Jstue

Installed a new breather system. Started it up before hose management and hard mounting the breather.

I just checked it is a little overfilled with oil about 1 1/2 over. Emptying that now.

2014 SS Sedan
2650
E85
mild cam
stage 2 valve train
16.5 psi
78k miles

emajioo

Were you able to get that extra quart out? Hows it running now?

Full Power

That's a LOT of blow-by.
I'd do a cylinder leak down test...... and visit the nearest junkyard for a MOTOR.

emajioo

agreed, they sell em on amazon for a pretty decent price

Forcefed86

iTrader: (4)

Kinda depends. If a bunch of condensation/water has built up in the pan and you install a breather like that, its going to do that until the water is gone. If that’s on a fresh oil change an is pumping like that, I’d bet you crunched a ring land.

Jstue

After the fresh oil and filter still smoking and under boost pulls hard and runs smooth but smoke poors out. Fkkkkkkkk.

goong to do a leak down….

Anyone recommend good drop in pistons and rods for LS3?

Jstue

Is it bad to drive the car with that much blow by until the motor arrives?

emajioo

Try checking out Callies Compstar LS3 H beams and a set of Mahle pistons, reasonably priced and good quality from what I've seen

Jstue

Ok

that sounds easier to stomach than a Texas speed 427 or LSX.

Both jobs are approximately 30 hours of labor?

getting quotes from 4000-5600 so far from local performance shops.

emajioo

Sounds good brotha, 3-5k sounds about right for that kinda job. One thing for certain is make sure they don’t cut any corners on ya.

Forcefed86

iTrader: (4)

16lbs on an ls3 is not setting the world on fire. Just grab any gen4 6.0,5.3, or even a 4.8. You can make the same power for 1/3rd the cost. Don’t need aftermarket parts to run boost that low on e85. What you do need to do is figure out how you hurt the motor in the first place, because it will hurt the new one the same way. No reason you should munched a piston on 16lbs on e85. Somethings wrong with the fuel delivery or the tune up.

The BallSS

iTrader: (9)

$4-6K to drop off a short block and have rods and piston put in?
Seems steep but maybe I'm off base.

emajioo

on second thought, I 100% agree with this.

Jstue

that’s the labor to drop the car off and have the rods/pistons put in, the shops said same price in labor approximately to swap out the stock OEM LS3 short block with a Texas speed 427.

piston/rods/machine work/fluids/labor = 6k

texas speed 427/machine work/fluids/labor = 14k

I wanted to do this but 2 years from now. Drove the car for 3 days at that power level and hurt her. I agree I’m anxious to figure out what the root cause was……

what should I do boys?

emajioo

quite a few options to choose from, but assume you'd have the 7k-14k to play with, you could pick up an iron truck motor from the junkyard (4.8/5.3/6.0 or hell even a 6.2 if you're lucky enough) for $400 or less, even better if it has heads on there. take it to a machine shop and have them deck the surfaces and hone it. IF it's a Gen IV block you'd have plenty of strength with the SBE, those will last you up into the 1000's. Money saved, your LS3 valvetrain likely work with what you have now if you swapped it over, again money saved.

Most engine shops also offer to assemble the block for you given that you provide the parts needed to them. All you'd pay for is the cleaning, honing and labor it took to assemble it all.

Then like Forcefed said, you could focus on what damaged that piston in the first place and still have plenty of dough left over to focus on cooling, tuning, fuel management etc.

Jstue

This is the guidance I am looking for from the clever veterans of ls1tech. Thank you sir.

Jstue

Update: after breather system installed and fresh oil/filter she is still choochin like a locomotive.

Please ignore the zip ties on the breather bracket. After startup she was still smoking. Hard mounting the bracket now.

Jstue

emajioo

Haha I appreciate it man, but just getting started on Tech myself, glad I could be at least some help to ya. Can't hog all the glory though, ****** & Forcefed are some pretty knowledgeable guys.

As for those vids, it's still too much for comfort, but dam that LS3 sounds goood.

Jstue

thank you Sir!

Will driving it and staying out of boost cause any more harm to the engine?

Or should i call a rollback to transport it to the shop?