ezss

The 3k oil change sticker says 39,400 miles, that would be after the break-in period and when I could start using mobil-1 again if I wanted to. First oil change was done after a few hundred miles at JD's. The car is at around 38k miles (maybe just under), and thats where its going to stay for a long while to come it looks like now...

I ran the car about a month ago at island dragway in camaro's vs. mustangs. The car felt strong there, one run was a 11.4 @120, another 11.6 @121 -- this is with my conservative shifting and island isnt the best track. I got booted out for no cage, so I finally went and had my cage installed last weekend by ECS (nice group of guys, they did a nice job with my wolfe).

Fast forward to this week, American Iron shootout 3 at cecil. First run was 11.75 @ 119 on fairly crappy 1.66 60'. Made a few more runs and it seemed like the car was getting slower. I checked oil, level was fine, checked coolant, it was a little bit low but still plenty. Made another pass and it was like 11.8 at 116.9. I know there is no way there can be anything wrong with my brand new motor, not after 110% went into it at JD's, so I decide it has to be me screwing up.

Frustrated I started bothering Brian (fireball) to see if he wanted to drive it. He has a RAM clutch also, same pro 5.0 shifter with lou's SS, same rear, similar tires, similar weight, etc...in his car and he was getting very low 11s. He gets his fire jacket, helmet, and shift **** Nice burnout, car rips off the launch, somewhere after the shift to second a huge cloud of smoke comes billowing out of the back of the car, looked like a second burnout. Brian said the car just died at the top of second, everything turned off. His fiance took video of it, and thats what it looks like...maybe they can post it. Anyhow, oil leak everywhere, but as far as I am aware no debris was picked up, but it seems obvious to everyone involved that the car threw a rod. Crawling under the car I could see no visible signs of damage to the outside of the block though, so I will have to wait and see.

It will be a few weeks before the car is looked at, but talking to JD there is no warantee or any consideration, so the car will not be going back there. If the block is ruined I may end up going back to stock cubes -- I need something that is fast and not going to fall apart on me after minimal use. I probably made 300+ track passes and 29k miles on my stock motor, with the two rebuilds I have about 30 track passes and 9k miles, only 1500 of which was trouble free with this current motor.

So anyhow, any thoughts on what might have happend? any thoughts on motor rebuilds without breaking the bank? what are the chances that the rod hit the oil pan instead of the ruining the block? If it did hit the block, maybe just that one sleeve could be replaced, although Im not holding out hope at this point.

here is a link to the original full file of audio/video:
http://home.comcast.net/~bkrzewinski/kaboom.mpg

The one originally posted was compressed and the sound was off, making people think the car hit the limiter.

The original .avi file that had the messed up audio has been deleted from my server. ~Fireball

Q

iTrader: (18)

Damn, that sucks! I really can't comment on what could've went wrong, but I feel your pain.

Scalpel

iTrader: (4)

Any of the proven sponsors on this board can get you going in the right direction. I know of a guy on a local board that had a JD Darton Sleeved 427 take a crap like yours did, too.

My suggestion, cut all your losses and move on to a different shop.

BADSS

iTrader: (7)

I am really sorry to hear that, Erik. Why no warranty from JD? You did pay for the rebuild JD did to the JPR 388, didn't you? It's not like he did the work for free.

ezss

JD absorbed some costs through JPR for parts, but I still shelled out $3200 out of pocket to have the motor rebuilt. To be fair some of that was for a new fuel pump installed. I thought id be looking at maybe $1500 -- I had offers from other shops starting at under $2k that had no obligation to me at all to fix it, I wish I had taken done that now because my $3200 + all the money that originally went into the motor, tuning and work is also pretty much out the window now.

Chris@AP-Engineering

iTrader: (-2)

EZSS, give us a call we can help you out. I talked to you before, my offer is still good.

Thanks

Scalpel

iTrader: (4)

I'd go with APE, they never stop impressing me

v8maro

iTrader: (4)

Sorry about your loss man

JD's = CRAP

Durien

damn man....that really sucks... you have gone through so much crap already..

SouthFL.02.SS

Here come the CAPS!...

Scalpel

iTrader: (4)

LOL,

Bear

iTrader: (1)

You gotta be shitting me. I am so not impressed with ANYTHING I've ever seen or heard or dealt with first hand outta JDs shop. EZ U need an Angel on your shoulder. U need to have someone look at the motor and give u a straight answer.I am having no better luck either. My heads are leaking coolant down the back and rear side of the block. Who knows what to do.

foff667

iTrader: (2)

this thread is making me sick to my stomach

Fireball

iTrader: (21)

Once again...I feel terrible the car came apart on me

here was the video...the audio is misleading...its the car doing its burnout behind us you really hear I think (though you do hear the launch)... video was taken with my sony digital still camera...no zoom capability during the movie capture...but you get the idea...

http://home.comcast.net/~bkrzewinski/kaboom.avi

Fireball

iTrader: (21)

I'm guessing you never found the hole where the oil came from? It could be anywhere on that drivers side I'm guessing

Scalpel

iTrader: (4)

Fireball, nice title to the *mpeg

That was a lot of white smoke, any coolant on the dipstick?

Tech

iTrader: (1)

Was that the rev limiter that I heard?

ezss

Dont worry about, definately not your fault. Thanks for giving it a shot, I feel bad for draggin you into it. Thanks for your help afterwards too.

Fireball

iTrader: (21)

no...car never touched the limiter...the car behind me doing a burnout or the other car is what you probably heard

ezss

Thats the car starting his burnout behind my car. Standing much further down the track where I was I did not hear him hit the limiter. Just strong motor sound and then nothing but smoke.

We have not spotted the hole, but it might actually be on the passenger side.