I found a 283 that was transplant in early 60's Chevy van. It was a project but his shop burned down. Would this possibly be a good engine? The carb is melted but everything else looks decent. I'm sure all the rubber parts are probably melted too.
Even if no coolant/water I’m sure it’s fine. Would have too be subject to heat for a long time. Grab it and have fun with it.
Should be fine, they do endure millions of violent explosions inside of them after all. Guy would definitely want to do the normal procedures of tearing down, checking deck, etc.....just treat it like any core engine off Craigslist or the salvage yard.
I would not worry about heat. It might need gaskets and seals. What I would worry about is water intrusion from fire fighting efforts.
I worked for a Dodge dealer who bought insurance wrecks all the time. The owner's son had a thing for burned motorhomes. I've seen a number of 440's with melted carbs and distributor caps. Also Onan generators that looked like they would never run again. He normally had them all running in a half hour or less.
I was told back in the old days that big time racers liked blocks that were from burned car. The idea was that the fire would have warped and stressed the block so it would not change after machining and running hot.
In 1969, I bought a '66 Galaxie 2 dr Hardtop that had an engine fire. Engine harness, gone; carb, alternator, and such, melted; All of the paint on the hood blistered. Parts to fix it came with the car (my brother, who worked in a junkyard) brokered the deal). Put everything together and got it running with no problem. I sanded the hood and painted it with dark gray primer. I was gonna paint it, but it was easier to tell everyone that it had been a prototype for the new '69 Mach I Mustang. Amazing how many people bought it. It turned out to be a very good car for me.
Actually, this is my favorite form of gambling. The odds are much better than any other form, and when you win, the satisfaction can last a long time.
The only caveat is if they sprayed water on it while it is still hot. Seen engines fall apart in chunks because of that.
Hard to know exactly how hot it got. Springs don't want to get over 400 F. Most likely, new springs, gaskets, seals, and you are good.
I've found that many people will believe anything if you tell them about it in a serious manner. I had a horribly twisted connecting rod from a Ford flathead that I used to lay out at swap meets with a tag on it that read "From Don Garlits' first dragster", and you should have heard some of the comments from people who believed it.
If this 283 was in an unfinished project, you have no way of knowing if it was good before the fire. To me, it's just a core engine. Gary
You expect that from the hoi polloi, but a few years ago, I came across two guys in a very marginal coupster with a long-bell early hemi in a local parking lot. When I commented on the hemi, the guy driving says "Yep, it's a 426". Since I don't know how to handle people this delusional, I kept on walking.
Years ago, I responded to an ad for an alleged 392. When I got there, it turned out to be a '54 331. I showed the guy the list of stamping numbers and what the number on his engine meant, and he still refused to believe me. I guess that the Mopar guys have their own version of "it's out of a Corvette".
I can sorta understand confusing a short bell 331 with a 392. I probably would have done it myself 40 years ago. But a long-bell with a Gen II?
Carbs are generally not Aluminum. They are usually pressure cast, out of some sort of Zinc alloy, which does melt at a lower temperature.
I would be skeptical. I would at least throw away ALL hardware. I bought a bandsaw that was in a fire. ALL the bolts stretched to the point it changed the pitch of the threads, and they were soft as peanut butter. I junked the whole thing.
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