How to tell if a block needs line boring

Is there an easy way to tell if a block needs line boring?
I am trying to sell a 2.7 7R block and someone was asking about the line bore.
Besides using a good straight edge?

Thanks for the help
Bruce

There are a couple of ways to get positive indicators, neither are good, from your perspective as seller! First, if the main bearings 'stenciled all of their markings' onto the block bore. Second, if you bolt the block halves back together bare, and torque all fasteners to the proper torque, and measure the 'ID' of bearing numbers #1 and #8, at right angles with inside diameter gauges, and get two different readings confirming that the bearing bores are 'hammered out' ... meaning, oblong bores, rather than perfectly circular!!! There are probably other ways to decide, but either of the above findings would convince me!

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

There is no easy way.
The mag case motors distort when torqued.
A good machine shop will troque the case, set up the block on a boring mill, and indicate the mains.

Often the 2.7L cases oblong the main bores
and may be given a "line hone" to both return
the main bores to round and straighten the
bores(to one another)without oversizing the bores. Again, the main bores go undersize parallel to the case thru bolts (90 deg to the split). This is the material memoved.
The above depends on the amount of material
available for removal without going out of spec.
Should that happen, line bore is necessary.
There are a couple ways of doing this. Both are expensive. One in machine work the other in buying oversize (on the OD) bearings.
I priced these bearings and the bad news was $600+.
Fortunately, mine was brought up to snuff with a line hone. Still, case savers,decking,
and the hone was about $425.

J P Stein


[This message has been edited by J P Stein (edited 05-26-2000).]

Thanks for the information,
I let the buyer know it might need one, or it might not.
For the price he is willing to take a chance, I also sold him some other parts for cheap, so he should be happy either way.
Thanks
Bruce