What is wrong with my motor? Figure this one out!!

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

If the piston-to-head clearance is the issue, can you just install a thicker head gasket?

[Mr. Chevy]

The motor is coming back out tomm. and will be sent back to the builder all together. He said he wants to carefully take it apart and see what is going on... Hopefully if the piston/head clearance is the problem the heads can be slighlty modified to where it will work and I won't have to replace the pistons..

Maybe it's a combination of both lifter/oiling problems and piston to head clearance.. That would be my luck of course!! I tell ya if I didn't have bad luck I would have none at all!!!

Rich

[John Brown]

I have a friend that kept sending complete engines back to his builder too. The stories they came up with were unbelievable as to what went wrong each time. I would suggest you be there for the grand opening. When my friend finally took his own engine apart, the real story came out. The rings were sticking in the grooves and caused all kinds of blow-by. The piston manufacturer and the ring manufactured weren't getting the real story from the builder. When both manufacturers were contacted on a conference call, the problems were discussed and finally cured like they should have been two years earlier. I know that no one wants to believe their engine builder is incompetent, but the covering up and excuses go on all the time. It's in your best interest to see what's inside when he opens it up.

[BJCHEV396]

Hang in there Rich.Once your car is running right all of the problems will be forgotten.

[Mr. Chevy]

Eric and Donnie you guys win the "Golden Goose"!! The builder found that the pistons were just barely hitting in the cumbustion chamber by the exhaust valve side.. He is going to modify the heads and double check everything before closing it up for good...

He said the oiling system is working properly within the block and the lifters and cam are ok... I was hoping nothing happened to the cam. I get paranoid about "wiping" one of those out. We broke it in for 5-10 minutes at 1,500-2,000 rpms and then became more concerned with what the noise was that the engine was making checking that with the the motor at idle... I used the Brad Penn 30 weight green break in oil during the break inn.. I told the builder this and he said the cam would have "went" already if it was gonna go....

Eric and Donnie thanks again for the information!!

Rich

[markjohnson]

This sounds like very similar to problem a friend just encountered recently on a new 454 build. Turned out, the culprit was a Small Block Chevy oil pump driveshaft was used. So check into that possibility AND those threaded Allen plugs behind the cam gear.

[VintageMusclecar]

Glad to be of service.

Eric