Assume engine has been rebuilt?

[bluebanshee]

When I first got my truck going 7+ years ago I Plasti gauged all the crank bearings and they were in spec when I did new crank seals. I also tested compression and it was at least 130psi across all cylinders. I don't recall exactly but it was good. 

 

With 71k on the odometer, should I expect that my 230 has been rebuilt to some degree in its life? It does not use any oil or smoke. When I can find my compression tester I'll test I again.

 

[JBNeal]

it could have been rebuilt without needing machine work...when I rebuilt the 230 on the '49, it had over 60k, and the piston rings were very close in size to the replacements, so close that I thought about putting them back in but went ahead and re-ringed.  Bearings were still within tolerance, cylinder walls were in great shape with no apparent taper.  Dad said that some of the locals did rebuild specials when business was slow back in the day, where they rebuilt the engine without pulling it from the vehicle, replacing rings, brgs etc as required, advertising "improved performance"...he said not a lot of ppl fell for that, but a few would take them grease monkeys up on their specials and get a good deal to have their engines gone through in an attempt to make'm last longer.

[wagoneer]

6 hours ago, JBNeal said:

it could have been rebuilt without needing machine work...when I rebuilt the 230 on the '49, it had over 60k, and the piston rings were very close in size to the replacements, so close that I thought about putting them back in but went ahead and re-ringed.  Bearings were still within tolerance, cylinder walls were in great shape with no apparent taper.  Dad said that some of the locals did rebuild specials when business was slow back in the day, where they rebuilt the engine without pulling it from the vehicle, replacing rings, brgs etc as required, advertising "improved performance"...he said not a lot of ppl fell for that, but a few would take them grease monkeys up on their specials and get a good deal to have their engines gone through in an attempt to make'm last longer.

 

This special is exactly what many of us do now and would be quite desirable even today ! I doubt there is a commercial mechanic shop out there whose time it would be worth to do this in this day and age for a price we could stand.