Down and out (BACK AND RUNNING)

[online170]

Sorry i didnt read every post, but been there done that. When my sh*t blew up, I strapped in for the long haul and rebuilt my motor. I went through the "while im here, i may as well's" and after a $5500 price tag ended up with a pretty stout package that im happy with. Took about 4 years to get it all done, with issues every step of the way. I learned lots so i think it was worth it, but never planned on doing it in the first place. Not the best way, but i made it eventually.

If i could give myself some advice in 2011 when this occured, what would it be? Here it is;

1) Eliminate downtime, for as little money as possible. As has been said multiple times, get a junkyard motor. The LS is cool, but you will never beat the value of a SBC. Find a 305 or a 350, compression check, and oil pressure, then stick it in. I've bought several running 350's for $350, and a 305 with trans for $150, complete with Gbody mounts. Probably another $100-$150 in consumables (RTV, coolant, RTV, oil, gaskets, kitty litter, RTV, shop towels, brake cleaner, RTV, and RTV) and its all installed and running again.

2) Deal with the big engine on the side, build it as money becomes available.

3) If you can't afford about $500 of parts in step 1 yet, put it in storage, and do it as soon as you can, dont sell the car, it always ends with regret. You would have to do step 1 anyway, to get any kind of money out of it anyway.


Hang in there! It gets better.

 

[xitabl442]

Don't sell it! I'd buy used tires for your truck before selling the car.

 

[lilbowtie]

I think I would transport the crank to a grinder rather than shipping unless your buddy can hook you up. I took a BB block crank into moldex crankshaft that I swore needed to be turned and they polished it out - hope you get lucky.

 

[-83MONTESS-]

Well we got the engine tore all the way down and didn't find much more damage. The cam still looks good as do the cam bearings. They will obviously be replaced but it's good to think the damage hadn't made it's way that far u yet. The most damage on the crank is at the #1 main as expected, rods all look good as do pistons. The cylinder walls are a bit scored, we are hoping a ball hone cleans em up. Saturday everything is getting hot tanked and crack checked and we will go from there.

 

[lilbowtie]

Sounds promising!!

 

[-83MONTESS-]

Well time for some updates. After a long couple of months the engine is back together and running just in time for a show tomorrow. Im terrible at snapping pics along the way. This is how I found the oil pickup upon pulling the oil pan. You can see the tab that broke. The new pump is a Meliing high volume with a Moroso pickup welded to it.

I had to send the crank out and get it turned .010" all the way around. New rings and bearings and I slapped it together.

Only other hang up was having to bleed the brakes since I changed the lines from the master cylinder to the prop valve to flex lines and I replaced about an 8 inch piece under the oil pan where my old pan smashed it. Got it all bled last night using the old rubber line to brake fluid in a bottle trick. Hoping to put some miles on it today.

 

[fleming442]

Yep, that'll do it!

 

[Injectedcutty]

Looking good!!! Them flex brake lines look pretty trick 😉!!!

 

[-83MONTESS-]

Looking good!!! Them flex brake lines look pretty trick 😉!!!

Thanks again for the part numbers and whatnot!

 

[64nailhead]

Way to go!

I know the feeling of the original disappointment. I broke a set of ring lands in a relatively new build. I busted out the credit card and put in a new set of forged slugs in a week. I worked with a fervor that kept me from sleeping. Really glad to here that the pick up is welded into the pump. How about a roastey smokey video?


lilbowtie - I missed your 'motor finally quit' thread. Holy shhhhcow, that motor didn't quit, it Johnny Paycheck quit - lol.