While digging through the stash looking for engine options for a friend I discovered that a 250 I have is .080 over and decked .040. I know .060 is the rule. It is still together as a short block. The cylinders look good with no ridge. It was obviously burning oil. The cylinder walls are smooth and clean. What do you think? The oil burning could be that the cylinders are too flexible to seal but still someone drove it enough to get rid of hone marks? Not a lot involved with cleaning it up, checking piston fit, and throwing on a set of rings. It might be one of those that can take it. Just wondering.

What use do you have planned for it?

I really don't know. A friend is looking for a engine for a 1/2 ton pickup for the street. I can't see him putting a lot of stress on it. If not that it might be fun to play with to see how it holds up. I don't have anything in it.

What are you seeing on the short block that suggests it was 'obviously' burning oil?

Quite a bit of soft oily carbon on the pistons and a carbon ring at the top of the cylinders. There was a head on it but I don't think it ran with that head. The head is a stock 194 head only held in place with two bolts and doesn't match the color of the block.

What if it was oiled up for storage after having run for a while?

If you have a dial bore gauge I'd be curious about how round the cylinders remain. It may be a usable short-block just the way it is. At .080 over there's nothing left to hone.

It is from burned oil crusty carbon. I won't give it to the guy wanting a driver. I'll keep it to play with. The bores are slick and I not sure new rings will seat well without scuffing them up a bit. Not real sure they will seat anyway. I'm interested to see what cam is in it. Being decked .040" with the bore I think it was someones hot build. The pistons are clearly stamped .080. Where did those come from?
Maybe I should try to contact the guy I got it from. He was getting ready to move and gave me a bunch go parts because I had room back then.

I expect sleeving is much too much but is this something that could have the water jackets filled with "concrete" and used for drag racing? Just curious.

I guess it could be used that way but not by me. Heck it might already be filled I didn't look. I know lots of guys lucked out with crazy over bores on Jimmy sixes, flathead Fords. and. SBCs. This could be one of those 1 of 1,000 that Winchester was so proud of. More than likely it didn't work and that is why I have it. Someone ran it long enough to wipe out the hone marks.

Bill Jenkins discovered around 1970 that a SBC 350 block for Pro Stock needed to be bored .030" to remove the starting chamfer at the top, but anything over .060" would not seal properly. Imagine the number of 283s "bored 1/8" that never figured out what that blue smoke was from.

I'd use a Flex-Hone and ring it.

I think that is a plan. It wouldn't cost much or take a lot of time. If it works great if it doesn't I didn't do it in the first place so you can't blame me.

Does the wear look even in the bores or are there some worn parts and some with hone marks visible?

Even wear I would break the glaze, new rings, and run it. If you are ambitious torque plate hone it with a rigid hone. Curious wear marks meaning unevenly distributed around the cylinder I would be concerned.

My opinion from this remote vantage point.

I have not closely examined the cylinders. From what I've seen they appear to be fine. I got this from another Inliner who was moving. He didn't know if it was a 232 or 250 as the casting #s cover both. We''ll just have to see what happens. Maybe proof or disprove some of the urban legends. Either way no great loss.