I had my 350 TPI rebuilt back in Oct 2000 but since the rebuild it's been burning oil, The machine shop did the heads and block for me, I finally was able to tear it down to find out why it burning so much oil (about 1 qt in less than 1,000 miles) I've put 8,000 miles on the car while it was burning oil. I pulled the heads and they checked them out and said they were fine, and now I need to pull the block out so they can check it, but they don't think it's going to be a ring problem, Is there any way I can tell by looking at the cylinder walls?? Are they suppose to have angles marks on it from where it was honed?? Cause looking it the cylinder walls tonight they look poilished up real shiney and no angle marks? Does this mean anything? Thanks, Jason

 

you should be able to see the cross hatch pattern in the walls. i think you should of done a compression test or leaked it before you pulled the heads. at this point about all you can do is go on and replace parts that should still be good.

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ICON Motorsports

1st & 3rd

 

Yeah, you should be able to see cross hatch marks on the cylinder walls!! I wouldn't trust tha place to do ANYTHING else to that engine!! My best friend had the same problem!! Took his block somewhere to have it bored and honed and when he got it back he said it didn't look like it had any cross hatch marks on the cylinder walls! He said it was as smooth as can be! It was his first engine rebuild and he didn't know any better so he continued and put the engine together!! Now, 8,000 miles later he's blowing smoke out the rear on start up and holds very little oil pressure and we're pretty sure it's the rings that didn't seat!! I'm finding a different shop to take mine too...and mine will be torque plate honed and I will watch them do it!! Just be careful....there are A LOT of crooked automotive places out there!!

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1986 Trans AM
305 TPI
200,000+ miles (speedo/odometer non-funtional! Odometer reads 142,000)
4 Wheel Discs
9 bolt Borg Warner Rear (2.73's....oh joy) :P
Completely Stock
Soon to upgrade to a 350 converted from TPI to Carb, Edelbrock 750CFM Carb, Edelbrock Performer RPM Intake, Headman Shorty Headers, Some sort of ported heads (undecided), XE268 Cam, Moroso HEI ignition kit with external MSD Blaster II Coil and an MSD 6-AL Box!!
Current project: Keeping my 305 running until I get my income tax returns!

 

That's what I was hoping, I know after they did my block it had the cross hatch marks I could see them, but now there gone, I was thinking that the rings did not seat thats what caused the problem, I don't know much about the machine work and such this is also my first rebuild but on the old engine it still had the cross hatch marks after 133,000 miles and when I pulled the heads on this one after 8,000 miles they were not there, I started thinking that maybe the oil polished the cylinder walls like that. Does this sound right? Thanks, for your help I'll be talking to the machine shop tomorrow morning I just want to make sure I sort sound like I know what I'm talking about Thanks, Jason

 

The oil wouldn't cause the hone marks to wear away, but lack of oil would.

But, assuming they did install the rings corectly...it's possible that you may not have gotten the machine work you payed for.

While the heads are off, take an old ring and fit it on one of the bores real close to the top, now measure the gap in the ring with a feeler gauge, slide the ring down (pick a hole with the piston at BDC) and measure the gap in a few places till you get to the piston...this should give you a reasonable indication of cylinder taper...if you have taper at 8K miles, my guess is you got took on the machine work.