Pinnacle Limo

I just bought a 2010 Camaro with a Thompson Motorsports engine and a Vortech YSi V7 superchager. Guy I bought the car from bought the short block from TMS but used heads and some other parts from a previous LS3 engine he blew out. The engine was 7 months old and still supposedly under TMS warranty. Here's a list of the heads and internals:
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Engine Specs
Thompson Motorsports built 416ci LS3 9.5-1 compression
Balanced and blueprinted
ARP rod bolts
TMS/RPM crank
TMS rods and Diamond pistons -15cc
TMS ring set
High pressure Melling Oil Pump, LS2 timing chain
.612/.612 236/250+4 TMS custom ground cam
ATI damper pulley. Pulley is keyed to the crank.
TMS LS7 lifters, Texas Speed hardened pushrods
The heads have been run through Texas Speeds CNC program to port and polish and allow for the bigger valves. PRC dual springs with titanium retainers and new valve seats. They sit on top GM MLS head gaskets secured with TMS head studs. The lifters are with the Harland Sharp trunion upgrade kit.
East Coast Supercharging 10 rib YSi kit. 3.25 upper pulley. Polished head unit and black brackets. This setup currently makes 11psi, but the blower is capable of 31psi. This is a scavenger style head unit, so it is lubricated by the engine oil. The kit has a front mount air to air intercooler and blow off valve.
Livernois Motorsports Dual Fuel Pump
Injector Dynamics ID1000 injectors
Alky Control dual nozzle methanol injection system. This system is setup to run straight M-1 methanol.
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I had this car like 1 week but then had a lifter fail and take out the whole block. My mechanic took the valve cover off and saw a bent bolt on one of the rockers. Thompson said that a failed lifter wouldn't cause a bent rocker bolt so the fault was with the bolt or install. The bad bolt caused the spring not to make enough force to keep lifter in contact with the cam. Causing the lifter to shatter. Mind you the motor must have been at about 4500-5000 rpm when it happened. Therefore no warranty because the previous owner provided and installed that part.
So I paid to have the motor shipped to TX and they rebuild the whole thing. New block, new crank and bearings, cam, TMS LS2/LS7 lifters, rods, valves, valve springs. I pay to have them assemble everything as a long block. Specifically for warranty issues. All my mechanic at Izzy Performance here in Los Angeles needs to do is mount engine, fuel, intake and exhaust. Thompson Motorsports gave me pretty heavy discounts on the parts and labor, which was pretty cool of them since I couldn't argue warranty. Still it costs me over $4k with shipping.
The motor gets hereafter a month or so and I have it installed, broken in, and tuned. Dynojet tune has it at 810hp. Cool. Izzy tells me they could probably get it to 850hp but 810 is more than I will need on the streets.
2 weeks after I get it from Izzy, I'm driving on freeway and hear a ticking noise. I'm thinking maybe the headers gasket is leaking since the ticks match the revs. Take it to Izzy Performance and no luck. Its internal to the engine. But by now its got a ticking noise and a random clank. I call Thompson and they have me check a few things, like the flywheel and running the engine with belts off. That's not it. So now Thompson says send it to them.
I'm not sure if it's bad luck or if something is off with this engine/cam/crank/valve/piston setup. Hopefully there isn't another reason why this wouldn't be covered under warranty. I can't see it being a detonation issue since I haven't had car that long, the methanol reservoir was almost full, I wasn't gunning it when the problem started, it has quality injectors and fuel pump, and the car was tuned by a shop specializing in LS engines.
Let's see how Thompson handles this when they get the motor. They have a great rep, and I'm hoping they come through for me. If anybody else has had something similar please post.

74u

iTrader: (9)

Everything I've heard about Thompson is they are a class act and take care of their customers. It sounds like they threw you a bone (discount) on your current motor.

Why the preemptive strike?

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

Hopefully this will all work out. I've had nothing but the best from TMS

Pinnacle Limo

Well, I've noticed that people who post issues with TMS here on the forums get taken care of even when its basically their fault. The first time they repaired the motor I had to pay $4k and I never even worked on the motor. Seems odd a bolt failed. This time I want to see some of the love other guys seem to get.

Jontall

LS7 lifters are junk and I wouldn't use them. Replace them with Morel 5206 link-bar lifters and you'll never have any problems. https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...rior-ls7s.html

MuhThugga

Well, Thompson built the last shortblock and the other guy installed the heads and the rest of the motor. If the guy screwed up, why would you expect Thompson to cover everything?

I mean, ****, you got Thompson to build you a brand new motor, fully assembled, and shipped to your door for $4000? That is a ridiculously good deal. Anywhere else would have been over double that price.

TurboBuick6

iTrader: (2)

If I were them I would be telling you to get lost right about now. This is such a dick move man.

74u

iTrader: (9)

I don't think I'd go that far.

Maybe the conversation between limo and Thompson didn't leave him feeling confident...who knows.

That's why I was asking what compelled him to post.

Pinnacle Limo

Actually the dick move is you saying me posting an issue is a dick move. What is wrong with you?

