Yesterday I tore the block down. The front case, oil pump, water pipe, timing cover, and oil cooler went through the parts washer... and then when I got home, I pulled the pistons, crank, bearings, oil squirters and cleaned up a bunch of parts. After knocking the balance shaft bearings out, flipping them 180° and re-installing them, I started cleaning up the outside of the block. Scraped all the lead off from the old head gasket, taped off the head surface and started wire brushing the block.

I threw some pics of the progress up here for your perouzal. Yes, the crank weighs a metric ton, and those factory rods are huge. Sleeve who? Why? Good lord I love cast iron blocks.

The bearings arent phucked, but I'm going to replace 'em anyway. The crosshatches are worn off the leading and trailing edges of the block, and the oil ring is worn out a little more than I'd like, so I guess it's getting new rings, too. I think I'm going to knock the freeze plugs out and drop the block and the whole rotating assembly off at the machine shop to get hot tanked just for the hell of it.