fee fi fo fum What the hell did my engine do?

[SMWS6TA]

fee fi fo fum What the hell did my engine do?

I've started a new thread to break out the LS1 stuff from the 6 Liter build.

So.... I finally got the LS1 completely broke down. I'm at a lost, meaning I found the culprit but have no idea where it came from or what it is.



sorry for the glare, the sun just wouldn't cooperate. I'll get a better pic in a few.



This piece was found in the oil pan. It's about the size of a quarter, aluminum (not magnetic) and looks like a cap. Also I found another piece, I'll try again with another pic.

Also found a shit load of bearing material. #3 & #6 con rod bearings are spun. Bad enough the crank needs attention. I think a couple more are questionable too.

Recap:

#7 piston has some damage, # 8 piston is cracked, skirt is ding up and I see some areas of concern with the sleeve. It may hone out, may be too deep, not sure.


This is #8 piston




#7 piston




Sidewall of # 7




skirt of #8



- - - Updated - - -

[SMWS6TA]

I'm using a quarter for size reference

[ls1camino]

Kryptonite.

[GTP231]

Block is done

[pajeff02]

Not a clue what that is... or was.

[RONS98TA]

Kinda looks like molten aluminum from the bearing! Maybe an oil failure and high heat spun a chunk of the bearing and then bounced around that chunk of metal for a bit inside the cylinder and crankcase.

[SMWS6TA]

I have accounted for all rod and main cap bearings, are you saying it's from the oil pump?

[SMWS6TA]

could the high rev break loose a oil passage or freeze plug?

[jonnyman]

ouch!

[Cutlass]

Can't be this plug could it? Probably not since its in the front of the block

[SMWS6TA]

That's what I thought, I'll look in the morning now that I have a pic of where that plug goes.


I also found this...block is toast regardless of what that unknown piece is.

I know hard to see, but it is a hole. It's between the 3/4 cylinders and 5/6 on the #4 cylinder side.







So how much does aluminum go for?

[RONS98TA]

I have accounted for all rod and main cap bearings, are you saying it's from the oil pump?

From what i've seen in the picts, the bearings are there but seemed to look very thin as if they were shaved with a wood planer. I dont think its from the oil pump of a freeze plug. If the freeze plug came out (there are several in the block) I think it would be a VERY noticeable oil leak from where the plug was. Very puzzling to say the least.

[Naaman]

Was all this discovered while chasing down a "noise"?

[SMWS6TA]

Sort....It started as a minor noise that sounded a lot like top end...push rods, bad lifter. But wasn't them. I did have the #4 intake valve fail a vacuum test, so it got lapped and was fixed.

The item that looks like an oil freeze plug is as large as a quarter and is too big to bypass the valves. No clue how or where it enter the lower end from. In the shitty pic above in post 11 there is a nickle size piece of the block missing. It looks like the pressure blew out here.

After the top end was put back together it seem to work fine for a 30 min idle and 2 short test drives. It was then that I begin to hear noise from the bottom end become louder. I believe that on the over rev it starved oil from the bearings, causing them to be damage. Once they became damage it was just a manor of time before they shit out completely. It happen on my 3rd test drive after I swapped out to a different push rod length. I just got lucky it didn't throw a rod while out. I can't tell you what the oil pressure was once the noise got so loud it was the only thing you heard, at that point I was limping it home.



Naaman I can't say I'll be able to hear the noise or be 100% identify your issue buy try to post a video up and we'll try to help.

[Naaman]

Okay. I'll use my camera when I get home. I've tried to capture it on my cell phone once, but the sound of the engine running is all the phone picks up... and when I rev, it really drowns it out. The crappy cell phone mic cannot "sort out" the subtleties between the overlapping sounds. But it's clear as a bell to a human ear. When I post it, I'll put it in my thread, but from what I know and what others (techs) have told me, it sounds like it could be an exhaust leak, a lifter, a push rod or a rod bearing. The noise is proportional to engine RPM, as well.

I have also heard that it could be an injector. I have not performed an injector balance test since noticing the noise, though it has had a good test recently before I noticed the noise. Also, the fuel pressure at the fuel rail is good, which I have tested since discovering the noise. The only thing I know of that is a little wierd with my fuel system is that STFT is running at about +8 on the left, and about +12 on the right. No other symptoms of a fuel issue that I'm aware of. And the noise is only on the right.

EDIT: Scott, video is up.

[GTP231]

Did any of the head bolts stop early while torqueing only to make a pop then loosen up again?

[SMWS6TA]

Carpy you asking me or Naaman?

If me = no

[GTP231]

Yeah meant you Scott. Didn't read naamans post before replying

[SMWS6TA]

Nope, I cleaned out all the holes with thread chasers and air.

[SMWS6TA]

Well screwing around in the garage today and got some better pics of the carnage of the LS1 block.






These are best I can get. You can see the blow out.