Just saw this.  Man, I feel your pain.  Maybe that sender was RIGHT...

Sorry to hear about the heap turning all four up in the air , looks like open heart surgery is the next step here.
All that sparkly stuff in the bottom does not look good for the patient. Look for a pm shortly.

Bullet Bob wrote:

TKOPerformance wrote:

I wouldn't reuse the lifters out of that engine.  You're talking clearances measured in ten thousandths of an inch.  No way to really inspect them either.  Not worth the risk. 

I agree Tom.  The lifters were a set of new ones that I inherited from my brother and they were always noisy, even when I had the stock heads/rockers on the engine.  Are there ANY rings/bearings/seals, and other parts that ARE NOT made in the land of Wu?

Thanks Ron, yeah I'm thinking since it should only add a week to the project I'll go with the 4R70W.  I have the 95 computer and the wiring is already in the harness so I just have to round up some parts and take a look at the insides of the trans.  And, I know a guy who has some tools....somewhere.

BB1

I would suggest Mahle.  They now own Clevite, and have been making their own pistons and rings for a very long time.  They are now OEM standard in tons of vehicles, foreign and domestic.  Mahle was a German company when I first heard about them 20 years ago from a guy who ended up being one of my best friends.  His first car had been a '80 320i BMW which he'd done a fair amount of work on.  They were always the go to when the German car guys needed pistons, etc, because they were the OEM manufacturer.  So when I built my first stroker (383 SBC) I used a Mahle piston kit because I had the option.  By this time they were expanding and had a stateside operation.  I was impressed with the quality, especially at the cost (like $600 for a forged piston & ring kit, and the pistons were coated on the skirts and the crowns).  My machinist said they were lighter than any J&E, Wiseco, etc. piston he'd ever weighed by a couple grams, making the balance job easier (that engine was internally balanced and he did it without heavy metal).  I screwed up a couple rings trying to spiral them on, called Mahle for replacements and they overnighted me new ones for free.  I can't say where they are made for 100% certain, but the Germans are typically making stuff at home, in the US, or worst case Mexico.  I'd highly suggest them.

Or, if you build a stroker, look at DSS.  They use Clevite bearings, can't remember who's rings, and make their own pistons in house.  They have budget cast crank kits as well as forged, high end ones. 
 

Since the engine made no lifter noise related to pressure loss, it seems it may still have had pressure to them  Being cam oiling priority, it might make sense something plugged up between the cam and crank, in the vertical passages. Just a wild guess.  I know how meticulous you are when assembling an engine, so it has to be something really weird.

Just to keep on second-guessing this...I pulled the rod caps on 3 and 7 since they were handy.  They looked like a lot of crap went through them but they weren't a badly beat as the mains.  Unless I've lost my mind, the mains feed the rods...so...........?
More in a day or so.

Bullet Bob wrote:

Just to keep on second-guessing this...I pulled the rod caps on 3 and 7 since they were handy.  They looked like a lot of crap went through them but they weren't a badly beat as the mains.  Unless I've lost my mind, the mains feed the rods...so...........?
More in a day or so.

You are correct.  Rod bearings are fed by oil passages in the crank..  What you're seeing in the rod bearings is probably particles from the mains. 
 

RV6 wrote:

Steve69 wrote:

That sucks BB.  Have you thought about a crate motor?  

I find it hard to fathom Bullet getting a crate engine. This sport, if it is one, is all about Do It Yourself. 

I have had my 67 since 1981 and nobody but me and helping friends have ever touched her. 

Me and Bullet are gonna build 331's, although I really want a standard bore 327. I'm gonna pick his brain large time on this build. Cleaning my shop now, or should I call it purging. Bullet and Bearing have seen my mess and agree that I need to purge. To much crap.
 

Steve:  No...I have not thought about a crate engine.

Gary:  I wanna help you clean your shop and purge all the old junk.  I'll take that old beat up 45 hiding under your bench.  Thanks.

BB1

Nos681 wrote:

Bullet Bob wrote:

RV6 wrote:

I find it hard to fathom Bullet getting a crate engine. This sport, if it is one, is all about Do It Yourself. 

I have had my 67 since 1981 and nobody but me and helping friends have ever touched her. 