This is the second time in a 2 month span that I have to send an engine back to TMS. Just because the first time they said it wasn't their issue didn't mean it's necessarily true. It could have been fault valve sitting which they supplied. Since it's not provable either way then I think it's fair that the cost shpuld be mitigated to me. Especially considering I have another issue from this engine that has only been touched by TMS. You think twice is a coincidence? Possible but not that likely.

And Mr "dick move" if TMS handles this like I'm hoping they will then that's great for their rep.

TurboBuick6

iTrader: (2)

yes it is totally a dick move to state the issues on a forum before even hearing back from TMS to get the so called "public forum, I have a gripe, loven".

TMS isn't a hack place, they do good work there. The two failures are non related at all.
Like MuhThugga said, if they would build everyone a long block $4K delivered, they would have enough orders in a week to keep them busy for years. So yes it was a dick move.

3 posts? Did you join here just to complain about great service and the fact the original owner of the engine could have screwed it up?

Pinnacle Limo

Just because you have more posts has nothing to do with it. if anything, you're a bigger dick because of it. You the censorship police on this forum? I don't meet your criteria? I think joining this forum to post any kind of information good or bad is what the forum is for.

Since you read my post you chose to completely ignore that I said it was cool of them to give me the big price discounts on this motor. Does that mean I should be happy with having to send the motor back AGAIN? Hell no. And there is a 95% chance this last failure has nothing to do with my side. When I spoke to Kyle, I got the impression they might find something else to imply this is not a warranty issue. That's why I am posting. Overall, despite these issues I would go back to TMS in the future for another engine, but definitely the long block. Because Kyle is actually a good guy that tries to help out.

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

So, the first time the motor failed, it really could have been anybody's fault. TMS, original owner, or you. Not implying one way or another, so it's cool TMS worked with you to get you back on the road with an amenable solution. That's fine.

The fact that you have another issue has to suck. Especially after buying the Camaro + cost of the new longblock/install/tune. Certainly not what you wanted to see. However, I would say that you should give TMS some time to remedy this. I understand the frustration and the issue is you're dealing with a motor built several states over and you're at the mercy of shipping it back and forth.

So, let me give you some advice on what it probably is based on your valvetrain combo (which I don't think is all that great): If it's ticking, it's a lifter issue. I'm willing to bet the heavy valves, crazy valve springs, and a flimsy pushrod destroyed another shitty lifter. Same issue as before.

I'd take those heads off and check the lifters. Get some 11/32 pushrods (or 3/8s), and run lighter valves with less valve spring. Then swap to a Morel or Johnson high-dollar lifter for the build. But I'd talk to TMS about that - they should still warranty the shortblock if there are any issues, but they didn't put together the topend package. Sounds like they just got you back together. So, perhaps that is why they were a little dodgy with you? The valvetrain or topend may be a problem and that's not really TMS doing that. Although, I would have hoped they would have provided some guidance when they had the longblock on changes or upgrades to make.

LLLosingit

iTrader: (4)

First thing I will tell you, Detonation can and will kill even the best engine and it doesn't take as long as you might think. As proof I have a 408 sitting in my shed that didn't make it off the dyno before detonation took out the crank. It was running on 100% Methanol, All it took was one pull with the timing being a "little" to aggressive under boost.

Give them the chance to see where the issue is and like it or not you have to trust them to tell you what they think the cause was. As it stands right now they already did you right by eating some of the cost on the first failure that both of you knew wasn't their fault.

They seem to have a good reputation and it's apparent that they care about keeping it.

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

That's also true. Detonation will kill anything.

I preach valvetrain dynamics until I'm blue in the face. Add a bunch of boost on top and it amplifies any issues.

Did you say there was noises other than a tick? Something from the bottom-end?

Hamrdown

iTrader: (25)

Agreed! You (OP) could have waited for the results. It looks more like an attempt for ammunition if the results don't go your way. "Well if you don't fix this here is a link to a thread I started. I'll bash you". Just poor taste! Get more flies with honey than poop. I'm surprised they even threw you a bone the first time! Bravo to them!! I don't know anyone else that would have done the same for someone that's not even the original purchaser. If you wanted opinions, you could have left their name out of it until the issue was resolved. You just came at it all wrong.

GrimReaper

iTrader: (33)

Such a lame move, you didn't even give them a chance.

DietCoke

iTrader: (18)

Typical internet customer who doesn't know the first thing about fixing/setting up his own parts, and wants to blame the 'shop'.

kelobro

I'll be nice and just say I wouldn't warranty a motor you're pushing past 800 HP. When you push the limits, things will break. Get used to it.

kelobro

I just bought a full long block from TMS. They did everything I asked for, but I didn't ask for anything stupid or outrageous. I'll let you know how it turns out.

MuhThugga

Look, **** breaking is part of the game. Things don't always go the way you planned, and you have to act accordingly.

Right after building an entire car, I had a lifter fail on me 5 minutes after start-up. I understand that no one wants to redo things that they just did, but some times **** happens and you have to deal with it.