My Camaro went home to Oshawa to die......

[PAUL SS]

So did it just go ka-boom or did it go rrratt-a-tat-tat-tat-tat ka-boom?

[IROCanSS]

I think it was VROOOOM, <shift> VROOOOOBOOM

[Huggerorange73]

Originally Posted by 2010 SS RS

I cant see how a sudden loss of load when the output shaft could have caused this damage...Logically thinking all it would have done is been running like it was on a engine dyno stand, or like the clutch was depressed to shift into second. Then the rev limiter would have functioned like it always has.

Mike, how come are you tearing it apart inside the car instead of outside where it would be easier. I have to admire your abilities though.

I tore it down inside the car to make it easier to get it on a trailer and to a place with a 4 post rack. At this point the short block best use is to hold the transmission in place

Originally Posted by 2SSRS

Ok i think that the pin may be sherd, but i do not think this was the problem, If you lost a rod, its more likely that is what made this motor grenade, Think about it, we have seen a sherd pin in a cam before and it bent valves and push rods but never the rods.

When we use to Run 1/4 mi race cars we had a motor let go like this we ran aluminum rods and trying to save $ we ran the sets to long and one let go, But it did not go true the pan, it went up and lets say the only parts we reused after that was the pan & heads the rest was scrap.

So i say it was the rod that went out first and that made the cam get pushed out of timing and then you lost the rest.

This is a bit of a mystery no doubt....multiple failures. Gotta figure out which came first.

Originally Posted by garcmol

This is horrible. I just read the thread and looked at the pictures. Sorry to hear.

Couple of questions though. Is the valve outline on the piston tops normal? I read in there that if they were hitting it would run like crap and you would notice that. I think that's obvious enough. However, if it's bumped up to it with really really minimal clearance, like .001 inch, then the output shaft takes a dump, engine revs wildly for a second, the intake valve top shears off as it made contact with the piston while the cam still turns and shoves a lifter up to the pushrod (that has bent and broken the tray already), lifter gets misaligned in the tray now and, well, did what it did.

I'm guessing the 3rd valve imprint is the cylinder the valve broke in?

If that piston can't travel the full range because it's blocked, I'm assuming that jams up the entire crankshaft and rods and the weakest point gives?

Dude this sucks to see. I'm just trying to think in order of events here. This is kind of what I do for a living. I can't see your cam having anything to do with this other than the chain of events that led up to it and that lifter got jammed in there. I don't see how a valve top can separate especially seeing that your valve springs are all intact unless contact was made with the piston.

Hope you are up and running soon!

Keep an eye on this thread, I welcome your opinion on how this all happened.

Originally Posted by Russell James

When the cam goes out of time (sheared pin) with the crank. All the valves hit the pistons in a split second. The pushrods bend, pistons/rods shatter, lifters break...

The question will probably be - why did the dowel pin shear? Defect, harmonics, over-rev...?

When you change the cam, springs, pushrods, balancer... completely changes the valve train dynamics. It would take Spintron and durability dyno testing to see if there is any bad harmonics in that combo of parts. Or it could be as simple as a bad dowel pin or something wrong with the dowel holes that beat up the dowel pin. Or the bolt backed out a bit... Several possiblities.

If it was installed perfectly, cam flush against the cam gear, no bolt problems... that would lead toward harmonics beat up the pin over time until it fatigued.

I'll know more soon.....just got hung up the last 2 days.

Originally Posted by Pro Stock John

Just went through the whole thread.

I would agree with SUX2BU, I think that maybe the pin tip sheared off. But SUX2BU (can't remember your name we've met in the past), you don't think there is a chance that when the output shaft sheared that the engine could have experience a big overrev?

In the old day of the LS engine, I broke it all, PtoV (just marked up the pistons) and I even broke a timing chain.

I don't remember already, but did you by chance break off an valve, any of them broken?

If you are looking for helpers on the car let me know, I'd try to swing by since you are not far. Looks like you need to source an engine hoist.

John....I'll keep you posted on an install party!

Originally Posted by PQ

There is a circle of events. This one is not easy to figure. We all know what happened in the circle, but we just don't know where the circle began.

One thing is for sure, this is a textbook case where you could point out the whole, "If that breaks then this happens, when this happens then the other will happen, when the other happens then this happens."

We will know more when the front cover comes off.

It's probably most likely that we never get anything difinitive.

Hopefully we'll have enough clues to put it all together..

