[y2k600f4]

Some of you may recall that I have been having nothing but problems on oil consumption on a 383 SBC.

Well been 6 weeks in the shop and had to get a new block, builder did the labor for free but the parts added up quickly.

Not to get into too much detail...he put 120 miles on the car and it used 1/2 qt oil (new block); say what to expect during seating of the rings. Anyway pulled the plugs and the (3) cylinders that were giving the most problem as far as oil on the plugs are STILL showing oil glazing. The rest have a burn pattern forming.

Now he ended up changing the valve seals 3 times since the orginal rebuild by him a few months ago, also he changed out the exhaust guides. The (3) were way out of spec (.007"). Now I understand there may be a problem with the heads due to geometries, side loading etc but would one expect that 100 miles at least the valve seals would prevent any oil to leak into the exhaust and get burned.

All smoking is gone except when it is warm and start it back up you get a puff...builder said it maybe due to heated oil in the exhaust, since it only does it after restart warm.

I am going to pick up the car now and pay my balance, but if I have head issues I think I just need to throw in the towel...way too much time and $$ invested with 100% of the issues not fixed.

 

[DoubleVision]

As much issue`s as you`ve had I take my hat off to you, you`ve really stuck with it and didn`t give up but I understand there comes a time to throw in the towel to. If the heads had .007 clearence that`s the same of having no guide at all and it`ll use oil no matter how many seals you put on it. I wonder why this wasn`t picked up on before and it makes me think I wouldn`t take anything else back to him. I learned the hard way always check behind your machinist. I trusted mine. I gave him my Vortec block and asked him to mic it, he did and said .001, so I said all it needed was a hone and he agreed. I got the block back, put it together, didn`t check the bore clearence like a moron. The engine smoked, knocked and would not seal up. I snatched the engine and mic`d the bores and found them 4.009. No wonder it wouldn`t seal and it knocked like he**. How he managed to hone .008 out of it I`ll never know unless the hone was set with the tension way too high. but I didn`t check, and I paid for it. $5000 engine a bust.
I hope you get your issues sorted out so you can enjoy it. My best to you.

 

[Regal Beagle]

I would tend to agree with DoubleVision......time to find a new builder. I would go as far as to ask this guy to buy your current engine back and start from scratch.
I give you credit for hanging in there. You have a great amount of patience and dtermination.

Good Luck

Beagle

 

[y2k600f4]

Which 3 cylinders are oiling?

1,3, and 5



Just pulled in the driveway after picking it up and all I can say is I feel sick. I am no engine builder or machinist but I am a hands on guy, read a lot and frequent this and other forums to talk to the "experts". I am a loss on what is going on and what is the probability of getting a bad block and a bad set of head castings (if that is the issue) ?

To make a long story short and answer a few of other's questions it is smoking still. (builder said it did not yesterday); which all he did was swap out cap and module and drive for a few miles; thought maybe the non-high performance module might have had less spark and "loaded" down cylinder, but that was just a brief thought. We started the car, let it warm up and revved the engine...SMOKED out of both sides !!! Talked some more and he is 100% sure it is not the block or rings etc and if there is anything going on it is something strange in the heads and basically he did not supply the castings and really don't know. Driving home 15 miles or so I noticed it puff some smoke when I hid 2nd or 3rd then when got home it smoked in driveway when revved.

The worst exhaust guides were .007 and the others .003 or so; all out of spec. The thing is they all where within spec during the previous rebuild (with 1,3,5 being borderline) and then I only put 600 or so miles on them ?? The builder checked the roller rockers in position to the valves to verify rockers and pushrods. Gauged intake and exhaust guides, replaced valve seals, cleaned heads and visually inspected but did not go any further than that. Also the lifters and cam looked fine.

Plan is to run it more than the 120 miles now on this build and watch the oil/smoking and go from there. Volunteered to build me a pair of stock 76cc heads, do some porting , larger valve etc and probably take a hit of 50HP or so but lower the compression from 10.5-1 down to 9.5:1 or so. Plus the alum heads I have now are either 200/210cc , 64 cc and says 180cc would be a better match for my engine combo.

