FE Fail

[HTM101]

I created the thread as a source of information for anyone interested. The first of many issues became apparent within the first 35 miles of driving. By the time I shut down the engine at 903 miles, the magnitude of issues had grown.

By the time I had dismantled the engine to a short block condition, I realized my original expectations hadn't been met for a number of reasons. I then evaluated quite a few factors, and decided to decline the warranty offer. When I moved away from the original assembler, we both understood the business relationship had ended. I have no additional expectation of him. Subsequently I contacted a 3rd party engine builder who has no horse in this race. His service is to finish the final tear-down and provide me with a rebuilt engine. To him, I'm another paying customer.

The history of this engine fail has provided me with some more engine education and I thought some people may find this reveal to be educational. An example......in April I returned from a 4 mile drive in mixed traffic. I was 35-45 miles into driving the car with the new engine. I may have reached 4k rpm during that short drive. Upon return to the garage I raised the hood and discovered oil had belched from 2 of 3 breathers and was running off the valve covers, down the cylinder heads and onto the primary headers. I did apply a Band-Aid to that condition, but didn't discover the root of that problem until the engine tear down occurred months later. So many indicators during the 903 miles and so much to evaluate. Goodness, the Blackstone Labs oil analysis is quite interesting. And the punch list grew.....

David
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[jhv48]

Originally Posted by HTM101

I created the thread as a source of information for anyone interested. The first of many issues became apparent within the first 35 miles of driving. By the time I shut down the engine at 903 miles, the magnitude of issues had grown.

By the time I had dismantled the engine to a short block condition, I realized my original expectations hadn't been met for a number of reasons. I then evaluated quite a few factors, and decided to decline the warranty offer. When I moved away from the original assembler, we both understood the business relationship had ended. I have no additional expectation of him. Subsequently I contacted a 3rd party engine builder who has no horse in this race. His service is to finish the final tear-down and provide me with a rebuilt engine. To him, I'm another paying customer.

The history of this engine fail has provided me with some more engine education and I thought some people may find this reveal to be educational. An example......in April I returned from a 4 mile drive in mixed traffic. I was 35-45 miles into driving the car with the new engine. I may have reached 4k rpm during that short drive. Upon return to the garage I raised the hood and discovered oil had belched from 2 of 3 breathers and was running off the valve covers, down the cylinder heads and onto the primary headers. I did apply a Band-Aid to that condition, but didn't discover the root of that problem until the engine tear down occurred months later. So many indicators during the 903 miles and so much to evaluate. Goodness, the Blackstone Labs oil analysis is quite interesting. And the punch list grew.....

David

And the tear down discovered what? Specifics please.

[Grubby]

Brent,

Good post. You handled this as professionally as possible. You offered a repair; what else could he want.

Mr. 601 is in question since he changed his name for the post. What is he trying to hide?

John

[DanEC]

[quote=HTM101;1372771]

By the time I had dismantled the engine to a short block condition, I realized my original expectations hadn't been met for a number of reasons. I then evaluated quite a few factors, and decided to decline the warranty offer.

David


Members can try to struggle with keeping an open mind on this, but until you provide a rational reason for not exercising the warranty rights you had with the original builder - I don't think there will be much sympathy here.

[undy]

[quote=DanEC;1372807]

Originally Posted by HTM101

By the time I had dismantled the engine to a short block condition, I realized my original expectations hadn't been met for a number of reasons. I then evaluated quite a few factors, and decided to decline the warranty offer.

David


Members can try to struggle with keeping an open mind on this, but until you provide a rational reason for not exercising the warranty rights you had with the original builder - I don't think there will be much sympathy here.

I agree.

Cryptic posts do nothing except heighten the drama. The lid's already been kicked off Pandora's Box. What lied inside needs to be discussed... or forgotten, at least here on the forum.

[HTM101]

If we were talking about a couple bent pushrods or stuck valve, maybe some broken valve springs, there would have been no opposition to warranty work. But....there were too many failures going on. By the time I pulled the heads I guessed the engine was destroying itself. Add to that some denials, differences of opinion and outright poor logic proffered for some conditions, I opted to walk away.

Here's the current punch list. There are more items coming.
1. An intake manifold that detached from all head ports, enough to allow crankcase oil invasion. When reinstalled, it detached from 6 head ports within 75 miles. When reinstalled the 3rd time it detached from 4 ports within 15 miles of driving. However, this intake had been mounted on my prior engine for 15,000 miles without exhibiting any issue of this type.
2. 18 heavily chafed pushrods (2 complete sets had been installed); the result of 7/16" diameter pushrods installed in an intake originally designed for 5/16" diameter pushrods. The pushrod tubes of the intake had not been modified to accommodate the larger pushrod. I was advised repeatedly that pushrod rubbing is ok and contributes to pushrod alignment.
3. 9 quarts of oil consumed in 900 miles.
4. Measurable valve guide wear.
5. All 8 cylinder sleeves seated .005" - .0065" below the deck of the block. The head gaskets didn't show evidence of leakage, yet.
6. Severe compression ring wear. The resulting high crankcase pressure caused oil belching from breathers and created other damage.
7. All bearings contaminated and impregnated with compression ring wear debris.
8. All piston skirts contaminated and impregnated with compression ring debris.
9. 85% of the oil-retention cylinder wall cross-hatching is scrubbed off in every cylinder. The cylinder walls are scuffed with vertical marks by the prematurely worn compression rings. However, in an attempt to rationalize my engine's wear, I was advised by the assembler that he inspected a circle track race engine in late September. That engine of reference had endured an entire season of track time. The circle track race engine's cross-hatch had worn off. I was advised my engine's loss of cross hatch during 903 miles of street driving should be of no concern.
10. The cam gear teeth exhibit .030"+ wear, all teeth.

Its been an education.