Originally Posted by f5journal

I power shifted a '01 VTec Prelude from 3rd gear accidentally into 2nd at 6000rpm. Needless to say I forced the engine into overev until I slammed in the clutch.

In similar fashion to this cam pin/one bolt situation we are talking about here......the cam sprocket jumped 5 full teeth on the belt and the results were nearly identical. Nothing "let go" in the engine per se'

This could be very possible.

Originally Posted by PAUL SS

I don't think anybody asked this yet. How do you ask for warranty work after you have already stripped the motor down?

Best of luck Mike.

I know GM people watch this site and threads like this....which is why I'm documenting and photographing the whole tear down. Sooner or later I'll figure it out and who's fault it was.

Originally Posted by PQ

Could support the broken tensioner too.

Hugger, get that front off.

Had no time Monday or Tuesday....baseball, baseball and a brake job gone horribly wrong shitcanned all the Camaro time I had. Friday!

Originally Posted by PAUL SS

So did it just go ka-boom or did it go rrratt-a-tat-tat-tat-tat ka-boom?

All of the above

[S-eatin-grin]

PQ...totally unrelated to this thread but Umm....Your Camaro looks, uh, looks really good from that particular angle for some reason. U are a lucky man!

[PQ]

Originally Posted by Huggerorange73

Had no time Monday or Tuesday....baseball, baseball and a brake job gone horribly wrong shitcanned all the Camaro time I had. Friday!

It's not like the car is going anywhere. lol

Take your time. If I had to guess, I'd say we will never know exactly what caused it anyway.

Originally Posted by S-eatin-grin

PQ...totally unrelated to this thread but Umm....Your Camaro looks, uh, looks really good from that particular angle for some reason. U are a lucky man!

Photoshop ftw.

[IROCanSS]

Originally Posted by PQ

Photoshop ftw.

I'm tellin Bonnie you said that!

[Scott@Bjorn3D]

Originally Posted by S-eatin-grin

PQ...totally unrelated to this thread but Umm....Your Camaro looks, uh, looks really good from that particular angle for some reason. U are a lucky man!

Yeah now you know why he likes black.

[PQ]

Originally Posted by jrhaus76

I'm tellin Bonnie you said that!

I was talking about the sig it's self. lol

Originally Posted by Scott@Bjorn3D

Yeah now you know why he likes black.

Stealthy

[trm0002]

For those interested in helping Mike out, I have a Facebook thread up with a paypal address to donate to. The fund is currently just over $1700. It is in the BBOMG "closed" group section so you'll have to PM your facebook name to either me, Mike, or Camaro Scotty to add you to the group; or just post your facebook name here and one of us will be sure to add you.

PLEASE do not turn this into a "He knowingly voided his warranty by modding..." thread; we all know that already..

[PQ]

Originally Posted by trm0002

PLEASE do not turn this into a "He knowingly voided his warranty by modding..." thread; we all know that already..

I think you just did.

[S-eatin-grin]

Originally Posted by trm0002

For those interested in helping Mike out, I have a Facebook thread up with a paypal address to donate to. The fund is currently just over $1700. It is in the BBOMG "closed" group section so you'll have to PM your facebook name to either me, Mike, or Camaro Scotty to add you to the group; or just post your facebook name here and one of us will be sure to add you.

PLEASE do not turn this into a "He knowingly voided his warranty by modding..." thread; we all know that already..

Hey...I just sent money this AM via paypal to the e-mail address that AnnaBear gave me...didn't use facebook..and paypal said it went to Trent so I hope it went to the right place!

[trm0002]

Originally Posted by S-eatin-grin

Hey...I just sent money this AM via paypal to the e-mail address that AnnaBear gave me...didn't use facebook..and paypal said it went to Trent so I hope it went to the right place!

Yes, it went to me. I'm just assuming that the mods here would frown on me putting the address here; that's why I directed to facebook to get the paypal address...

[S-eatin-grin]

I personally can't see a problem with it...it's charity...no one is making any money off this and I think that it's awesome that forum members are helping. It speaks volumes for what goes on in here that the forum could foster such a connection with owners of this car that folks arewilling to help someone out

[trm0002]

Originally Posted by S-eatin-grin

I personally can't see a problem with it...it's charity...no one is making any money off this and I think that it's awesome that forum members are helping. It speaks volumes for what goes on in here that the forum could foster such a connection with owners of this car that folks arewilling to help someone out

Aw what the hell. If the mods want me to take out the address, all they have to do is ask...

donate via paypal to help Mike (Huggerorange73) out:

paypal to: amy@ejmckenica.com

.