Dropping the Oil Pan to Assess the Damage

I have this big hole in the side of the engine block that was caused by the crankshaft beating a piston connecting rod against the side of the engine block - after the piston's connecting rod cap bolts let loose.

I am at a crossroads with the engine. Do I look for a new block? Do I try to salvage this block? How bad is the damage? What is my price break, and which option is best?

In order to get an initial assessment of the damage inside the block, I needed to drop the oil pan so that I could have a peek inside. This is what I saw.

First, I had to drain the crank case .... and after years of sitting with that gaping hole in the block, a bit of water accumulated in there.



Dropping the oil pan...





The oil has turned to a slimy sludge from the water that had been sitting in the oil pan...



Here you can see a lifter pushrod hanging down. This should not be here, it should be on the other side of the cam shaft. The problem is that the camshaft seems to be missing a section where the piston connecting rod and crankshaft conspired against it.





You can see a nearly perfect circle of cracked block...





From the "you never know what you're going to find" files, there was a 2 inch diameter disc of steel sitting underneath the flywheel.