Time for a Rebuild

[EDFHOBBIES]

Sorry it happened... I all ways have the dealer do my changes for that very reason!

MObile 1 just under 10 a qt x 6 $60.00
good filter is 15.00 now we are at 75.00 to do it yourself..

Its only 89.00 for the dealer to do it.. It doesn't make since not to let them do it and have records on the computer..


With that said I'm gathering parts as I can afford them.. I know my car is a ticking time bomb at 660 rwhp.. If I see a crank or pistons or rods on sale I snag them.. Just no leads on a good block yet! I could never afford the 6000k all at once to rebuild so planning ahead!

[USMUCL]

Got to be more to this. I have a hard time believing that GM would not honor the powertrain warranty on a completely stock car SOLELY because he didn't have oil receipts. Worst case, they would run an oil analysis before authorizing the repair work.

And I'm no GM defender. I would expect them to use some B.S. line about a modification, but I've never heard anyone denied for no oil receipts without some significant aggravating factors.

[EDFHOBBIES]

Originally Posted by USMUCL

Got to be more to this. I have a hard time believing that GM would not honor the powertrain warranty on a completely stock car SOLELY because he didn't have oil receipts. Worst case, they would run an oil analysis before authorizing the repair work.

And I'm no GM defender. I would expect them to use some B.S. line about a modification, but I've never heard anyone denied for no oil receipts without some significant aggravating factors.

I agree thats not signs of wrong oil, or no oil!

Only other thing I can think of is a water in the cylinder and it couldn't be compressed to cause that..

If its stock thats BS! thats where I start looking for used take off parts to put it back to bone stock then report the problem.

[blue-bayou]

Originally Posted by CWI

How do the heads and cam look? Part of the cause?

I expect cam to be ok but haven't pulled it yet. I am waiting to get everything back from machine shop before tearing down further.
Heads are ok.

Originally Posted by VADER SS L99

From what I can see the stock rod is there and intact. So that has got to be detonation right? How does that happen on a stock engine? Need an engine building and tuning expert to chime in please for educational purposes. Also, unless you did your own oil changes there should be a record. If that engine truly was stock I would be super pissed and would want warranty if it was under 5yrs. Has it been 5yrs on that car yet?

# 3 rod is intact. #4 rod is not. Pulled other head and I could push #4 piston down into cylinder. I believe #4 was initiating event, but not sure why-possibly related to previously mentioned ticking noise at idle. As I tear it down I should be able to tell.

Originally Posted by EDFHOBBIES

Sorry it happened... I all ways have the dealer do my changes for that very reason!

MObile 1 just under 10 a qt x 6 $60.00
good filter is 15.00 now we are at 75.00 to do it yourself..

Its only 89.00 for the dealer to do it.. It doesn't make since not to let them do it and have records on the computer..


With that said I'm gathering parts as I can afford them.. I know my car is a ticking time bomb at 660 rwhp.. If I see a crank or pistons or rods on sale I snag them.. Just no leads on a good block yet! I could never afford the 6000k all at once to rebuild so planning ahead!

Yes, I have to admit I have a problem letting others do things to my car, especially when I know I am capable.

The cost factor does hurt though I expect to be completely rebuilt for less than 6000 but rebuilt better than stock-forged rods, forged crank, forged pistons.

Originally Posted by USMUCL

Got to be more to this. I have a hard time believing that GM would not honor the powertrain warranty on a completely stock car SOLELY because he didn't have oil receipts. Worst case, they would run an oil analysis before authorizing the repair work.

And I'm no GM defender. I would expect them to use some B.S. line about a modification, but I've never heard anyone denied for no oil receipts without some significant aggravating factors.

You are right, there is more to this than appears. The car is stock and the only reason I took it to the dealership in the first place was due to family pressures (and the financial impact). So part of me was always hoping they would deny, then I would have a good excuse to go in a direction that I would prefer, plus if they did warranty i, I would never have the opportunity to look into the engine. Service advisor asked for receipts, at least two changes are on file with car history at other dealerships, I have receipts on at least two others but the chances of me being able to locate them are slim at this point in time.

GM told dealership to tear it down, when they noticed the block was cracked, they stopped.

GM told dealership to pull oil out of filter-I assume to run analyis

After two weeks still no word from GM and dealership mentioned receipts again. I asked if I should just come pick it up, he said yes.

I know this sounds odd, but I was ecstatic to pick it up. When my new block arrived the next weekend I was like a kid in a candy store.

Had I waited it out, GM probably would have covered it, but I needed my car and I got impatient.

[blue-bayou]

Originally Posted by EDFHOBBIES

I agree thats not signs of wrong oil, or no oil!


If its stock thats BS! thats where I start looking for used take off parts to put it back to bone stock then report the problem.

Sorry, bone stock except for trailing arms. Although I have in the past looked into bolt-on parts, I have never utilized anything that would require a tune. And for the last 25K+ miles, there has been no utilization of bolt-on parts. Maybe however prior to that, something initiated the ticking noise.

[Camaro Dude]

I'm a firm believer in annual oil analysis, and datalogging to help forsee any upcoming doom and gloom.

Sorry to see this OP, but like you said, now it's time to play .

BTW, forged or go home

....And with vitals showing this time around in the cockpit plz.

[blue-bayou]

Pulled the short block out and tore it down. Based on what I found I can only conclude the initiating event was a rod bolt head failure on the #4 rod. The #3 piston was collateral damage; however I don't understand the bearing wear on #3 especially when the crank journal looks as good as it does.

What I know:
1. the failure occurred during rapid engine deceleration (6500 rpm down to approx 4500)
2. #4 piston hit head hard enough to extrude into combustion chamber(hard to see in pics)
3. pieces of #3 piston wedged between block and crank thus locking engine.
4. Metal is everywhere
5. Some oil pan bolts were not torqued on dis-assembly.
6. #3 rod was fairly tight on journal, but rod bolts required relatively little effort to break loose.

What I figure:
On shift, #4 piston was on upward stroke. Energy of piston speed vs. crank deceleration was sufficient to break head off one rod bolt and elongated cap enough to allow piston to hit head with sufficient force to slightly "extrude" into CC, and crack. On downward stroke, pin separated from piston, broke other rod bolt. cap was now a flying object in motor possibly hitting #3. Crank journal hit rod at exposed bolt (there is an impression in the journal) and somehow broke rod in half.

I can't explain the wear on #3 though

But that's ok- New block acquired (aluminum though), eagle forged crank acquired, manley rods acquired, JE/SRP flat top pistons acquired (0.005 over). Hope to get everything back from machine shop next week.

No signs of wrist pin knock or rod knock

[JANNETTYRACING]

Sorry for your loss.

This is the reality of Chance, GM builds hundreds of thousands of these engines, we put power adders on them make 800 RWHP which multiplys the possibility of failure and they live, then a bone stock engine fails out of the blue.

Nothing is exempt from failure.

Glad to see the positive attitude, it is enlightening and rare these days.

Good luck with the build.

Ted.

[FASTDIESEL]

Great pictures and documentation of where everything was.

Yes, the rod bolts broke, but both are sheared-off. I'm leaning towards a broken I-Beam as the root cause.. Rare for both bolts to break at the same time. Usually if a rod bolt breaks, the journal open up and bends the companion rod bolt, until it breaks.

As others have said....stuff breaks. Rare, but it happens! Sorry bout the carnage. Good luck with the rebuild!

[blue-bayou]

Thanks for the words of encouragement! That's the kind of help I need. I love having the opportunity to tear down and rebuild stronger, better, faster. etc. Plus I learn more and more throughout the process.

[rozay]

that sucks man sorry to hear this.