Anyone here that has had their engine all stripped down ever weigh the bare block or heads ? Even if on a bathroom scale doing the subtraction ?

The block cant be that heavy all stripped down can it ?
If you do have weights make sure you tell me which engine. Thanks

Well I had to move a block, with crank and cam in it still.... It was a bitch lemme tell ya. It was just to much for me to move around and get into my car. I'm not a weak guy either.
I dont' know what the crank weights...

Head are kinda heavy too, Damemorder and OSG each got S1 head out.

Oh the block can be that heavy.... its cast iron.... and so are the heads.

Well ya know everyone calls it a boat anchor because its a cast block. So I figured lets see just what a bare block weighs. I bet it cant be 200lb. Aluminum weighs aprox 36 percent the weight of steel. As far as cast aluminum compared to cast iron Im not sure on actual weights. Still figuring on that X.36. If the block did weigh all of 200lb an aluminum block would weigh 72lb which would be a savings of 128 lb. I believe aluminum casting are built heavier though so that would make the aluminum casting heavier.

128lb would be a decent savings and justify the critisizm GM gets for still using some iron castings. However if the block only weighs 150 you only save 98lb maybe but we know an aluminum bolck would need reinforcement that an iron does not.

I have built some of my stuff out of aluminum over the years. A full aluminum box for my old 81 Toyota 4X4. Complete with pockets, even in tailgate and removable side racks. It was very light and is now on a trailer frame (that gets little use).

Also the belly pan on my log skidder is heavily reinforced 3/8 with some 1/2" aluminum. It need to be two pieces and I needed something I could hold up there myself and get the bolts started so Its aluminum w/countersunk bolt heads. Very much a work of art. Aluminum panels on my log trunk bed, a few other odds and ends.

So Im not anti aluminum but I know its benefits and its short comings. On something as big as a PU box where using 1/8 steel sheet would give you a loaded truck before you started compared to 1/8 aluminum. But Im not so sure a cast bare block is all that heavy. I loaded my straight 6 diesel block myself into the back of that Toyota in fact with no problem.

Aluminum is or at least was 3X the cost of steel. !/3rd the weight 3X the money.

You know what would work. If someone had a 3.8 striped down and a 3.5 ** or 3.4 Twin cam block. Then I would really know the % difference.

My stripped S1 head weighs 31lbs.

1999 3800 360 lb
4T60-E 204 lbs
4T65-E 214 lbs

Wikipedia says the series II has "26 lbs lighter overall weight" as compared to the Series I. Sorry, don't have a breakdown of parts weight though.

I thought the weight difference between series I and II was 50lbs but i might be wrong. GM should not make the 3800 all aluminum but change the cast iron to a steel casting it will be stronger and lighter since it is the same metal but they remove the carbon from it that just weakens and adds weight this was found out in the medevil times. Along with the stronger steel they should add some aluminum to help reduce weight but not weaken it

My heads probably weight a good 40lbs. Intake [log style] 15-20. I have no clue about the block. But, my front end is sitting REALLY high right now with all the stuff I have removed. I think my [16 yr old] shocks are fully expanded. So, I know the stuff can't be that light.


-justin