LS 5.3 mechanical failure/tune failure help
10-22-2015, 08:43 AM
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Staging Lane
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LS 5.3 mechanical failure/tune failure help Hey guys, i've been working on a 56 Ford F100 with a LS swap for a while now. Long story short, I got the truck running with a mail order tune from PCM4Less. Keith @ PCM4Less seems to be a great guy, very knowledgeable and helpful. The motor started out as a junkyard motor. Anyways, I got the motor running and I never put more than maybe 2 miles on the motor. I had it idling in the driveway for a few hours. I did have the truck revved up for about 10 mins to 2k rpm (checking the coolant temp) and noticed the headers started glowing red(too much fuel). The plugs got fouled (carbon), and for whatever reason the ECM is dumping so much fuel into the cylinders, its passing the rings and diluted the oil. Ruined the junkyard bottom end.
Run-down on motor
1st gen LS 5.3 (what i'm told, the head bolts did have 2 different lenghts, from research this seems to be right)
862 heads
58x tooth reluctor wheel (when it was tuned for 24x)
LS2 intake
Edlebrock 90mm drive by CABLE TB
TSP 228R cam
truck MAF
shorty headers
FAST LS2 stock injectors (37lb)
all new sensors, crank/cam/knock/o2
4L60E trans
circle D converter
Here's where I am today.
I pulled the motor and took it to my builder. First off, he told me motor had the older style 5.3 pistons in it, with a 58x reluctor ring.(is this is a Frankenstein motor? I thought the older style LS motors had the 24x ring, unless it was changed.) I was told that this motor was a 24x ring, and that's what it was tuned for. What's odd though, when the truck was running it seemed healthy. Started up the first try and sounded great. I may or may NOT have the right crank sensor in the motor. He said the rings were spun, and recommended a total rebuild. So i'm doing a basic rebuild on the bottom end, nothing fancy. But for the life of me, I can't figure out what happened. Keith @ PCM4less was looking into it, and how he tuned it. Does anyone have any suggestions of any steps I can take, so I don't ruin another bottom end? I'm located in Houston, TX (near the woodlands) and if anyone could help me out that would be greatly appreciated. I always have ice cold beer on hand!
Run-down on motor
1st gen LS 5.3 (what i'm told, the head bolts did have 2 different lenghts, from research this seems to be right)
862 heads
58x tooth reluctor wheel (when it was tuned for 24x)
LS2 intake
Edlebrock 90mm drive by CABLE TB
TSP 228R cam
truck MAF
shorty headers
FAST LS2 stock injectors (37lb)
all new sensors, crank/cam/knock/o2
4L60E trans
circle D converter
Here's where I am today.
I pulled the motor and took it to my builder. First off, he told me motor had the older style 5.3 pistons in it, with a 58x reluctor ring.(is this is a Frankenstein motor? I thought the older style LS motors had the 24x ring, unless it was changed.) I was told that this motor was a 24x ring, and that's what it was tuned for. What's odd though, when the truck was running it seemed healthy. Started up the first try and sounded great. I may or may NOT have the right crank sensor in the motor. He said the rings were spun, and recommended a total rebuild. So i'm doing a basic rebuild on the bottom end, nothing fancy. But for the life of me, I can't figure out what happened. Keith @ PCM4less was looking into it, and how he tuned it. Does anyone have any suggestions of any steps I can take, so I don't ruin another bottom end? I'm located in Houston, TX (near the woodlands) and if anyone could help me out that would be greatly appreciated. I always have ice cold beer on hand!
10-22-2015, 09:57 AM
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Staging Lane
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10-22-2015, 10:48 AM
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Staging Lane
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I want to say it was black, but i'm not 100% sure. The motor is currently at the shop, and I left the sensor intact. When I replaced the crank sensor, I went to O Riellys and got a crank sensor off a 2000 Chevy 5.3 truck, because thats what I was told that it came out of. Is it possible that the crank sensor isn't the right sensor, and the truck would still run?
10-22-2015, 11:12 AM
#10
No you have a picture of your reluctor wheel? It is easy to tell at glance which one you have if you know what they look like. It sounds as though you could be mistaken about that part. The motor would not have ran in the truck it was in if it is a 58 tooth. It surely did not come with a 58 tooth wheel from the factory. If it was a motor someone threw together with different year model parts, there is a good chance the short block was toast when you got it.
10-22-2015, 11:38 AM
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Staging Lane
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No you have a picture of your reluctor wheel? It is easy to tell at glance which one you have if you know what they look like. It sounds as though you could be mistaken about that part. The motor would not have ran in the truck it was in if it is a 58 tooth. It surely did not come with a 58 tooth wheel from the factory. If it was a motor someone threw together with different year model parts, there is a good chance the short block was toast when you got it.
10-22-2015, 11:53 AM
#12
Same guy ruined my engine when I sent in my computer to get it swapped to an auto trans tune. I sent a detailed write up letting them know that I had a blower tune and not to change it. I got it back, ran it, screwed up my block---found out they changed the WHOLE tune to a NA. He talks a good story but doesn't know crap. I sent him an e-mail requesting some help with a new engine---guess what---no response.
10-22-2015, 12:32 PM
#13
Staging Lane
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Same guy ruined my engine when I sent in my computer to get it swapped to an auto trans tune. I sent a detailed write up letting them know that I had a blower tune and not to change it. I got it back, ran it, screwed up my block---found out they changed the WHOLE tune to a NA. He talks a good story but doesn't know crap. I sent him an e-mail requesting some help with a new engine---guess what---no response.
