so about 3 months ago i got a 350 bored nd built by a local shop.. after just yesterday going to a shop to finaly get a chip made.. they made some discoveries.. i knew it was running rich nd in need of plugs.. what i didnt know is they were in there so lose compression was escaping.. the O2 was lose.. one of my rocker trunions was upside down and they are the wrong type.. they are guided rockers nd guided heads.. leaking gaskets the list goes on.. i wish i just took the time to build it myself.. will be going to discuss this with the shop that built it on saturday.. anyone else have experience in this department? im worried something internaly is rigged as well..

 

Back in 1991, I got a "rebuilt" 4-bolt main 350 for the '57. It was bored .030" over, had new pistons, new bearings, all cleaned up and painted, etc. All seemed good.

When I went to adjust the valves, one of the nuts wouldn't move. I thought it was cross-threaded, turned out to be a metric nut on the SAE stud. Managed to get a proper nut on the stud with no further damage.

Got it running, seemed to be using more oil than it should. He said let it break in, if it still uses oil, he'd do a leak-down check.

About two months later, as I pulled into work, steam started coming out from under the hood. I popped the hood to discover one head had a big crack along the external casting line that was pouring out coolant - never seen or heard of that one before. Went back to the shop, he wasn't there. Kept going back every day, about a week of this I see a hand-printed sign taped to the door that read: "You've got my money. I have no engine. See you in court." This "shop" was in a light-industrial strip area, a near-by business told me, yes, people have been coming by looking for the guy. Apparently he was picking up discarded cores and putting them together cheap. Didn't pay his machine shop or parts store bills, took his customers' money and skipped town.

I took the heads to another shop, they had one laying around they rebuilt for me, checked out the other head carefully and gave it a valve job, I'm back on the road.

About half a year later, I've put several thousand miles on it, it's still using a lot of oil. I'd changed the oil several times when the dipstick starts looking milky. Pull off the intake, the block is cracked in the lifter valley on both sides. Pull the engine apart, discover the rear main bearing is one undersize too small, and has been smeared so much it almost closed off the groove in the insert. That explained why it was so hard to turn over when I first started it. Found a rebuild shop that had a core 350 block that hadn't been bored, only a 2-bolt main but it cleaned up so the pistons and rings fit. The crank needed to be turned again. By this time I've paid for this "rebuilt" 350 three times, so I reuse the rings (3 kids, single income, in San Diego - money ain't growing on trees). But, it's running again, runs well actually, still uses oil to the tune of a quart every 400 miles.

Fast forward to 1998; we've moved to Colorado, I want more out of the engine so I pull it apart again. This time I check the ring gap, the compression rings are fine, but the oil control rings are .020" oversize, not .030" oversize - no wonder it used so much oil all this time. I put new World S/R heads on it, new rings & bearnings and oil pump, then decide to put the 396 in the '57 instead and sell the 350. I told the guy who bought it the problems that I'd had, what I'd done, and for him to call me if he had any problems - he never did call so it must have been okay finally.

Guess what I'd recommend you do?

 

That sucks man. My friend bought one from a local shop around here and put it in his car. Everything was fine for about 5 or so weeks then the crank frose up and broke all the teeth on the timing gear. We brought the car to them and they gave us a new timeing set and told us they are voiding the waranty because the car apeared to be a race car. Which was BS, lol he used to car to drive around and deliver pizza. Got the crank free and changed the timeing set. That was about 9 months ago. Havent realy had a major problem with it since (other than the fact they put the rear main seal in backwards, idiots).

 

Make friends with a mechanic and hace him watch you build your own motor. I had my shop teacher show me step by step how to build mine. We tore down and rebuilt the same 305 in my shop 10 times as practice and finally built my 406. Haven't had one bit of a problem.

 

so i went and talked to him yesterday.. and he was very coopertive.. so it seems like hes willing to fix the problems.. i also found out that he built the internals which havent had any probs.. and a different guy who works for him did the install and everything else.. basically all the things that are wrong this other guy is the one who did the work.. i wish i had had the time to just build it myself.. so we'll see.. if they get it finished this week ill get it back next sat

 

The only way to get it right is to take it completely apart, clean it up, and put it back together and back in again, doing things the right way. Wrong rockers and upside down rocker ball are the types of things that produce metallic debris.

Shoot for that.

 

this is exactly what i did.. i know a machinist, even better then a mechanic, and he helped me build my last motor.. i know the guy soo well, i was the first person that he "took in" and taught.. i learned how to port and polish heads, change valve spring in the car, tune a carb, adjust valves, build a motor, etc.. all from this guy.. he is practically my second father when it comes to teaching things to me..

