Hi Friends,
A new Barry T's Garage video is on the way.
An old Cadillac 500 engine core came into Ed's shop. It was dirty, partly disassembled and looked like another gamble from a core seller.
Then we noticed the first clue that this engine was different.
It had valve covers from a Ford 351 Cleveland.
That was strange enough. Under those valve covers were unusual adapters that allowed the Ford covers to fit Cadillac cylinder heads. Ed had never seen adapters quite like them and didn't know who made them.
That left us with questions:
Why would someone put 351 Cleveland valve covers on a Cadillac 500?
Were the larger covers needed to clear heavier valve springs and a high-lift camshaft?
Who made the unusual adapters?
Who built this engine—and what were they building it for?
Was anything worth saving once we discovered the block was cracked?
Buying a Random Core Carries Risk
The block was bad, but the parts—and the mystery—were not.
The deeper Ed looked, the more clues he found.
Inside were like-new Ross pistons in a 0.060-inch-over bore, polished and prepared connecting rods with upgraded rod bolts, heavier valve springs, a special camshaft and a polished aluminum intake. The crankshaft looked good, and the engine had new bearings.
Someone had spent real time and money building this Cadillac 500 for performance.
But the block had a crack between two freeze plugs. From its appearance, Ed believes the engine froze at some point. The block itself cannot be used.
Normally, that would make an unknown engine core a complete loss. This one was different. Almost everything hidden inside it was worth saving.
We still don't know who built the engine, who made the valve-cover adapters or exactly why the builder wanted Ford covers on Cadillac heads.
Ed does know what happens next. He has other Cadillac 500 blocks, and these good parts can live again in another engine.
Watch for this Cadillac 500 mystery on Barry T's Garage—video coming soon.
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Have a question you'd like me to ask Ed?
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See you in the garage,
Barry T
BarryT's Garage
[email protected]