Engine Specs:

Short block

10 to 1 355
trw forged pistons
clevete bearings
fed mogal plasma mo;y rings file fit
pink rods
stock gm crank
4 bolt main
balanced arp bolts
melling m55hv oil pump
stock 6qt pan and pickup
cloyes double roller timing chain
isky z35 solid lifter cam specs .565 intake lift on (1.6 rocker) .525 exhaust on (1.5 ratio) 254 253 at .050 duration 110 lobe sep
Iskys new drilled solid lifter for improved oiling to cam lobes(150 dollar lifter)
hardend oil pump drive rod and hardend fuel pump pushrod


top end (this is where it gets nice)
vortec heads casting(906)
stage 2 plus bowls and polish chambers they flow 267 and 202 on a small 178cc runner.awsome street strip head with great flow at low lift and awsome snap and top end power like a big aftermarket head.

VAlve springs
1.52 diameter solid double springs.(again isky)155 seat pressure 420 open.We also cut the guide to act as a spring locator so there is no spring walk.
valves are manlet stainless 1.56 exhaust 2.02 intake with undercut stem,
retainers isky jumbo 7 locks and retainers
rocker arms comp cams stainless 1.6 intake roller rocker 1.5 exhaust roller rocker.very high quality
pushrods kinda a mix but its what i had. isky .080 wall (8 of them) and comp .080 wall(8 of them)


Intake is a super victor with mild port work to the opening to match the heads
holley hv160gph fuel pump
mallory distibuter msd wires
MSD Digital 6AL box with blaster HVC
polished gm performance valve covers that have the factory style baffels for better oil control.

Hooker 2055's with full mandrel bent true dual 3in exhaust with H pipe...

OH yeah, this is in a 84 R.S. 2.8l =)

Now the problem.

First day after the cam broke in I took it down the free way for a low MPH cruise.. I got on it after getting off the free way at a stop light not even taking the motor to 3800rpms when I it made a loud pop and seized. oil all over the place, hole in the passenger front side of the pan.

What is the most common problem that went wrong and what do you guys think it would take to get it runnin again, Worst case and maybe a simple fix?

Thanks,
Manuel

 

Incorrect machine work, measurements or assembly. Sounds like you threw a rod which could have been for any number of reasons from rod bolts not torqued correctly to a rod bearing too tight and seized up enough to break the rod.

Fixing it depends on how much damage was done. Yank the engine out and tear it down. It won't be an easy or quick fix.

 

Bummer, I hope to tear it down with my buddy and take a look to see exactly what happened. Either way im pretty let down, I was hoping this set up would snap off some heads at the local grudge match's.

 

Anyone have any suggestions as to what I should swap out for something else while i have the block apart?

 

It'll depend on how much you have left to work with.

 

Do you think those heads flow enough for my set up or should I have them re-worked?

 

Heads make the power, and the rest of the engine supports the heads. It's not a question of heads "flowing enough" for the rest of the engine, it's does the rest of the engine match the flow of the heads?

 

I see, do you see any weak links, aside from what busted already? Given I know I havent torn it down to see the extent of the damage but given i rebuilt it as it was.

 

You could have used something better than stock rods, but that's probably a moot point now anyway. The cam has a lot of lift for a Vortec head, do you have complete flow data after your port job?

 

Here it is

 

Topics get burried fast on this forum.

 

You've got good flow all the way up to your max lift. Now you just have to find out what's still usable.

 

the motor has seen 10.20's at the track with a 200 shot. hmmm, i gotta do a search on oil pans. i just had a stock 6qt. I hear its alot better with a 7qt.

 

No way that engine should have been built with garbage stock rods, then.

 

paid 4 grand and it came with an art carr turbo 350 brand new with a 3800 stall. i thought it was a good deal.. im hoping it didnt gernade too badly.. =(

 

As long as you had 4G worth of fun out of it.

 

^yeah I did. the rear end didnt though, all 3 of them. lol

 

Well this is clear, cylinders 1 and 2 have both sucked down their intake push rods. =(

Barely had any time to get the valve covers off.

I set aside the entire weekend to tear it apart... not this weekend but the next =(

 

Just a shot in the dark here, but im thinking broken rod (s). If you are lucky, New crank, Some GOOD H-beam rods, new bearings and some machine work and you are back in business.... Maybe a new cam too, in light of the pushrod issue.... Good luck!!

 

If the cam turns out to need to be replaced. Should I stick with the same or can i kick it up a notch?

 

That one seems to fit the heads fairly well. I wouldn't reuse a flat tappet cam on a rebuild regardless of its condition.

 

Oh okay, now what if most of its thrashed, think I should go with a full roller set up?

 

You can if you want to spend the money.

 

For my money, I'd go for a roller set up every time. The oils that are being made today are designed with roller set-up's in mind....

 

Better wait to count my chickens before I off and spend money not needed. Good looking out... im all pumped up to get it back on the road... haha

 

Thats the spirit!!!LOL Good luck and let us know what u find when you tear into it....

 

You bet, pictures and all no doubt.

Ill be looking here often for advice for sure.

 

Sorry it took another week but the motor was torn out and broken down.

Cam was in broken into multiple chunks. "Many smaller pieces too"
Block is cracked.
Crank seemed fine.... strange.
I still have to take a closer look at the heads though.
Engine bearing seized solid.
Block is as good as junk at this point.

I'll try and get some pictures.. I am really disappointed that it exploded as bad as it did.

Time for a new build-up... hmmm I pray my heads survived.

 

The crank may seem fine, but I wouldn't reuse it.

 

Main bearing seized usually indicates not enough oil or too tight a tolerance. A cooked bearing means the crank should be magnafluxed for cracks before even thinking of repairing it. Since you have a stock GM crank, it's not worth the risk to reuse or fix it.

How can you have a bearing seized and the crank being fine?