Broken Block "Professionally Repaired"; Carnage Inside
09-08-2017, 08:01 PM
#1
Broken Block "Professionally Repaired"; Carnage Inside So I just wanted to share an experience I had this week. Long story short, I bought a Camaro a few weeks ago and it turned out to be a real POS, as did the guy who sold it to me. It has an LS3 shortblock with a stupid cam, 243 heads, longtubes, and an LS6 intake. It wasn't perfect so I expected to have to fix a few small things but I ended up having to pull the engine and trans after finding this...
It looks like the engine kicked a rod and someone tried to weld the pieces back on. You can see in the last photo how the pan rail bows in at least .080-.100", so they slathered on grey RTV to keep it from leaking oil. Both #4 and #5 main cap side bolt holes were welded in so they didn't even have a bolt in them.
Luckily I have an incomplete LS swapped Mustang that hasn't gotten any attention in a while. I pulled the engine out today and will hopefully have it in this Camaro this weekend.
It looks like the engine kicked a rod and someone tried to weld the pieces back on. You can see in the last photo how the pan rail bows in at least .080-.100", so they slathered on grey RTV to keep it from leaking oil. Both #4 and #5 main cap side bolt holes were welded in so they didn't even have a bolt in them.
Luckily I have an incomplete LS swapped Mustang that hasn't gotten any attention in a while. I pulled the engine out today and will hopefully have it in this Camaro this weekend.
09-08-2017, 08:51 PM
#3
TECH Senior Member
Wow. What a nightmare! What Slogo said hits it right!
09-08-2017, 09:21 PM
#5
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Did he at least use JB Weld?
09-08-2017, 09:25 PM
#6
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Wow, just wow. I can only imagine the excuses that the seller must have said to you, upon you confronting him on this garbage.
09-08-2017, 09:34 PM
#7
TECH Senior Member
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09-08-2017, 09:42 PM
#8
No surprise, the seller claims he didn't know. He said he paid a guy to do the swap and the guy supplied the engine. Haven't heard from him since our little talk...
There was glitter in the oil too so when I tore it down, most of the bearings where coming apart. Some of the rods are blue like they had spun bearings before and they just threw new bearings in and sent it. Everything else is in decent shape so I'm probably gonna sell off what I can. It had some crazy 228/248 @ .050" blower cam in it and it's naturally aspirated.
There was glitter in the oil too so when I tore it down, most of the bearings where coming apart. Some of the rods are blue like they had spun bearings before and they just threw new bearings in and sent it. Everything else is in decent shape so I'm probably gonna sell off what I can. It had some crazy 228/248 @ .050" blower cam in it and it's naturally aspirated.
09-08-2017, 10:11 PM
#9
TECH Senior Member
Wow. 20deg. split on the cam! Blower alright! How fitting, on a previously "blown" engine. Who knows if the guy is blowing smoke, or got screwed... I hope you can get some compensation somehow, KCS! Interesting story, nonetheless!
What kind of shape was the rest of the car in, if I may ask?
What kind of shape was the rest of the car in, if I may ask?
09-08-2017, 10:43 PM
#10
Wow. 20deg. split on the cam! Blower alright! How fitting, on a previously "blown" engine. Who knows if the guy is blowing smoke, or got screwed... I hope you can get some compensation somehow, KCS! Interesting story, nonetheless!
What kind of shape was the rest of the car in, if I may ask?
What kind of shape was the rest of the car in, if I may ask?
The rest of the car isn't great, but it's not too bad. The body is pretty straight but has some chipped paint on the hood and a couple other spots. No back seats, the carpet was cut behind the front seats, and of course the passenger side window doesn't work. It's a T-top car so when Harvey came through and the inside was dry, I was happy with that.
09-08-2017, 10:57 PM
#11
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Doubting there will be a "can this block be salvaged" sequel on this one
09-08-2017, 11:00 PM
#12
09-09-2017, 09:27 AM
#15
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09-09-2017, 03:34 PM
#16
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Originally Posted by NHRAFORMULA00
looks like it came out of a Top Fuel Dragster
09-09-2017, 05:52 PM
#17
"i'll talk to them but i doubt they will pay 1000"
=
"yeah I knew it was fucked but im gonna go with this story someone else did it to me first like that makes it ok"
glad your response was "give me their contact info" lol straight called em out!
=
"yeah I knew it was fucked but im gonna go with this story someone else did it to me first like that makes it ok"
glad your response was "give me their contact info" lol straight called em out!
09-09-2017, 07:10 PM
#18
09-10-2017, 02:09 AM
#20
It's no wonder that thing didn't leak fuel and blow up...
If he did legitimately have someone do the work and it was a so called "professional shop" with an invoice, I would not only put them on blast but make sure they were reported to BAR.
Likely, if it wasn't him that did the actual work it was probably a friend of a friend or a craigslist special...
If he did legitimately have someone do the work and it was a so called "professional shop" with an invoice, I would not only put them on blast but make sure they were reported to BAR.
Likely, if it wasn't him that did the actual work it was probably a friend of a friend or a craigslist special...