace now is less you will have to do later.8)

 

[hamesdart]

well yah but that aspect can be taken all the way to bore it 30 over....new pistons rods cam....ect.
Im talking if the rings...bearings look fine and i dont have the money to replace everything anyway then why fix it if its not broken.
The only reason the motor came apart was to install the new heads and intake and gaskets while im there and paint it, it ran great otherwise and had no real issues.

 

[moper]

I wouldnt have taken it apart if you have no/very little cash. You can live with blow by and have fun... Rings are best left alone unless you replace them. If you replace them, the cylinders sshould be honed. If the marks are very visible, chances are any new rings wont seal any better than the old ones did... Unless you found a couple broken ones. If it was me, I'd do a very simple glaze breaker on the bores. For that, I'd use some green scotchbrite on a spring loaded rigid stone hone. Not a ball hone. Use WD40 for lube, and only do it enough to put a fresh shine on the bores. Get a set of file to fit rings, set the gaps properly (depending on piston and ring manufacturer), and make sure the ring lands are free of debris, but be very careful cleaning them out as any damage on the land surfaces means lost sealing.