Welp, I'm so pissed! Pull the 383 it apart today. Although it only sounded like a light rod knock there was allot of damage! Pan was full of metal, 3 main bearings completly spun, crank is trashed. Also lots had been floating around as well, few peices in the lifter valley, I can't believe this happened! Looks like the piston and rods are ok, not sure I want to try this block again???

So for now I've pulled the stock short block back out and starting swapping over what parts I can salvage.

I'll post pics of my expensive door stop! The crank is plain ugly. 2 bearings had almost no babbitt left on them. The oil groove is completely gone. The crank looks like someone took a grinder to it!

 

Dang, man. That so sucks.

Let me know if I can return the favors and lend a hand...

 

thats really sad to hear man

how many miles on it

 

John,

I'm sorry to hear that.

Steve.

 

621 miles total, the last 200 miles included using the blower, 2 dyno pulls for tuning and 8 passed down the track. Last time I drove it I heard a slight knock, thought the blower tenioner may can come loose again, but after getting it up on ramps it was clearly internal. But I didn't expect it to be this bad! I guess the whine of the blower covered some of the noise and I still had high oil pressure so I didn't know what was going on inside.

This motor has been a POS since Nutech built it. I had it apart 3 times within the 1st 50 miles for issues with heads/commetic gaskets not sealing, intake needed to be remachined due to sealing issues.

I'm not dumping any more time or money into that block. I'm going to find a fresh block and reuse the pistons and rods in it. And for now the stock block is going back in and I'll back down the boost.

Steve, Saw some friends at Numedia last week! DUH, I felt like a smack! I walked right past them and didn't reconize them!

 

John,

Yeah, they were gonna make some license runs, but had some problems.

Let me know if you need anything. As I told you in PM, all my stuff is for sale. I don't know what your cc chambers are on your heads, but I have a fairly stout shortblock for sale.

Take care,


Steve.

 

Sorry to hear about that also ! That sucks so bad it isn't funny ! Knowing me if that happened to mine I'd probably want to pull it from the car,pack it full of explosives & let her rip,or drop it off something real high ! Of course that's just me,I know the rest of you are probably much more in control & wouldn't let it get to you like that,right ??? Good luck with it John

 

John, that really sux! I hate to hear that kind of news. Did the bearings actually spin in the bore was there just contact with the crank? Hate to speculate but the bore may not have been true or the bearings were set up too tight for the oil system. Could have been many things honestly.

I think you should post a few pics... the crank might not be trashed. Its a common practice to cut the crank and reuse it. But its also what you are comfortable with.

BTW, I have my stock block here completely untouched and virgin bores. I did want to hang onto it but i'm willing to give it up to you if your in a bind for a decent block to use.

BTW, you know if you need any help you got my number.

If you need a good machine shop also I wouldnt hesitate to use my guy. I know its far from you but he is top notch and exelent to deal with. No stranger to an SBC block... he builds race engines all the time.

 

First off, that you all for the support and offers. Still haven't decided what the final engine will be? another SC motor , maybe something with more CR and no whining ? Or maybe something BIGGER ?

If I had beaten the snot out of the car or even felt I pushed it hard then I wouldn't be so pissed. But with old 9# boost and the rev limiter set at 6400RPMs ( so I didn't overspin the lil P600B). It was tuned on Sunoc 94, and since that day have run 100 Octane in it. So I see no reason it should have not have failed like this. that's what has me the most upset.

The 3 center bearings all spun the bores, burned down so badly there is no oil groove left in most of them. Crank has grooves you can catch your finger nails and looks pretty bad. I've become friends with one of the racers at Numidia who is an engine builder, he's a MOPAR guy, but is going to stop over just to look it over.

I'm leaning towards the bores being wrong when the 4 bolts were installed My reason being when Nick had called and said the block was done, he faxed me the invoice for the final payment. I noticed there was no metion of the aftermarket main caps, and when I asked he said it was 2 bolt mains, so I send him back the original invoice and prices. He said do i want the money back and I said 'NO, I want the 4 bolt mains". So now I wonder if he actually did it all over again or maybe just tossed on the caps? I bought the short block and oil pump + Pan from Nick as part of the originl perchase, so I would think he set it all properly, but who knows? i thought that I had gotten my stuff before his work turned bad, guess instead of being the last of his good work I might be the first of bad work? he he he - I get to be first and it turns out I get this as the prize? LOL!

I'm going to try to spec out the block, maybe give the crank to the guy to check it's not bent or something odd as well.

Right now I have my stock block back in the car. I flushed the oil pump, pan , heads etc. and will order all the gaskets to finish it up. I'll probably need a few hands and hours just to get the trans back in. After the last time I put the trans back in by myself I was dang near crippled for 3 days! Even doing this tear down left me soaking in the jaccuzzi each night!

So when the time comes foe the trans to go back in,,, I think this time You, Ron and Steve and your families and whoever else ( this could be a big job getting the trans back in ) will be called upon to help the old man out!

Think that would make a good excuse for a picnic??? Few hours to put the tranny in, few hours for a picnic, then we can either hit Knobel's or Numidia!

John B.

 

John,

Hang in there!!! I know the road has been rough for you, but you'll get is sorted out...you always do.

If you decide to ditch the blower, I have a nitrous purpose built high compression motor w/ AFR heads for sale. We could do a real nice package price or you can buy a la carte

Hey, that getting old thing doesn't sound like much fun. The last time I had my car running I had the trans in and out three times in a week. From the sound of things that could kill me when I get older.

Later,


Steve.

p.s. If you're gonna call on me, no problem, but I gotta have some warning. Do you want me to convert that cage to a 10pt when I come visit?

 

Anytime, bud, except August 25th weekend (Bristol Tenn) and October 14th weekend (F-body Final Fall Fling).

ron

 

wow thats a big bummer. Defintly one badd Z when i saw it at F body Nats last year.

 

damn tough break, I was hoping to see this car soon!

 

Man, that suks. You've had some bad luck trying to run a blower on that car. Screw the FI, got with CI. Bigger is better! But get the car running so you can enjoy it for a little while. The longer you go without driving makes you lose interest.