Builds Shipwreck (17 Viewers)

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Told ya! I bet you could yank a motor in 5 minutes while sleeping.

Were you getting exhaust leaks at the flanges? lots of blackened paint in the pics. Might be part of the EFI problems you were seeing.

What does the bottom end look like now that you can turn it over?
 
Gotcha. So lets see the pics of the new engine installed. It is in and running already, right? :p

By the way, I meant flip the engine over and show us the issue. Can you even unbolt the rod caps? Completely welded in place?

The last engine I tore down that did this was running at high RPM when it happened. The block was in pieces, holes in the pan, heads torn up, metal everywhere. Could not really see much of anything other than scrap metal.
 
sometimes pulling a motor (or doing any mechanical work) fast is because of knowledge, and sometimes it's a combination of knowledge and necessity. I can tell SuperBuickGuy is like me, and the latter. So many other projects that you can't dwell on days to pull a motor that you could be doing any other project that has to be done around the house.

Looks like you have the same hoist I do.... if so, they're hard to find now! People want the straight leg hoists but all you can find are the foldable Y design that ALWAYS hit the tires on any car you're working on....
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Back to the topic... I'm surprised it's that bad.... did the bearings just completely disappear? Though not a SBC, I've spun (and shattered) my fair share of rods/bearings, but never to a point that once taken apart it couldn't be unbolted and disassembled. Maybe I need to try harder (knock on wood).
 
when I built the motor, my plan was to use the stock, toyota drivetrain and suspension along with a carb. As the build went a long ways beyond that, the motor was kind of the ugly kid and I'd been tempted to pull it several times and swap in a crate motor because when it comes time to give it a new home, a new motor, not re-ringed motor, makes it more sellable... not to mention more valuable.
 
Not to mention more reliable...



SuperBuickGuy said:
when I built the motor, my plan was to use the stock, toyota drivetrain and suspension along with a carb. As the build went a long ways beyond that, the motor was kind of the ugly kid and I'd been tempted to pull it several times and swap in a crate motor because when it comes time to give it a new home, a new motor, not re-ringed motor, makes it more sellable... not to mention more valuable.
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I dunno, I've had as many problems with crate motors as I have home-brewed. The biggest issue, though, is the utter lack of machine shops in the Seattle area. I price the machine work for a straight rebuild and was in the $650 neighborhood. I couldn't build this motor for $850 - that said, there's a lot of SBG built, re-ringed motors around and all seem to be doing fine.
 
Just out of curiosity, where have you seen crate motors go wrong? As I'm sure you're sick of hearing about - I'm tossing around a basic flat tappet 350, carbbed motor to replace my 283 (or maybe going to a 96-02 Vortec if I can find the right steal). Was considering the L31R crate motor. Aside from the wiring and computer which freak me out, that seems like a great crate engine for $2000.
 
SuperBuickGuy said:
I dunno, I've had as many problems with crate motors as I have home-brewed. The biggest issue, though, is the utter lack of machine shops in the Seattle area. I price the machine work for a straight rebuild and was in the $650 neighborhood. I couldn't build this motor for $850 - that said, there's a lot of SBG built, re-ringed motors around and all seem to be doing fine.
Click to expand...

I was recommended to use Buds machine shop in Tacoma as the one in Bellingham is not good (at least with import tolerances) and they send their cranks to some shop in Everett to be turned... which for me didn't work either. Same type of crank and rods (to build a 11.5:1 1.8L 7AGE which is taking 7afe and 4age parts to make a "stroked" 4age, basically) went to Buds and got exactly what I wanted/needed for a good price (properly turned crank and resized rods). He sends cranks to a shop in Portland as nobody in the area does a good job... Looking online they have some bad reviews, though....
 
