MOTOR GO BOOM - And here is why! (and speedomotive sucks)

[Bruce Plecan]

None of this is aimed at you, just you've touched a nerve about a few
things.

Whatsa detonation mark on the back of the bearing look like?.
I've taken engines apart that we couldn't save the dip stick, or even the
carbs.
Had the front half of the block fall off of the engine stand, when undoing
the head bolts (inline 4).
Had a 1/4 stroker (426) crank hit the floor.
Had a one of a kind cylinder head on the dyno, throttle linkage went over
center at locked the motor to over 10K for a while (msecs).   Probably 300
hours of custom machining in it (including casting of the AL head).   Not my
fault but was all my work in maching the thing.  About cried, over that one.
Had a driver miss a downshift and instead of 4th found 2,  destroyed the car
and engine (turn 9 at RIR).
   IMHO, too many folks mistake a race car for a street car.
While building a double whammy engine is fun, it takes an incredible amount
of work and maintance to run on the street.   just as an example, .500+ lift
cam, inna SBC OK, but remember all that heat from the valve springs gets put
into the oil.   Remember lots if not all the current oils turn to vinegar as
low as 320dF.
   Go no further then your willing to just write off as a lose on a street
car.   If you have to stretch to do it you've gone too far.   There is
always a Bigger Dog around.
   If at all possible learn by working on other guys cars, and let them pay
your tution.
being first to the grocery is neat, but if your ice cream melts while waitin
for the tow truck was it worth it?.
  The little guys


----- Original Message -----
From: <KasaRyan at aol.com>
To: <gmecm at diy-efi.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001 12:15 AM
Subject: MOTOR GO BOOM - And here is why! (and speedomotive sucks)


> Ok, most of you know the engine died on my truck, today a friend of mine
and
> I yanked it and tore it down.  Here is what we found. The bottom of the
pan
> looked like somebody tried to escape with a ball pein hammer and a 1/4
wide
> by 1 in tall hole ripped in the side.  Pulling the heads showed no
surprises.
>  Inside the pan were some big chunks of cast iron.  Hmm . . . not good.
>
> Turns out the crank broke between the 2nd rod and the 2nd main bearing.
The
> second main was spun, but this could have happened when the crank broke.
> Some of the rod bearings appear to have had some detonation marks on the
back
> side.  When the crank broke, it busted a chunk out of the bottom of #1 and
2
> cyl, so the block may either need sleeving or is trash.
> Everything was still tight on the bottom end.   #2 piston was broken at
the
> pin boss and sleeve by a chunk of the crank.  #1 piston top and 2nd rings
> were broken.  No detonation marks on the piston crowns.  I don't know if
this
> happened during the disaster or before.  No scoring on any journals.
There
> is a piece of the crank we couldn't find.  I think this is what exited the
> side of the pan right next to the rail.  Everything in the bottom end was
> quality; arp studs, windage tray, HV pump, 8 qt pan, new PM rods, balanced
> rotating assembly.  Except my feeling is the crank was probably bad since
day
> one, and probably just decided to exit this earthy veil on the way to KC
at
> 1900rpm and 60 psi oil pressure.
>
> Next week I will pick up the digital camera from work and put the pics on
my
> site.
>
> The cam didn't show any nicks, so I will reuse it on the 350 I have built
to
> go in - 4bolt,flattop hypers.  I also bought a brand new comp cam with a
much
> milder grind, in case I wanted to go all the way back to stock.  But then
I
> would have parts for 3/4 of an injected 383 laying around with nothing to
put
> them in.
>
> I already went thru this rant once, but here is the jist of it:  I
originally
> ordered the short block from speedomotive and what they didnt get wrong on
my
> order, they managed to make late.  I have had a very bad experience with
them
> all around and this just caps things off.
>
> Please zap me on your take on this whole thing.  Heck, I'll even listen to
> some hard luck stories if you have them.  I can relate now.
>
>
> Thanks for listening to my electroyappin!
> Ryan Hampl - a K-State Grad!  kasaryan at aol.com
> 139 Hoover Ct.                     Controls Engineer
> Salina, KS  67401                  97 B12 / 93 chevy truck EFI 383
> phone  (785) 825 5831
> I'M ALWAYS FIRST TO THE GROCERY STORE!
> http://hometown.aol.com/kasaryan/myhomepage/hotspot.html
> <A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/kasaryan/myhomepage/hotspot.html">Ryan
Hampl
> and his happenin' Hotspot</A> - updated 11/20/00

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