So after 40 months I finally got the car back running. Well the bad news is that my first engine rebuild failed. Don't know what I did wrong but its eating oil. All my ring gaps were done right and spaced the right way. Oil pressure is good but here is a video of after a short 5 mile drive with varying rpms. Smoking the whole time and getting worse the more it had



Anyways now I am debating on what to do. In the 40 months this car has gotten rod knock, ate a rebuilt engine due to a crappy melling oil pump that failed out in 137 miles. Then after a junk yard engine the transmission got a bad input shaft bearing. Car sat for a whole year to save up. Rebuilt the t-56. Then the junk yard engine got low oil pressure. Pulled it apart for find .030 pistons and very scored bearings. So saved up again and rebuilt the original engine again. Got it running now this. Oil pressure is good it just eats oil really fast and is smoking in a nice shade of blue. Also smells like oil. So after 40 months any around 750 miles of actual driving I am deciding on what to do. I really do not want to tear into it again to build another lt1. Even tho this is a cc503 cam on stock heads.

So I figure I would ask. What would you guys do.

1. Sell the car whole for like $2500. Also sell the c5 vette rims and ws6 hood and box that have been sitting in my room for 2+ years.

2. Spend the time and part the car out. Could make a little more from the new rebuilt stage 2 t-56 and spec stage 3. Maybe part out the drivestrain the sell the roller.

3a. Keep the car. Rebuild the lt1 which I did not want to do this time.

3b. Swap the car to a lsx engine. Either a 5.3/6.0/ls1/ls2/ls6.

What would yall do. I am sorta tired of fixing this car. With this car being down I still have to drive a stock 2001 maita that I bought last October and have regretted since it does not get very good mpg or has the space I need to haul stuff around. If the firebird goes so does the miata. Next buy would be a RX-8,Wrx sedan or wagon, or a e36 m3. So what would you do.

Here is the Bird

 

Before you do anything drastic consider replacing your valve guide seals.


Pull your spark plugs and see if they are oil fouled.

 

I had the heads cleaned up on this rebuild with brand new valve guide seals. Also had the lifter not pumping up on first start up. Was still smoking blue out the back and eating oil.

 

Having been there in your situation I would absolutely part it out and sell the roller OR LSX swap it.

 

Sell the car...and sell me the hood!!!!!

 

It's funny but I think my buddy in charleston has first dibs on the hood and box. Only paid $550 for it 2.5 years ago. Easy to sell for $700. Only hear this from everyone who owns a 93-97 car. Please sell me the hood. It's oem to.

 

Sounds to me like your rebuild skills need touching up.

I'd either do it right and let a professional engine shop rebuild it for you using quality NEW parts or sell the car outright.

 

Yeah sorry to say but it's not the motors fault, you're not doing something right on the rebuilds. Take the time and have a machine shop do it for you and enjoy the car if that's what you really want.

 

I would guess the rings were installed upside down.

 

I followed all the instructions with the rings. It was my first rebuild by myself so it is probably my fault. Looking into what to do with the car. One option is to hone with a new set of rings. We will see what happens. Kinda bummed since it was my first rebuild ever.

 

The most important thing is too figure out what went wrong and learn from it. Everyone has to start somewhere. Regardless if people admit it or not, everyone has screwed something up along the way.

 

Was the block honed when you rebuilt it? What type of rings did you use? Have you done a compression test on any of the cylinders?

What type of intake gasket did you use?

 

Block was bored and honed to .030 over. Was sock bore. Had a scratch from low oil pressure from the failed oil pump on last rebuild. I used the sealed power premium rings from rock auto in a .030 size on .030 pistons. I have not done a compression test. Could get a tester and check. For the intake gasket I used fel pro intake gaskets with silicone up front and back. I know this has sealed in the past since the intake glues itself to the head.

Could do a compression check. Going to be fun the get a gauge into the head.

 

I think sealed power rings instructions have a error and tell you to install the rings wrong, if I was you... pull it back out and flip the bottom ring as I believe they tell you to install that one wrong, put it back together and run it!

 

I would do a compression test first off.

If its just the rings, i would tare it back down again.

 

i would tear it down and check the rings over. something is going on with the rings if you had the heads done.

 

I built a 400 SBC years ago. I installed the second ring upside down. The car ran great but smoked like hell and used a lot of oil. On the instructions is shows several different types of rings, one with a dot, one with a beveled edge and a flat I think. Anyhow the way the instructions read I installed the second ring wrong. I think i went off the side the bevel was on and not the dot. It's been about 10 years so I can't remember exactly.

 

Dont give up on the ole girl & if it was easy everyone would do it!!! Its an easy fix just sucks pullin everything back out Patience & Attention to Detail will getcha a long way

 

So I talked to a buddy of mine who just finished his 500hp lt1 build. Looks like we may take the engine to his place and give it another rebuild. Since if I sold both my cars off I would not be able to afford the $7500 cars. Would only get 5-6k cash to buy a new car. So looks like the Lt1 will live once again.

 

"Rise of the Phonenix"