RWBeringer4x4 said:
Just out of curiosity, where have you seen crate motors go wrong? As I'm sure you're sick of hearing about - I'm tossing around a basic flat tappet 350, carbbed motor to replace my 283 (or maybe going to a 96-02 Vortec if I can find the right steal). Was considering the L31R crate motor. Aside from the wiring and computer which freak me out, that seems like a great crate engine for $2000.
Click to expand...

poor machine work - there's a company in Portland that was called Portland Engine Masters (I think), they changed names about once every 2 or 3 years so that the warranty claims wouldn't bury them.... New, GM performance motors are about the best out there, and there are rebuilders who are really good - but there are some that, well, they shouldn't be doing anything other than selling french fries.
 
toyotaspeed90 said:
I was recommended to use Buds machine shop in Tacoma as the one in Bellingham is not good (at least with import tolerances) and they send their cranks to some shop in Everett to be turned... which for me didn't work either. Same type of crank and rods (to build a 11.5:1 1.8L 7AGE which is taking 7afe and 4age parts to make a "stroked" 4age, basically) went to Buds and got exactly what I wanted/needed for a good price (properly turned crank and resized rods). He sends cranks to a shop in Portland as nobody in the area does a good job... Looking online they have some bad reviews, though....
Click to expand...

I don't know them, I do know to run away from Jim Green Performance. He managed to align hone a 455 Buick motor in U shape, then screw up a girdle install.... he never stood behind his work, rather the blamed the other machine shops as having it in for him and (my favorite line ever) saying that their calipers were obviously wrong....
 
So I don't know if anyone has been watching the VW TDI stuff - I own a 2009 TDI Jetta, and am getting more and more sure that VW is buying it back (I really don't like the car, and that has nothing to do with the emission issue). The short of this is, should they buy it back, is I'll use the money to replace my wife's Heep with an FJ40, 55 or 60 and a diesel motor of some sort.... I'm still very serious about using the Land Rover motor (300 TDI) - I think it'd be a perfect motor for it (especially since I already own it)....

anyway, back to your normal programming
 
As for Buds.. the recommendation came from a long term friend who has been at the small car Toyota game for a long time (and is a bit of a hoarder.... when the panasports went out of stock/no longer for sale he had 6 full new sets.... also had things like an 18rge swapped truck, and a garage full of Toyota unobtanium). Anyways, he's in Tacoma and I followed his suggestion and I was happy with the result. Again it was a simple crank turn and rod resize (under $200) and was the first 7AGE that didn't spin a bearing (all other crank and rods were done locally but to no avail were bad. I even had the local machine shop tell me a rod was within spec when I knew, 100%, it was the rod that spun... played the sandpaper the rod game, shim the oil pumps... always otherwise spun). The stuff done by by Buds spun up to 8k rpm easily....
 
Just caught up too, bummer about the motor... soooo close.
Looks like you've moved on quickly to a solution, are you still hoping to make the Overland Rally?
 
I'll be at the Overland rally, whether or not it's with the '40 - it's a darn good question* if it's not done and validated, it's not going. The Rally is June 23-26.

*backstory time - my dad had a boat (that I eventually owned and sold) with a 472 Cadillac motor in it. He rebuilt the top end and added a custom ground cam. Every year we went to Trinity Lake (near Shasta in California) to water ski over the July 4th weekend. As is usually the case, the boat wasn't done before we left - it was close, but not done (wiring). So loaded up the motorhome, attached the boat, and went down to the lake (250 miles away). The first day my dad got the wiring done and got it running. It sounded awesome.... for about 200 yards. This was a bright yellow, flat-bottom jet (loud n proud). He pulled out from the shore, started to get on it, then something sounded really bad. He pulled around and the motor stopped - but he had just enough to coast up to shore. On Cadillac motors, they have a rocker tree, for reasons I don't remember, my dad had taken one tree off, put it back on but didn't tighten it. It loosened, Cadillac motors oil system goes from the pump, through the filter, through the cam, then to the crank. When the tree loosened it blocked oil pressure to rest of the motor. There are more broken boat stories, but that one is the worst and what made the rule I have that nothing goes on a trip that cannot be trusted. When the motor seized in my '40, I was driving it the minimum distance to get it warm enough to test the O2 sensor.... which is why I could walk home and get my Hummer....
 
somehow I feel I've trod this path before.
cleaning and testing




so I finally got around to doing the mod I've been planning on my parts washer... I added a pump (actually 2 pumps, the first didn't put out enough volume)


then onto flattening flanges on the header


I also did a lot to make sure the bolts fit better and that I can install and remove the #1 spark plug without having to remove the header.... bonus

I also gave the gasket a bit more of a chance to work by building up the edge on the header


and more test fitting


that's all folks...
 
You haven't seem MY rats nest. It was so pretty when I first installed it. Neat and tight, all taped and tied. Once you start adding new circuits it gets ugly.
 
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