Topic: Different Truck,Different Problem

[Speed]

  Okay-here we go;I'm trading my '78 Power Wagon for another truck,an '86 Toyota longbed 4X4. This truck got an engine rebuild (rebuilt head,rings,bearings,new timing set,oil pump,water pump) about 6,000 miles back,ran fine until recently,when it started getting coolant in the oil. The guy pulled the head off it and just poured coolant into the water jackets in the block and he said it ran right into the oil pan. (He drained the oil/coolant out and covered the top of the engine.) He believes he cracked the block using too long a bolt on the water pump on "that hole". He said he switched to a shorter bolt and dosed it up with sealer but it still leaked coolant into the pan;That's when he pulled the head off it. What else could it be? With the head off,I'm thinking it HAS to be a cracked block.
   Anyway,I have the parts to put the BroncWorth back together,so my tentative plan is to get it on the road,pull the engine out of my '81 Toy,clean it up,hone the cylinders (if it's not so worn out I need to bore it and go oversized pistons) and use this block and install all the new parts except the rings,which I'll buy new.
   That leaves the '81 without an engine;what else would be a good swap,mileage won't be as critical,a little more power would be good,and if it's relatively easy and cheap to install,that's even better. What about a GM 4.3/T-350? I don't like automatics,but it sounds like it'd be a decent swap-the '81 would be the "work truck",I'd eventually install "Spartan Lockers" front and rear and outfit it with a winch,jin-poles,etc.
   Open to ideas,suggestions,options,comments.
   As always,thanks in advance for your input and help.
      Speed
    Bash On Regardless

[H8PVMNT]

I once rebuilt a 22re in the kitchen of a little house we were renting. The engine was really tight and just required a hoan, fresh rings and factory sized bearings. During the process I replaced the timing cover with a fresher one.  The old one had some pretty good grooves from the plastic guides falling apart.  Anyway, there is a little sleeve in the timing cover on one of the bolt holes that acts like an alignment dowel pin.  The original sleeve was stuck in my block and the fresher timing cover had the same sleeve stuck in it too. These two sleeves caused a little gap between the timing cover and the block near a water passage.  Long story short, I ran it down the road and as soon as the sealant blew out coolant gushed into the oil pan and wasted the rod bearings.

I then rebuilt the engine again, in the kitchen.

Tear it apart and take a good look at the timing cover. It's probably cracked like the guy said, worn through or something stupid.  Maybe there's two alignment sleeves where there should be one . Usually these types of catastrophes are something stupid.

[Speed [OP]]

I never thought about the timing cover itself. I'll check that out. (I figured there must be a reason it's so cheap and easy to get new replacement timing covers for these. ) I know that's probably part of my current engine's oil consumption,but the engine's so worn it's not worth the parts to fix the leaks until I can rebuild it.
   Speed
Bash On Regardless

[Snowtoy]

Too long of bolt on the water pump, could have easily lead to a hole through the timing cover.

[Speed [OP]]

HMmmmm-- If it turns out to be JUST the timing cover,this COULD be a fairly cheap fix.
   Why couldn't I just screw a stud into that hole,sealed with JB Weld? That'd  also serve to help me align the water pump when I put it back on.
   Speed