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Ruined bearings. Why?

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Old May 6, 2020 | 06:18 PM
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Inadequate oil pressure combined with friction and heat is a good recipe for eating up bearings!
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Old May 6, 2020 | 08:54 PM
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#1 rod and 3-4 main. All others ok. I don’t think it lost oil. All data logs show good oil pressure under high rpm like 75psi.

Originally Posted by stevieturbo
nope.....it has definitely been starved of oil.

Although you seem to imply not all the bearings are like this ?
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Old May 6, 2020 | 09:05 PM
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Is it possible that clearances were too tight giving you the high oil pressure and then things got heated up and expanded?
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Old May 6, 2020 | 09:05 PM
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Originally Posted by parrisw
#1 rod bearing and #3 & #4 main. Still had good oil pressure on the last drive on datalog.
You forgot to share, what did the other bearings look like, including cam bearings?
What do lifters/bores look like?
Really need a complete assessment of the whole motor to best understand what happened..

How much run time on engine since assembled?

If #1 (front) main bearing (which feeds #1 rod) is fine then I'd figure something was in the crank gallery to #1 rod bearing to plug it it or debris to take out bearing.
Can't explain #3 main (thrust) bearing and #4 second from rear are bad yet no issue with rod bearings that those journals feed?
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Old May 6, 2020 | 10:41 PM
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Originally Posted by 01CamaroSSTx
Is it possible that clearances were too tight giving you the high oil pressure and then things got heated up and expanded?
I don’t think so. I ran it NA the same way for a few years. Same bearings and pump, it’s an up-rated Melling pump. Has always produced higher oil pressure.
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Old May 6, 2020 | 10:43 PM
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Originally Posted by tblentrprz
You forgot to share, what did the other bearings look like, including cam bearings?
What do lifters/bores look like?
Really need a complete assessment of the whole motor to best understand what happened..

How much run time on engine since assembled?

If #1 (front) main bearing (which feeds #1 rod) is fine then I'd figure something was in the crank gallery to #1 rod bearing to plug it it or debris to take out bearing.
Can't explain #3 main (thrust) bearing and #4 second from rear are bad yet no issue with rod bearings that those journals feed?
its had lots of time NA. not much with turbos. Yes all other bearings are good, besides the ones I listed.
I’m perplexed too. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️
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Old May 7, 2020 | 07:52 AM
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Well enough said! Throwing boost at it is what destroyed the bearings.
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Old May 7, 2020 | 11:00 AM
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"Not much with turbos" translates to how many minutes of run time since engine was torn down and reassembled?

I wouldn't say boost killed it. Guys are running twice the power and no issues. Why only those bearings if starvation?
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Old May 7, 2020 | 11:12 AM
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How about the possibility of the cast crankshaft not being able to hold up to the pressure and began to flex therefore causing damage to some of the rod and main bearings?
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Old May 7, 2020 | 11:44 AM
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Originally Posted by 01CamaroSSTx
How about the possibility of the cast crankshaft not being able to hold up to the pressure and began to flex therefore causing damage to some of the rod and main bearings?
stock crank has done 4 figures easily.

If it was a crank related issue...more likely some sort of imbalance etc due to parts bolted to it
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Old May 7, 2020 | 12:12 PM
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Originally Posted by tblentrprz
"Not much with turbos" translates to how many minutes of run time since engine was torn down and reassembled?

I wouldn't say boost killed it. Guys are running twice the power and no issues. Why only those bearings if starvation?
probably 1000kms at most. I don’t think starvation as it never lost pressure.
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Old May 7, 2020 | 04:32 PM
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What caused you to take it apart?
Metal in the filter?
Got photos of the crank?
Thrust bearing?

How much time spent on the two step?
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Old May 8, 2020 | 01:16 PM
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Originally Posted by RonSSNova
What caused you to take it apart?
Metal in the filter?
Got photos of the crank?
Thrust bearing?

How much time spent on the two step?
i noticed a bit lower oil pressure at idle then normal, I changed the oil and noticed it was metallic. So I cut the filter apart and found bearing material.

0 time on 2 step.
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Old May 8, 2020 | 03:43 PM
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Originally Posted by parrisw
i noticed a bit lower oil pressure at idle then normal, I changed the oil and noticed it was metallic. So I cut the filter apart and found bearing material.

0 time on 2 step.
Thanks. Welcome to the club. 😊
Postmortem is difficult.
I found the reasons for the metal in the oil in mine, and it was junk in an oil passage past the filter. It was my fault. Mine got the rear main then of course scattered to the rods etc. caught it early, polish the crank and change bearings.

Good luck with the refresh!
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Old May 11, 2020 | 05:55 AM
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Looks like shavings from drilling the pan
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Old May 11, 2020 | 08:18 AM
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Not that. It was done off the car.

Originally Posted by jimmyg
Looks like shavings from drilling the pan
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Old May 11, 2020 | 11:54 AM
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Just my 2c here
- have seen a couple BBC do this with a HV pump /small pan capacity comb , but that should show up on your logs as high rpm pressure loss
- if the car launches well you could have momentary pressure loss from uncovering the pickup, check that part of the log
- with 2 turbos and plumbing you may have effectively lowered the running oil level by a small amount , guessing maybe 1/2 quart?
- don't want to start an oil debate here but not all synthetic oils are created equal . Long story short ,I had used rp oil for the first time on a proven engine and 500 miles later was going to pull it cause of steadily dropping pressure , at the last min decided to just change oil - no more problem even 3000 miles later with cheaper M1 . Oil breakdown, extra load on bearings from more power and any combination of the above could be the cause. Don't want you to go through the same thing all over again by repeating the exact combo - gonna have to change something
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Old May 11, 2020 | 01:27 PM
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Originally Posted by RonSSNova
Thanks. Welcome to the club. 😊
Postmortem is difficult.
I found the reasons for the metal in the oil in mine, and it was junk in an oil passage past the filter. It was my fault. Mine got the rear main then of course scattered to the rods etc. caught it early, polish the crank and change bearings.

Good luck with the refresh!
Ron, How much run time on your motor when you tore it down and found bearing issues?
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Old May 11, 2020 | 01:32 PM
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Originally Posted by RonSSNova
Thanks. Welcome to the club. 😊
Postmortem is difficult.
I found the reasons for the metal in the oil in mine, and it was junk in an oil passage past the filter. It was my fault. Mine got the rear main then of course scattered to the rods etc. caught it early, polish the crank and change bearings.

Good luck with the refresh!
Ron, How much run time on your motor when you tore it down and found bearing issues?
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Old May 12, 2020 | 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by tblentrprz
Ron, How much run time on your motor when you tore it down and found bearing issues?
I made 7 passes. 5 of those were a 120 mike round trip to and from the track. If I would have checked the filter I’d have found it then. I noted it the next spring after 2 more passes at the local track.

Was obvious some junk went through the rear main. Aligned perfectly with the oil passage in the crank. Soft enough to hurt the bearing, but not the crank. Then of course got to the rods and other mains.

I had washed the block in the shop washer, which gets basically anything dumped in there for cleaning. Grungy suspension parts, filthy engine parts etc. Despite hosing it off and blowing out the passages etc......

Lesson learned!
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