acidfreeze

Well today whatever was going on with my car finally won…. I was heading to work driving about 30mph and all of a sudden I hear this loud clinking noise that sounds like it is coming from the top of the engine. The car died and really won't start back up. I can push the gas to the floor and it will start but sounds like on 1 cyl and then dies. No smoke, oil is clean. I’m not sure if this is related but for the last few months whenever I would get on it at high rpms I would get burning oil smoke out the back of the tail pipes. “BTW I didn’t smell any burning oil today when this happened “ It wouldn't smoke unless I was ******* it. I figured that might be blow by but not sure after what happened today. I mean I have blew up plenty of motors and this just doesn’t seems like a rod or anything. I was told maybe valve spring broke or timing belt broke. Any ideas? I guess if needs I could post video, but don't really want to mess it up any worse. The motor is built and has about 60k on it all aftermarket stuff. Is it much of a bitch to get the valve covers off? I thought maybe I could pop one off and take a look for a rocker that is off or something. So my last question is, if I have a valve spring that broke would the car still run? My friend told me it had to be timing belt since the car will not run.

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

OK, I GIVE UP. What year & engine is this Firebird?

Ocala93TA

iTrader: (9)

What he said ^^^^^^^ but this struck me kind of funny lol

acidfreeze

99 trans am LS1, hehe my bad used to signature showing car

99blancoSS

iTrader: (115)

What was going on previous?

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

These engines have timing CHAINS, not belts. If it broke, it wouldn’t start at all. I do also believe you’d have pistons smacking some valves.

What’s the milage on this engine? The chain could be so stretched out it’s jumped a gear tooth but I’d think it’s a long shot-but possible.

Perhaps something’s happened to the crank sensor pickup.

If you had a broken spring, in all likelihood the valve would drop into the cylinder and get smacked, breaking it BUT the engine would run with seven cylinders-pretty noisily.

It’s not too hard to pull the valve covers. You have some basic car tools-ratchet set-and know which way to turn things? Un-do and remove the coil packs and then the valve cover center bolts. Lift off carefully.

With the covers off, crank the engine and watch for all the rockers to be moving smoothly.

Good luck and let us know...

eseibel67

iTrader: (10)

I'm familiar with this problem, and I have a great start to help you get this thing fixed.

Kick your friend in the ***.

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

+1 on that kick! Just saw the 60K part. And just thought about your comment "I have blew up plenty of motors" AND just saw the video on your "what do you think this smoke is from" thread.

OK, it's a built motor and you've been beating on it. At 60K, it shouldn't be burning oil. Mine at 168K doesn't burn oil (and I do beat/rev it-IN GEAR). I'd say all bets are off. It could be something dumb-assed simple or it could be another blown up motor under your belt.

acidfreeze

First thing tomorrow I am going to pull the valve covers off and take a look. The motor was built by Keith craft performance almost 4 years ago.. So I bet it has been ran hard before I ever bought it. I bought it like 6-7 months ago and have all the paperwork to back up all the parts & labor but... I am going by the mileage the guy who sold it to me told me. So it could be more then 60k just not sure. So last week I did take it and have the plugs and wires changed. Maybe it was might fault not telling them it was a built motor and a plug got broke and fell down in the cyl.

I’m not sure if this is related but after I got the plugs changed it was running a lot better, and it seemed to make the smoke decrease a little. I took it to the track last weekend and the first time I took off I was trying to baby it since I was on street tires and right out of the whole it bogged down and the pedal went to the floor but it didn't go anywhere. So when I went back around I revved it up and it sounded fine while it was not under load. On the way home from the track it seems to be running ok... But when I left from work 2 nights ago it did that same kind of cut out when I was just pulling out of my work parking lot. Kind of like if you ran out of gas then it took off.

Paul Bell

iTrader: (9)

A plug broke and fell down in the cylinder. Can't see how this can happen but did they get all of it out?

SS Enforcer

This is getting interesting..

cheers

bww3588

iTrader: (49)

stop making me laugh, i keep waking the wife up.

acidfreeze

no plug broke off, I just heard someone else mention that on the forums. I was just saying maby something like that could have happend. Anyways seems like it is spun rod bearing. I took it in and they said the sound wasent coming from the top end and wanted 500 to tell me for sure it was a rod. I figured I would just start looking into rebuilding it or buying a new motor. I mean they said it could be a bent push rod I guess but since it doesnt run and the sound is pretty loud I am going to bet its not. So if i take the oil filter off and cut is open.. I should be able to find metal shavings in it?

fleetmgr

If you spun a bearing, the oil filter should look like jewlery inside, nice and sparkly.

acidfreeze

So what exactly would have to be done to drop somthing like this 383 stroker in? computer wise,motor mount,transmission (6speed currently)?
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/pts/1548836419.html

And could I use my heads if they turned out to be better?

thanks

99blancoSS

iTrader: (115)

If your block is good then just re-use it for a 383. Nothing changes on the outside of it.

You would need a re-tune for sure and maybe injectors.. maybe not

You would be upping the power by a little bit and really wouldn't need to worry about too much until it broke to be honest. New clutch, nothing major but an upgrade there while the engine is out would be good.

Trans you can leave alone and unless your using drag radials and trying to hook at the strip don't worry about the rear until you need to.

Also you aren't seriously considering a craigslist engine are you? I can turn yours into a 383 for the 3k they want for that and you'll know it's been built right.
We can also massage your heads a little bit to enhance them for the new cubes.

acidfreeze

I found the stroker kits for $1700, just was wondering what all I would need to change. 3,000 out the door installed ? shame you live so far away

Here is my current setup

99blancoSS

iTrader: (115)

$3000 to rebuild it into a 383. You bring us your block and we'll give you back a 383 short block. My builder is in Houston.

acidfreeze

alright, I am going to take a look into the oil filter tommarow. So could you tell me what a bent push rod symtoms would be? lets say I cut open the oil filter and it is clean.. Would a bent push rod cause the car to make nocking sound? would it cause the car not to run ? They told me it could be push rod at 21 century muscle cars.

bww3588

iTrader: (49)

let me get this straight, you have an LS1 and you want to replace it with this old school GEN I 383???


your engine and this 383 have nothing in common except rod bearings.