Right now I am going to park it, walk away from this whole thing and consider my options

Update: I was just inspecting the car and noticed the residue in the tailpipes is actually powdery and black (still oily but now seems to be burning up)...appears like the oil is burning up in the exhaust (qts and qts of blow by previously in exhaust). Is it possible that oil can be sitting in the exhaust pipes/mufflers and the car smokes when it heats up due to it possibly burning residue that is left in the exhaust ?

 

[302 Z28]

Sounds like your heads are toast, and you need a different engine builder.

Vince

 

[ericnova72]

Ignore the smoking for a moment, the badly oiled up exhaust can be the culprit, just like antifreeze residue from a blown head gasket... Is the engine actually using oil badly now(dipstick level), or have you not driven enough to know??

What brand are the intake, heads, and pistons??

Are you babying it, or are you actually running it hard enough to seat the rings?? Run it like you stole it, foot to the floor!!! Run it up the rpm scale HARD to 85% of your redline figure, repeatedly, at least 15 times. Rings need pressure to seat, just running them up and down the bores with no real load on them is BAD.

 

[y2k600f4]

Ignore the smoking for a moment, the badly oiled up exhaust can be the culprit, just like antifreeze residue from a blown head gasket... Is the engine actually using oil badly now(dipstick level), or have you not driven enough to know??

What brand are the intake, heads, and pistons??

Are you babying it, or are you actually running it hard enough to seat the rings?? Run it like you stole it, foot to the floor!!! Run it up the rpm scale HARD to 85% of your redline figure, repeatedly, at least 15 times. Rings need pressure to seat, just running them up and down the bores with no real load on them is BAD.

Actually the builder did the engine build, R&R, and tuning...drove it 120 miles total after the build (used 1/2 qt; which he says is normal before seating of the rings) and I know he drove it HARD; reason why he had the car so long, he wanted to make sure the rings were seated. He wants me to get some miles on it and watch the oil before we jump to any conclusions.

Thanks for the insight, I hope it is oil just burning off out of the exhaust(probably qts of sludge in the exhaust); to answer your question the pistons have a total of maybe 1500 miles on them and they are Speed-Pro Hypereutectics. The intake manifold is a clone of the Edelbrock air gap (Professional Products Crosswind). Now please be easy on me the heads are Pro Comp PC3003 castings...I know I have read the numerous posts on them..mostly bad, some good. Let me get a few 100 miles on the build and if the oil level don't move (was using ~1 qt 100 miles prior) than maybe it is ok.

 

[302 Z28]

The intake manifold is a clone of the Edelbrock air gap (Professional Products Crosswind). Now please be easy on me the .

Chinese I presume, any chance that intake is not fitting properly and sucking oil from the lifter valley?...it wouldn't be the first time.

Vince

 

[S10 Racer]

Is there a chance that the builder bored and honed the cylinders too much for Hyper pistons? Hypers run a closer tolerance that a cast or forged piston. Just a thought.

 

[Brett 46]

I had the same heads PC 3003 and the same brand intake, would not line up at all, had to change the top end. Like a garden hose that had been chewed on by your dog, leaks everywhere. Hopefully you get it fiqured out.

 

[cobalt327]

Chinese I presume, any chance that intake is not fitting properly and sucking oil from the lifter valley?...it wouldn't be the first time.

Vince

I've barked up this tree 'till I'm over it. If it's the intake, too bad for Chinese junk- sometimes cheap... ISN'T! lol

 

[y2k600f4]

Big thumbs down on the heads. Sorry about your luck. Look em over real close,

Next time dont be so cheap and support/buy North American made quality products.
AFR, Brodix , Edelbrock, Dart, GMPP etc .

China man hunt old pop cans from dump.Take'em back to China, make crappy cylinder heads for few Yen. Sell crap to you for big buck. FA-QEU warranty/service. Make engine builder look like clown. So sorry

I know I know I know....

I bought the car as a recent restoration with 50 miles on it last year and did not get the luxary of picking the heads.

If I was going to do it all over I would of chose quality "non-chinese" heads or worked up a set of iron heads...defineately not what I got, but unfortuneately I did not get a chance. I'm all about supporting USA made components when I can.

As far as the intake, builder checked it out and all I can say it appears to match up well to the heads with no issues. Castings very well can be questionable but I guess I first need to see what is going on before I jump to conclusions.

 

[S10 Racer]

I've run .030 piston in a .040 hole and not no smoke'em.
Kinda noisey thou

Oh, I guess machining tolerances are'nt all that important then