Victor L.

I just brought home my first Craigs list find, a 360 FE to replace the blown engine in my old truck. However there is a thin dark line like a vertical scratch from the piston, or could this be a crack? It can be felt, is feels sharp, is there an easy way to determine if it is for sure cracked?

360ci

I believe there is a process that can be done to verify a crack. I know it's done frequently on heads to check for leaks, but the process is magnaflux. If the engine you purchased has heads on it, remove the one over the piston in question and see if a crack does in fact exist though the side of the block. A scratch is a viable option however, depending on how the previous owner removed the engine and if any components fell against the block in that particular spot.

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'00 Durango R/T 360ci 290hp (modded); 138,500m
'06 Pontiac G6 GT 3.5L 220hp; 44,000m
'12 Chrysler 200 Limited 3.6L 283hp; 13,000m
'99 Taurus 3.0L 2V Vulcan 145hp; 154,300m - Traded
Amsoil in all vehicles!