Me and Bullet are gonna build 331's, although I really want a standard bore 327. I'm gonna pick his brain large time on this build. Cleaning my shop now, or should I call it purging. Bullet and Bearing have seen my mess and agree that I need to purge. To much crap.
 

Steve:  No...I have not thought about a crate engine.

Gary:  I wanna help you clean your shop and purge all the old junk.  I'll take that old beat up 45 hiding under your bench.  Thanks.

BB1

Don’t do it Bob, don’t shoot your pony with Gary’s .45!
Legs aren’t broken...just needs a heart transplant.
Truly bummed when I saw the damage to the Heap.

Well........Okay.


 

josh-kebob wrote:

6sally6 wrote:

Well...................so much for my 'idea' that it ain't broke cause it didn't make no noise!
Gee Bullet..I hate that for ya.
Was that a Melling oil pump you used?!
Did it 'eat-the-crank"? (no pun intended DON!!)..or did the bearings do their job and save crank damage?
How many miles on the roller lifters? (Swat-happened to mine once...lifter wheels got eat up and scattered sparkly stuff in the pan.) and scrubbed the inserts.

So many questions........ Just glad it didn't "leave-ya" on the side of a mountain some-werz! (with Jean!....holding a pistol!...while you hitch-hiked for help!.....and a stranger picked you up!.....in a Shivel-lay flatbed!.....that had Reacher riding shotgun!...andyou had to ride in the bed of the truck!.....and it started snowing!.....and got dark!.....and the corona -virus had all the stores closed!.....cause you still live in a 'blue-state'!....and had to ride to a "red state')!...
Well, you-get-the-picture!
6sal6

Mike, please put the cap back on the bottle of Fireball....

    LOL!
 

Well my grandson and I dis-a$$-embled it.  All mains look like the pix I posted.  All rod bearing look bad but not nearly as bad as the mains.  Cam bearings look fine.  Top end looks okay too.
We cut open the oil filter and other than being full of "gold dust" I couldn't find any evidence of a problem with the by-pass valve.  Took the pump apart and found nothing wrong.  Check valve is closing and seems to function normally.  We even cut up the pick-up strainer but found nothing that could have caused the problem.  Oil passages all are clear although I haven't pulled the plugs to vervify the main gallerys...that's next.  Also haven't found anything in the crank drillings.  I did find some small bits of RTV on the strainer screen.  So...next I will strain all the oil that came out of it to see if there could have been enough crap to choke off the pick-up during high rpm operation.  Failing that I will check the main galleries.
The crank will need a clean up and I haven't checked to see if .010 will clean it up.  The bores and pistons look perfect and the heads indicate that it was running perfect and not sucking oil.
I would consider replacing the crank and bearings and putting it back together with new rings, lifters, and timing set but it always had a tiny coolant leak at the rear right corner of the right head and I'd like to have it "decked".  That would require piston work to get the deck height back where it belongs.  So, I  may go with the new block and just build a complete new short block....leaning this way.

I'll keep you all in the loop.

BB1

TKOPerformance wrote:

What kind of oil pump was in the engine? 

Danged if I know for sure Tom.  I built that engine in 06 and I just can't recall who's brand it is.  And, I doubt there are any marks that would tell me anything.  As of right now the pump delivers 70 lbs on the drill...or did before I tore the engine down. 
The one thing we did find that might have a bearing (Bob) is that the gasket between the pump and the pick-up is extremely brittle.  And any that overhangs the hole breaks off very easily.  Black, almost like carbon build up but it's gasket material.  I suppose a chunk of that could have gotten into the relief valve but no evidence of that right now.

BB1
 

No high volume pumps...oil or water.  Never have used them.  As for measuring, well, I do have the equipment and I believe I was taught how to use it properly.  Butt (TS&T), that doesn't mean I couldn't have had cranial-rectosis.  I've just never seen anything like this happen to any of the engines I've put together which include a number of SBCs, a 390, a 1500 Porsch, lots of VWs, Model B OHV conversions, a Mazda (Wankle) Rotary, and ONE SBF.  Hummm,  only one SBF and it failed.  Makes me wonder.

More to follow.

BB1 

It certainly is a mystery. It's odd that could get steady oil pressure with the drill but not with the engine running. Almost like the drive gear was slipping on the dist shaft, but that would be apparent. Or at least it would seem to be.

The oil pump gears looked OK?