I've got a major problem, that i'm not quite sure if it is actually something major or that something on the engine was setup incorrectly.

Well, the engine is a 396 LT4, and it was completed on saturday, and I picked it up. The only problem is that when the shop was getting it ready for me, and filling up all the fluids, something happened. While they were filling up the radiator, it started to push oil from the dipstick tube, and then proceeded to pour coolant from the same spot. So it looks like coolant is somehow getting into the oil pan from somewhere, when the coolant isn't under pressure.

I'm very confused as to the possibilities, but so far have only come up with the worst case scenario, crack in the block. The only problem is that nothing else is showing a leak, the oil wasn't leaking from anywhere when it started, and still wasn't when they filled the radiator. I know I need to fix the dipstick problem, but this is making me go crazy.

The other possible things that were brought to my attention were a mismatch in the heads and intake, or a blown head gasket. The only problem with those 2 is that the cooling system wasn't under pressure to get the coolant to those levels of the engine in order to cause those. So it comes back down to the block itself. The only other thing I can think of is something hooked up wrong if they thought the engine was suppose to have an oil cooler.

The other thing I also thought of was that if during the process of working on the block to get it to a 396, the machinist got too close to one of the water jackets in the block. Thus, when the shop fired up the engine the first time it may have blown through that wall and made a hole causing it to flood into the oil pan.

Can you guys think of anything else is could possibly be, or have any thoughts on this subject? This whole project has been killing me right now.

 

Totally shooting blind here, but is there any way an oil galley plug of somekind wasnt re-installed, and it could allow coolant in?? Just a thought I dont even know if its possible....

 

If the head gaskets or intake gaskets are grossly mismatched (i.e. completely wrong application) it could do what you are describing.

 

or they could have possibly cut into a water jacket when doing the boring on the block... that is hard to do but is possible... poorly done work if you havent even started it up and your having problems already... id make them come and fix it... dont take it to them... make them come to you and fix it... hell you have already installed it now... or get some sort of compensation for wasting your time with that crap.

 

Did you magnaflux the block?

 

I know that when clearancing an LT1 block for a stroker such as a 396 you need to be careful in the oil pan area, as you can catch a water jacket pretty easily....certainly possible.

 

I am going to guess Harvick and Silverado are giving the answers

I have seen more then one block clearanced into the water jacket to clear the rods

 

Well, I may have possibly found the problem, and I really hope this is it. A friend of mine was with me, and in the pretty good silence of my garage, we poured water into the radiator to see what we could find. What we heard was water coming through near the top of the engine, at the front of the intake, and draining down into the oil pan. I'm taking the intake off tonight to see if possibly when they put the liquid gasket on the front of the intake, they didn't seal around the water jacket, and just in front of it. If that is the case, which I dearly hope it is, then I should have it fixed and running by the weekend. I'll make sure and post up what I find, and if that's the case.

 

no coolant flows through out intakes... so thats not the case... there is something else going on here... i wouldnt do anything.. i would call the shop and let them know. cuz if you touch that motor they may be cheap bastards and not warranty it cuz you removed the intake... or some crap like that...

 

The shop that built it for the guy I bought it from, was roughly a year ago now. And they're also in missouri and i'm in utah. There's no point in going through all that trouble to send it back to them, when I find out the problem I will let them know since it's not like they can come out and look at it.

 

do you have an oil cooler if so check and make sure they didn`t cross up an oil and coolant line if so fix the cross over flush the motor with kerosene it should be ok but if its the heads i would go back to the builder he should of know if the heads were wrong and he would be responsible

 

Sounds like the wrong head gaskets....

 

I don't have an oil cooler for this engine, never had one to begin with on my 95' Formula. I know that I thought the mechanic may have mistaken that, because he was going off a 97' SS when wiring it back up and doing the radiator hoses. Hopefully I find the problem once I get the intake off, got down to the last bolt last night, and couldn't get at it because the fuel rail. I'll be taking that off tonight and checking to see where the coolant is coming from, hopefully nothing too bad has happened so that I can get it fixed by the weekend, our car club is planning a memorial cruise for a little girl that was murdered last week.