I am in a real p.o.'d mood. I was thinking about bringing my 69 around to my mechanic for some fine tuning of my Holley 650 when I started noticing a crunch before my starter kicked in. I left him the car thinking a loose starter or maybe a starter problem. When I came back at the end of the day I noticed nobody wanted to look me in the eye. At a garage this is bad.
When I spoke to one of the mechanics I was stunned when I was told the block was toast!
I was speechless. They lifted my boy up to show me that one of the starter bolts had completely broken off in the block but worse was the starter had torqued and broke a piece of the outside case off the block where the other bolt goes into. The flywheel was noticeably damaged as were the teeth on the starter. They claim that this area of about 3/4" broken away has rendered my block scrap iron. The guy knows his engines and claims any attempt to reattach another starter would only result in another damaged flywheel and chewed up starter. HELP!

Sounds right to me. If it's not the original block, all that's involved is $. There are some great crate engines available. If your car is a documented 435/427, you may want to look at some other options, otherwise open you wallet and enjoy the magic of Corvette ownership.

I'm not there and can't see it but you might want to get a second opinion from a specialist in this area (I'm sure your mechanic is very good, but he may not be omnipotent). It is very easy for a certified welder to re-attach cast iron especially if it is not structural. I wouldn't be too quick to put the block on the scrap heap.

|QUOTE|Gerry Proctor said: I'm not there and can't see it but you might want to get a second opinion from a specialist in this area (I'm sure your mechanic is very good, but he may not be omnipotent). It is very easy for a certified welder to re-attach cast iron especially if it is not structural. I wouldn't be too quick to put the block on the scrap heap.|/QUOTE|

In my job, I worked around welders daily for 40 years. A good welder can reattach the broken ears, and it would be like new. The only problem, is that the engine should be dismantled and heated to accomidate brazing the broken pieces back on. Then it would have to be kept covered with insulation , so it would cool slowly. Otherwise, the welded spot would have a chance to break again. This is not a job for a backyard mechanic. He would have to be an expert welder, with years of experience. Also, I'm not sure what the excess heat would do to the rest of the block. I don't know, but there is a chance for the engine to warp slightly, not sure. One thing for sure, it won't be cheap!!!

Good Luck with the repairs...

Thanks for the reply.
After talking to a few engine shops, I found a guy who claims to know this problem well. He said he has made many similar repairs on marine engine blocks that suffer the same damage from overcranking the starter. As well, he does all the engine work for a classic car show on Canadian National TV that is based in Toronto. He will pull the engine, make the repair and put the block back in for about $1,500 ($1,000 US). This includes a new starter and flywheel.
His website is www.activeengines.com if you'd care to look at his credentials. I'll post a follow up once the repairs are done.
Rob in Toronto

|QUOTE|robdssa said: Thanks for the reply.
After talking to a few engine shops, I found a guy who claims to know this problem well. He said he has made many similar repairs on marine engine blocks that suffer the same damage from overcranking the starter. As well, he does all the engine work for a classic car show on Canadian National TV that is based in Toronto. He will pull the engine, make the repair and put the block back in for about $1,500 ($1,000 US). This includes a new starter and flywheel.
His website is www.activeengines.com if you'd care to look at his credentials. I'll post a follow up once the repairs are done.
Rob in Toronto |/QUOTE|

Seems like you have got the right guy. It looks like it will be more reasonable than I thought. The price doesn't sound too bad. A lot of work and time is involved. Good Luck with the repair!!!