LS2 Main Bearing Failure
The vat doesn't dissolve metal chips. If a motor blows up, and chips get into the oil system, and they aren't removed during cleanup such as with a gun brush and the quarter (dollar? credit card?) car wash, then they only have ONE place to go: RIGHT STRAIGHT INTO YOUR NEW BEARINGS. Butt if it made it 20k miles and then failed more or less suddenly, that's probably not what happened, as that usually causes more or less instant destruction, like 100 miles or less. Might be an issue on your next build in that block if you don't take care of it though.
The vat doesn't dissolve metal chips. If a motor blows up, and chips get into the oil system, and they aren't removed during cleanup such as with a gun brush and the quarter (dollar? credit card?) car wash, then they only have ONE place to go: RIGHT STRAIGHT INTO YOUR NEW BEARINGS. Butt if it made it 20k miles and then failed more or less suddenly, that's probably not what happened, as that usually causes more or less instant destruction, like 100 miles or less. Might be an issue on your next build in that block if you don't take care of it though.


Definitely blasting everything clean as a whistle before it goes back together. I’m always meticulous as possible when I build.
I would inspect the cam bearings. I suspect you have 1 or more that may have moved. I feel that could be the source of the contamination.
Ya know hw someone always says, "he was such a nice quiet boy" well " it was reputable shop" falls in there. The problem is that
in a shop with more than 4 guys they tend t start tag teaming builds which is a recipe for disaster .... unless super well managed which
is hard, ya never know when someone is going to have an off day and screw the pooch on some small task and blooey 5
engine blocks were not decked right line bored right all plugs in right.......
Iffen it was me, at this point that engine would be torn 100% down to a bare and I mean bare block, all the galley plugs pulled
and rifle brush every passage. then solvent flushed till I got nothing but clean... I'd also bore scope all the passages
(A bore scope for a smart phone is < 80 bucks these days. see ebay and amazon....)
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time









