Does it need decked

[jesse.dike]

Does this block need to be decked or can it be fixed? Or is it not as bad as it looks, hopefully the latter. Not gonna be a radical build, less than 450hp. This is the only affected area.

http://s39.photobucket.com/user/jessedike/media/20140313_004140_zps6b4403ba.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2

http://s39.photobucket.com/user/jessedike/media/20140313_004259_zps12521bf7.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

[thefarmboy21]

IMO it would to hurt to have it decked, especially if you're throwing some HP to it and driving it often. Now, with that being said....I'd probably just run it LOL! I've got a 350 that's probably got close to 400 HP and it was that bad or worse, BUT I can't feel it through the picture. If it feels rough then shave it. If it just looks scratched and has one little ding there, I'd just run a flat, diamond hone and some really fine Emory cloth over it. Either way any time I build a motor I spray the head gaskets with the copper gasket spray in a can. Some guys use Indian shelak, but I prefer the copper paint. AND I highly recommend you use the better Felpro gaskets. Ex: for a 350 I always use Felpro 1003 gaskets, 400sbc are 1004's....I know a guy that reuses all the throw aways from a machine shop and he puts them on 600hp+ 421 and 434 dirt track motors. Up to you really though...you need to atleast price getting it decked. But if it's just small scratches it's probably ok.

[Engineer]

Take it to a competent machine shop that can inspect it in person.

As the above poster said it is hard to tell with a picture.

I would recommend getting it decked, but that is just me and as was said, we can't touch it through the interwebs.

[jesse.dike]

It is smooth to the touch, without looking you wouldn't be able to tell where the bad looking spot is. The only thing I can feel are the small grooves between the pistons about middle of the block, there are about 4 of them. Will the gasket seal that? Can I apply some sort of cylicone to fill the groove?

[thefarmboy21]

Show me what you're talking about...but don't use any silicones. Only use the copper spray or Indian shellac. But if you're questioning it this much and you can afford to build a 450 horse motor then spend the $50-$75 or whatever and deck it.

[Captkaos]

450hp out of a SBC is fairly radical...
You need to have a machine shop inspect it...

[jesse.dike]

Didn't realize it was that cheap to have it decked I was think a couple hundred bucks. What I'm talking about can be seen in the first pic of my first post in the middle if the picture there are some dark spots that's where the gouges are, it's hard to explain how deep but imagine laying a piece of paper down on a desk and running your finger across the desk then edge of paper

[jesse.dike]

Also it's a 454 out of a 71 chevelle

[thefarmboy21]

Well if you mean that little group of dings, then as long as they aren't raised I think it's fine. My 350 had them. But for reference a normal piece of paper is like .015-.020" thick I believe. The main thing is that the rings around the tops of the cylinders have no bad spots and the surface around the water ports.....the rest of the gasket is basically just there to hold it together. On the price of machine work.....my local shop charges $12 per cylinder to bore, an I think $50-$70ish to shave a head.....so I imagine decking it is relatively cheap. Just call them....they'll give you any price. I guarantee you that they do more SBC's and BBC's than any other motors around.

[HAULIN IT]

It looks to me that Yes, that surface is REALLY gouged up! What I'm seeing that almost concerns me more is a little lower in your first picture...the whole area between the 2 holes looks choppy, particularly around the lower hole...that area looks BAD & appears to be going across the whole area where the gasket would need to seal...the little nicks aren't good, but the waves are worse.
I guess we can assume a rotary tool, tilted up on it's edge was used to remove the gasket material? My Two Cents, Lorne