I just blew up a new, $4000 engine--ask me anything!

[CanuckAmok]

finished installing a brand new Ford 331 Stroker engine on saturday, and fired it up today. Ran perfectly for about five minutes, and KABLAM! Still don't know what happened, but I'm thinking the oil pump was obstructed somehow. Judging by the godawful screeching noise just before the thing blew up, something wasn't getting lubricated, and for once, I think that something wasn't me.

Back to the drawing board...

[TXlib]

1. Yeah, something's definitely not getting lubricated.

[GOPisEvil]

2. Ouch! What did you install it in?

$4k? Ouch!

[CanuckAmok]

3. a friend's 1990 Mustang GT.

Can't wait to phone him and tell him his car *might* not be ready today

[GOPisEvil]

4. Yeah, that would be a hard phone call to make.

Er, um, about your engine...do you need a new paperweight, by chance?

[Richardo]

13. "I'm afraid your car has crossed that fine line between a high performance

...driving machine and a giant radio."

[Not a robought]

5. The nerve of some people...

to come on here and dare mention they spent $4000 on an engine.

God I wish I had $4000 to blow up an engine with. That would cover my food budget for a month, or rent for four months! I suppose blowing up engines is recreational folly for you. Some of us own cars that aren't even worth a quarter of that engine!

k, I'll shut up now. </sarcasm>

eep, sorry to hear that.

[CanuckAmok]

6. It wasn't my engine....

But, I hear ya!

[ArkDem]

7. My girlfriend (years ago)

tried to blow up my car but she kept burning her lips on the tailpipe.

[aphasetome]

8. Pre-lube

I've never started a new engine before doing a pre-lube run.I know it's a pain to do,but it's well worth it.

Just built a 540 HP zz4 for my 85 vette,that thing is wicked.Spent $11,000 just on the engine,you bet it was pre-lubed.


APHASETOME

[CanuckAmok]

9. I pre-lubed, but...

I'm thinking the oil pump failed. We had oil pressure at 60lbs at start-up (1100rpm), then is shot up to about 120lbs about 5 seconds before blowing.

As soon as the block cools down, I'll get wrenching, so see where it went wrong.

Unfortunatley, the block may not be cool enough to touch until 2006.

Oh, and it's cracked--I can see the fissure.

[yorgatron]

11. let me know what you find

my nephew has a 331 with trickflow heads that's almost ready to fire.he bought the shortblock already assembled,and then bolted all the rest of the stuff on.i would have torn it all down and double checked everything,and then scrubbed the block again just for good measure,but he doesn't listen to me.then again,i'm driving my hotrod,and he's still building his...

[CanuckAmok]

14. I wouldn't trust a crate shortblock...

It's built by someone who has no investment in whether it lasts or not. If you're building performance, do it ALL yourself (and trust your local perfomance machine shop to do the tricky bits--they know they're on the hook for a rebuild if the screw it up the first time).

[newyawker99]

10. Hi aphasetome!!

Welcome to DU!!

[CanuckAmok]

12. Yeah, welcome!

It's nice to see some Gearheads here. I've been chased out of most of the performance tech forums for being a Lib. Seems most guys/gals who actually own a socket set are dittoheads--why is that?!

I still say a Progressive Gearhead site would kick ass.