Thank all of you guys for your comments! Yes, I too thought the rod bearing looks worn out, The wear seems to be on one side only (the rod, or upper side) although the cap bearing is not too pretty either.
As I remove more pistons I will post the results.

For whatever it is worth, this engine was a rebuilt engine that I bought on Ebay from an outfit in Arizona. The photo was taken in June 2005 as I was ready to install it in the van.

The engine came with a high output oil pump and the oil pressure has been 55 psi since the day I fired it up. At first I thought that was way too high, so I called the people I bought it from and they told me that perhaps the bypass was not working on the pump (?) but they would send me a replacement pump and apologized for the extra work I had to do to install it.

Meanwhile, as I was waiting for the replacement pump I called the oil pump company. He told me this pump is a high output pump and the bypass was set at 60 psi. Since I had 55 psi he told me everything was OK. The replacement pump arrived and I just put it away and never installed it.

I do not know if 55 psi is a problem on a small block engine?
OK, I will be back later with more results. Thanks.........pg

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55 PSI is NOT too much pressure on a SBC. Most I have checked have been at least that.

Thanks carsavvycook......
I was not sure about the oil pressure. I have always owned Chevys and all of them show 20 psi when I stop for a red light, then gos up to 40 psi running down the road. I am talking about a standard oil pump.

Today I hope to get more rods removed from the engine.
#2 will be the next one to come out. Since it shares the same journal as the #1 I am curious to see what it looks like.
I will be posting some photos of what I find........pg

Yikes, don't like hearing that part! Hope it's not from anyone I know! LOL

BTW...55 is fine oil pressure. I have a stock Melling M55 and it runs 60 cold, 45 hot. Just fine.

__________________
Always on the look out for cheap Nike shoes!

I removed the rest of the pistons/rods a few minutes ago.
All of the inserts look as bad as the #1 rod, except for #5.
#5 is so worn out that the insert even feels half as thick as the rest of them.
Both inserts will not even sit in the rod and cap as I try to bolt them together.
Another thing......The wrist pin is almost stuck in the piston. The rod will stand straight up by itself. I can move it all the way from left to right but it is tight.
Have not taken any photos yet, but will do so later.

So I am at a total loss as to what has caused this engine to crater like it did.
It looks like a crank regrind on all 4 journals is going to be required and a new set of inserts as well.
Boy, am I going to have fun trying to fit that stuff together! (NOT)........pg

Yes, a Melling is what is on my engine. I could not think of the name of it.
The engine was purchased from a shop in Phoenix as I recall. I have the paperwork around here somewhere.

They sold the engine for $2395 and you pay the freight or $2495 with free shipping. No block exchange was required. I took the shipping included option and the freight truck pulled up in front of my house with a lift gate on the back.

$100 to ship it from Arizona to Texas? That always bothered me. It just seemed like I got the engine much to cheaply.

I had one customer email me and asks if I had any problems with my engine. I said I did not (this was at about the 5000 mile mark) and he said a number of customers he knew had 'serious problems' with theirs. That bothered me also for a while, until I forgot about it. Ha-Ha.....Wake up call now ringing.
pg

man that sucks, I hate to hear that alot of people are having problems with certain builder.............hmmmm something smells fishy, and they probaly wont or dont have a good customer service policy.....I stand by my work and have not had a comback yet knock knock on wood heheheh even thou i only believe in karma.

Stinks that your motor tore up but this makes one heck of a desktop background.

What kind of camera did you use?

Shane

I will try to send a pic of rod #5.......it is much worse. Ha-Ha.
Camera is a Nikon D200 with a 105mm F2.8 Micro lens. The bore shot was taken with same camera but I used a 10.5mm Fisheye for that shot......pg

Just an opinion, but it looks like the rod weren't resized...

K

What do you mean by 'looks like the rods were not resized?'
Under the inserts, most of the rods look like there was some kind of machining done to both the rods and caps. Almost like the .010 inserts needed to seat a little deeper to gain proper fit on the crank.
I am just really ignorant about how this fitting should be done though........pg

Well, the caps and rods are machined when they're manufactured, when they're rebuilt,
they need to be resized, Mainly because of all the time they've spent going up and down,
will oval shape the bore in the big end. That picture you posted looks just like that type
of work...

K

It looks like they didnt balance the crank, and even thou some manufacturers say they come ready to go is bs. I bought a scat crank and had a machine shop put it together 4 me as I had more money then time 4yrs ago and come to find out the machine shop didnt check it and when i started it up it felt like a train was coming by as the whole truck shock violently, so took back apart because machine shop said it wasnt thier fault, and balanced whole motor even thou I was able to exchange the crank due to family friend scat at first said they wouldnt take it back put they did in long haul so I just got screwed the 1500 I paid the shop.......but I guess it was a 1500 lesson becuz now I balance everything but maybe its overkill but I think its worth it.


How does the crank look?

OK, this morning I removed the remaining rods and pistons.
All big ends have damage.
Rods 1,2,3,4,6,7,&8 are about the same. Lots of copper color showing.
Rod #5 is a bit different than the rest however.
The insert in #5 feels like it is about half the thickness of any of the other inserts. Both the insert in the cap and in the rod on #5 will not even sit in place while I bolt the cap and rod together.
Another problem with #5 is the piston pin is tight in the piston. All others swing freely back in forth in the pistons. I wonder what caused that? Ecessive pounding on the big end bearing? I am at a loss.

First photo is a group shot. The pistons are arranged in this order. starting from left to right:
Front row....#8, #6, #4, #2.
Back row.....#7, #5, #3, #1
Notice how all rod inserts show the copper color, except #5. Pretty much the same.
Next is a couple of close up shots of the #5 rod insert, or what is left of it.
Notice how the rod stands straight up. That is a too tight piston pin.

I am certainly open to any comments you guys may care to make as to why this could happen in only 15K miles? I think I need to start looking for an automotive machine shop because the crank needs attention.

I still have to remove the crank from the block. Lord only knows what I will find there! Since the crank has .015 end play rather than the .002 to.006 stated in the factory manual I am almost afraid to look at it.
Suggestions appreciated, I am all ears..........pg

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The "tight" piston in #5 tells the "story". This was your knock.

It will be interesting to see picture's of the main and thrust bearings, and the crankshaft.

This may hurt some.

If the forward surface of the Thrust is worn/hot/burnt/blue. The torque converter was not "seated" all the way in,(you should not be able to put a finger between it, or the transmission housing) or it also could be, what I like to call "ballooning", of the torqure converter expanding in size. This can also be caused by a restriction in the transmission cooler lines. A bend or crimp is enough to do it.

JMO

Been There; Don't ask