1955 265 cu in corvette block worn out

[Ronald R.]

Anybody had to bore .080 over on a 524 block? I need some help form an old time engine guy! thanks Ronnie

[Donald H.]

Re: 1955 265 cu in corvette block worn out

Anybody had to bore .080 over on a 524 block? I need some help form an old time engine guy! thanks Ronnie

Im no engine guy, but have a friend who is and he helped my with my 283 1960 Engine. When we tore the Engine down it had been bored 60 over. He suggested going to 80 over. There were rings available but I had to order custom made pistons. Very expensive, but we preserved the original engine.

Since the bore is different for the 265 vs the 283, maybe there are pistons more readily available.

[John F.]

Re: 1955 265 cu in corvette block worn out

Can it be sleeved?

[David R.]

Re: 1955 265 cu in corvette block worn out

Your two best options are to overbore or sleeve every cylinder. Before making that decision, I suggest having the block "Sonic Checked" for cylinder wall thickness. If the walls are .150 thick or better (after boring) then .080 is no problem.

I would not hesitate to have custom pistons made. Yes, they are more expensive, but not unreasonable.

Diamond Pistons in Clinton Twp, MI. is a GREAT supplier of Custom Pistons. Customs allow you to get the exact specs you want to accommodate your specific combustion chamber, deck height, stroke, ETC.

[Michael H.]

Re: 1955 265 cu in corvette block worn out

I would spend the money and sleeve it. Removing more metal from the cylinder walls will make it run hotter plus if the casting shifted you might hit a water jacket. I went .060 over on a 327 and had pin holes in the cylinder walls which caused a cylinder or two to fill with water.

Mike

[Joe L.]

Re: 1955 265 cu in corvette block worn out

I would spend the money and sleeve it. Removing more metal from the cylinder walls will make it run hotter plus if the casting shifted you might hit a water jacket. I went .060 over on a 327 and had pin holes in the cylinder walls which caused a cylinder or two to fill with water.

Mike

Mike------


I agree. In my opinion, sleeving back to standard bore is the best way to save this block. Yes, it's expensive but it's the best way to go if saving this block is all-important.

[Chris S.]

Re: 1955 265 cu in corvette block worn out

If you sleeve it - the block will need decked - and the machine shop would need to preserve the stamp pad
I just had a 283 over bored to .10 over - yes that is alot but needed to - to save the block - it already had been bored .060 with knurled pistons.
Talk it over with a GOOD machine shop

[Edward B.]

Re: 1955 265 cu in corvette block worn out

A 283 to .10 over? When I had a machine shop we wouldn't have gone that far. If a customer insisted I probably would have refused regardless of whatever assurances he might have given regarding assumption of risk. Was it only fear of losing pad markings following decking that made you decide against sleeves or was there some other reason?

[Ronald R.]

Re: 1955 265 cu in corvette block worn out

Every cylinder is over .150 thick I will be over the minimum recommended by the piston guy. He indicated porosity would be the biggest problem but .120 is ok with a minimum of .100 . I think I will bore it then check and make a decision.

There is a machine shop here that has saved a couple of big block decks while decking so worse come to worse I can sleeve and deck and preserve numbers.

thanks RDR

[Chris S.]

Re: 1955 265 cu in corvette block worn out

A 283 to .10 over? When I had a machine shop we wouldn't have gone that far. If a customer insisted I probably would have refused regardless of whatever assurances he might have given regarding assumption of risk. Was it only fear of losing pad markings following decking that made you decide against sleeves or was there some other reason?

correct - needed to preserve the pad. Engine has already been built and broken in. The block was already .060 over with knurled pistons. It has been ridden hard.....

[David R.]

Re: 1955 265 cu in corvette block worn out

Every cylinder is over .150 thick I will be over the minimum recommended by the piston guy. He indicated porosity would be the biggest problem but .120 is ok with a minimum of .100 . I think I will bore it then check and make a decision.

There is a machine shop here that has saved a couple of big block decks while decking so worse come to worse I can sleeve and deck and preserve numbers.

thanks RDR

Based on your numbers above ,I think you are making a good decision. Boring the block is a much better solution. Porosity could be an issue, but have it pressure tested right after boring. Bores that thick should not have a problem in a street driven car.

Sleeving the block would not be my first choice. Mainly because there are few shops who can do this correctly. The block would need to be decked at least a slight amount after installing that many sleeves. Pressing in one sleeve always distorts the cylinder next to it. A sleeve with a step at the top is preferrable so the block can be honed after rough boring to accept the sleeve. This info comes from my contact at LA Sleeve.

I teach Engine Machining at our local College and I have saved several blocks.........lots of time consuming work to do them right. But if done properly they can be as strong as a new block. (most engines today are aluminum with cast in sleeves)

[Dan P.]

Re: 1955 265 cu in corvette block worn out

The 1957 283 548 is is the same block as the the 265 . Bored .125.By the factory. I have had a couple of 1955 265's bores to standard 283 . I did not have them sonic tested. But had many miles on them .The old racers would bore the 265 to 283 and they seemed fine .Your machine shop should be able to sonic test it and let you know if you ca go to a standard 283 piston .

[Dan D.]

Re: 1955 265 cu in corvette block worn out

Back in the day, a local street drag buff had a 57 Chevy convertible. Beautiful car. He had the original 283 bored .125 to 4.00. Being a pass car, it most likely was a Tonawanda block. This yields 301ci, or a 4x3, which was very popular back then. As far as I know he never blew it, and it ran very well. I had a ride in it once.

Nothing was ever sonic tested back then - you just bored it, and built it, and ran it. I never knew it to overheat either.

-Dan-