If I can find a good condition short block and salvage the head, I’ll be running a stock bottom end. I might keep the Eagle rods in case I want to throw them in at some point, but the trick is going to be finding a decent short block or long block. It seems that they’re not easy to find unless you want to pay for a full swap type deal.
I don’t think there are any chunks missing, not quite sure what you mean there, but the head has been decked before when the engine was built. I’m hoping they’ll be able to deck it again, or at least weld and deck it. I’ve heard of a few guys doing that and it’s worked out for them.
The highest I ever rev the engine is 7300rpm (redline), and it’s not often that I do that. It seems that whenever I do, I throw a rocker…lol
I don’t think I’ll be going for a solid lifter setup, I’m just going to get the lash readjusted to spec if I can reuse this head.
I agree that the stock block would probably handle the power I make easily. If I can, I’ll be going back to a stock block. The cam’s aren’t that aggressive at all, they’re only 256. I don’t know why detonation would pick on the 2nd cylinder. Weak injector, IM routing, I dunno.