 

I got shammed too.. big time. short story version: "new" rebuilt motor I bought is a joke, so now I'm taking the time to tear it down and rebuilt, myself.

 

I sure hate to hear of things like that happen to people. Really frustrating.

My dad and I bought a 78 Chevy truck in the early 90s as a driver for his work. Guy told us motor had 600 miles on it and had some ignition issues (the Ol' man knew the guy from work). Dad went through the whole ignition system and it was still there. He called me and we went for a drive. I told dad it sounds like it is detonating. Pulled the heads off, and guess what? It had 7 flat tops and a domed piston! Can you believe the stupid stuff people do instead of doing something right?

I like the guy who left the note about seeing him in court. Good for him!

 

Doubt it did any good. The shop guy was never seen again.

 

Not to sound like a "hind sight is always 20/20" guy...but you are ALWAYS better off doing it yourself! If nothing else, you learn as you go, and then you can do it forever! These engines really aren't complicated at all once you get in there. Let's face it...they are just big air pumps!

 

You're SERIOUSLY oversimplifying the intricacies of an engine. One mistake and his whole rotating assembly and block could be destroyed. If someone doesn't have time, the tools, the skill, the patience, then DIY doesn't make sense at all.

 

Nobody gets the skill by having someone else do it. I rebuilt my first engine with a couple manuals and no previous experience...and I certainly don't pretend to be an expert. Don't be intimidated by it 91 355 Z28...you can do it!

 

As far as building it yourself, I had done 2 engines before my 350 and both were stock or close to it. Once I spent all kinds of money for the 350, I didn't want to put it together myself in fear of screwing something up since the only stock parts were the block and main caps. The engine guy did have to clearance the block for the h-beam rods and who knows what else. I also didn't have all the tools to check over things carefully. Stock rebuilds go together just a bit different than performance builds. Heck when I was about 9 or 10, I took apart a Briggs and Stratton engine and put it back together. Started up like always and lasted for years. What it all comes down to is, do what you're comfortable doing

 

This is true, but does he want skills or a running engine?

 

so what your saying is that if you buld your own engine, its a POS, im building my own, im 17 and i bet its going to last a very long time

 

Gads, dude, cool your jets! Nobody said that.

Personally, I haven't had a self-built engine fail since I was 18. I built it when I was 17. Which, of course, was 35 years ago.

 

For those that have never torn down an engine once you do you will realise that it isent that complicating. I have built a few myself (only 20yrs old). Havent had one fail on me yet that i built. Had alittle problem with rods when building my friends motor but that was an easy fix. All you have to do is take your time and double/tripple check everything.

 

AVAST! Revel in my misfortune (minimal though it is...)

I'm in the middle of a 383 LT1 build - I have the heads surfaced, then go ahead and assemble them. I had another shop doing the block, and when they saw the heads they were like "wow, thats a rough finish" - I go back to the shop that did the heads - they say "thats fine - it won't cause any problems" (despite being contrary to the Fel-Pro manuals). I then straight-edge the heads and find that they're NOT EVEN FLAT! They were .003 warped from tip to tail. Needless to say, I am never going back to HORSEPOWER ENGINEERING IN ELLINGTON CONNECTICUT! Their work sucks and the owner is convinced he's the only guy who's ever built an engine.

$100 later I had the heads done RIGHT and the motor will be a screamer.


I heartily recommend anyone looking to build an engine to DO IT YOURSELF. Sure it takes research, patience, and time - but you do it once and you're golden. Start with something simple - my stroker is the 3rd engine I've done in a few years and its by far the most complicated - but its worth it.


Enjoy


Tyler

 

The builds that have been discussed in this thread are probably within the reach of the typical competent do-it-yourselfer. Things such as cylinder boring, crankshaft turning, rod resizing, cam bearing installation, valve grinding, and probably head assembly are probably better left to a competent shop. Checking clearances, flatness, and basic assembly are still within the capabilities of the typical DIYer. As is checking the work of the machine shop.

However, if you have followed the saga of the Organized Racing forum moderator, you can appreciate when that line has been crossed. Although a competent wrench, he hasn't had his car out to the track on consecutive race days without major engine work for a couple of years. It was suggested to him that he has exceeded his capabilities with his engine combo and needs to just buy an engine, or at least an assembled shortblock, and he's coming around to that approach.

Some people, though, either don't have the facilities or capabilities to put together a basic engine. I've done rebuilds in the driveway (never failed), but I wouldn't suggest it. People who have trouble getting the oil or spark plugs changed shouldn't attempt an engine build until their abilities have improved.