Jinxed or unlucky?

[yottyboy]

A well spent Friday saw your humble author once again pulling a Chevy lump out of his beloved Allmand. I had put it in the water for what i had hoped would be a fairly routine sea trial after the total refit. This engine was of course, completely rebuilt with new crank. pistons, pretty much everything except the block. Zero time on it. Ran it at the dock for ten minutes and found the oil milky and full of water. After a few choice pirate-y type oaths I loaded her up on the trailer knowing it was gonna have to come out. This week will tell me if it is a total loss on this block or it may be something as innocent as a bad head gasket. Let's hope for the latter.

I have another block at the machine shop as I write this, which may turn out to be the golden egg at last should the one I just pulled out be a pig in a poke.

It never fails that I have to put in an engine into a vehicle(boat) twice. I went through this same deal with the Range Rover last Fall. Got the rebuilt engine in the truck only to find it had a slipped cylinder liner or something.

The only thing I'll say is that the engine person who built this dog of a motor is no longer in business, so my only recourse is to pay for another build.

[svilla]

wow, that sucks. I would be looking for blood if this was my boat.

[jigger]

I'd pull the heads off and see what you have. It could be that the gasket never sated correctly. Seeing the person who built he engine went out of business. He might have just thrown th heads on and tighten them down not fallowing th bolt pattern or torque rate. While you have the heads off check to see the surfaces had been planed before instalation.

[bowlinm]

Is there an external oil cooler? Possible tube leak in the exchanger if so equiped. Just thinking out loud.

[yottyboy]

Jigger writes:

I'd pull the heads off and see what you have. It could be that the gasket never sated correctly. Seeing the person who built he engine went out of business. He might have just thrown th heads on and tighten them down not fallowing th bolt pattern or torque rate. While you have the heads off check to see the surfaces had been planed before instalation.

My plan exactly, except I'm going to have Doug at Rockville Ring and Bearing do the inspection. I'm not sure I have enough experience to know what to look for if it's not an obvious head gasket leak.

My previous rebuilder, who went out of business, dragged his feet for about two months on the project while giving me excuse after excuse why he needed another day or two. Every time I gave him his extra days he still did nothing for me. I finally told him I was coming to pick it up whether it was done or not and it miraculously came together literally overnight. Red flag the size of Texas, but I had no option but to take it. Certainly he didn't Magnaflux it if it is indeed a cracked block.

[yottyboy]

Is there an external oil cooler? Possible tube leak in the exchanger if so equiped. Just thinking out loud.

No. I did away with the OMC stuff in favor of a straight up raw water cooled engine. I toyed with closed cooling but it's stupid overkill on a trailer boat. Good call though.

[denny-o]

Umm, this is not good - and my condolences on getting screwed by some lowlife...

If you cannot get the engine drained and the heads off within a day then flood the engine with antifreeze, just fill it up through every top opening, squirt it in the spark plug holes and role the crank over a couple of times by hand, etc. and then put the plugs back in and fill through the rocker covers until it runs over - or it will be a rust ball within 2 or 3 days...

Next, given the circumstances you describe every part in that engine is suspect... My suspicion is you will find junk rods and pistons, etc. and your good parts went somewhere else - like in his engine...

Ya know, we got civilized and gave up tar and feathers way too soon...

denny-o

[yottyboy]

I wouldn't waste good tar and feathers on him. His Dad was really the one who did the fabulous work and I hoped that he would carry on the family tradition. When they rebuilt the Fords they did an awesome job. Unfortunately the son was just not into being a wrench and decided to go back to school and pretty much pissed the business away.

It's hard to find a good machine shop that will even do business with us shadetree mechanics. They want big volume and steady work, not some nimrod off the street with a big hunk of trouble. I think I have found a good one now, so until he does something very bad, I'll stick with Doug. He's old enough to be experienced but young enough that he isn't going to be retiring any time soon.

[denny-o]

A good mechanic is a treasure... I had to raise my own and train them - for the very reasons you put forth...

Of course the downside is when I grumble about something not being done right they just look at me and say, 'well,go look in the mirror!' and then snicker as they walk away...

I will be watching for your findings on the water leak...

denny-o

[rickf]

A good mechanic is a treasure... I had to raise my own and train them - for the very reasons you put forth...

Of course the downside is when I grumble about something not being done right they just look at me and say, 'well,go look in the mirror!' and then snicker as they walk away...

I will be watching for your findings on the water leak...

denny-o

I am sure the mechanic tearing it down will check but mention to him to check the intake manifold gaskets as he gets into it. Chevys had problems with water leaks on a lot of them. They will dump a lot of water right into the lifter valley.

Rick