Thread: 81 corvette engine (need opinions)

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I think what Erik is getting at is that there is a major misconception about boring an engine .020, .030, or even .060 over. The increase in displacement is pretty much insignificant. In fact, the only reason to bore an engine over in those increments is to straighten out the cylinder walls so your rings don't wear out prematurely. It is not a performance modificatin.

Now that you mention .020 over, yes he should have the engine bored .020 over. I don't know why anybody would bore an engine .030 if they didn't have to. If you bore an engine .020 over, you can bore it .040 on the next rebuild, then .060 on the third. If you go .030 over, you only get a second rebuild at .060. You significantly shorten the life of you engine block which is a crime because good engine blocks are getting harder and harder to find.