[Guest]

I just got a 351w and when I pulled the pan off, I was disappointed to see that I have 3 main caps missing and all rod caps missing, I called the machine shop and the guy told me that the block was worthless w/o the matching main caps, I am planning on boring the block and having it balanced when I build it, am I screwed with this main cap deal or can i just pull some off of a similar 351? I feel like that guy was just trying to sell me a block, any thoughts on this?

 

[Guest]

I hope you didn't pay too much for that block. It is possible to correct but it is not cheap. You can get a set of Mildon Main caps, they're $229.95 from summit. You'll then need a GOOD machine shop to align bore the block. That should run about $125.00. They'll also have to drill and tap the outer angled bolt holes which will run another $100 or so. The bright side is that you'll have a bullet proof bottom end that would take anything. The down side is that you could probably find a good rebuildable block for less than it will cost to fix this one. What kind of build up are you planning?

BTW those rods are junk without the caps as well

 

[Guest]

It's not that bad. Just get some caps from the junk yard, have the crank turned, have the rods resized, and get the block aligned bored. Most of this is done during a good engine rebuild anyways the only extra is the align bore. This is how I would go unless you were building a true racing motor. An every day driver with some mods will run fine if you do it this way. Hope this helps and Good Luck,