Kind of feel bad for him, he seems so lost about cars. I'm afraid he's going to be in for a serious cash outlay....



FWIW, to the OP, do yourself a favor and find a reputable repair shop, and then get a GM "crate motor"....they come with a warranty!

 

Look at the bright side. He has an opportunity to get a new motor, and he has a new boat anchor.

 

If ya ain't blown a motor ya ain't sh##.

 

 

I say the guy can learn a lot by taking the thing apart himself, and since it has Vortec heads on it, they probably were gone over before on that short block, so to take it all down and see what's what, I HOPE the heads are ok, and so to take them to the engine shop for re use on the replacement short block, 90 mph? probably doing 4000+ rpm, given the typical mid 3 rear and no over drive....tired OEM bottom end, bet on that, pushing 200k miles too, opportunity to drive 90 much, means overdrive, and build a roller short block, with maybe L98+ cam, roller chain, and hopefully bolt the rest back together after cleanup...let machine shop do the engine assy, including intake manifold and dizzy ....

IF OP has some tools/time to work and maybe a buddy, to rent a hook and DIY on the R&R, save some bux doing that.....learning curve be very quick and fast too....

 

Yep, that's one good way to describe the situation.

This thread reminds me of the time Ms. Mudbone and I were riding in my FIL's Jeep on the way to his farm. The jeep had always been in good running order as in it always started on time and held good oil pressure. Well, as we were running about 30 mph and beginning to ascend up a hill all I heard was "KNOCKA-KNOCKA-KNOCKA-KNOCKA". Honestly I thought I had somehow lost a u-joint. The u-joint idea was competely dispelled when I saw the oil on the frame rail that lead me to huge hole in the oil pan. My FIL did purchase an entire rebuilt engine.

On a funny note, since I was the driver of the Jeep when the engine expired and needing a defense, I told my FIL that I could not believe that he let me ride his daughter around in a Jeep with a defective engine.

 

Nice!! The best defense is a good offense!!

I have a patented, 4-part technique for trying to get out of a jam. it goes like this:

Step 1). Deny everything! Admit nothing!
Example: "I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it, you can't prove anything!"

Step 2). Change the subject.
Example: "How about those Red Sox? I think they may go all the way this year!"

Step 3). Make counter-accusations.
Example: "Oh, yeah? Well, you're ugly and your mother dresses you funny!" (Try to have some of these ready beforehand when dealing with people you are likely to get into a confrontation with.)

Step 4). Shift blame.
Example: "It wasn't me, it was him! He did it, not me!" (If you know you will be doing something questionable, try to have a scapegoat handy to take the blame.)


Keep the shiny side up!
Scott

 

Thank you all very much for the information and condolences. The friend I'm going to be attempting the rebuild with (if the parts are still viable) is very knowledgeable and optimistic about the project. It will be next week when I pull the pan and see the damage - as I do not have the appropriate tools to do so. I'll make sure to post plenty of photos and look forward to your all's advice on the situation.
I'll also be contacting locals who I know have experience in working on c3's for their input.
Keeping my fingers crossed

 

Well, it's hard to say what is wrong with your engine until you actually start tearing into it and see for yourself. "Hard sayin', not knowin'.", as my Granpappy used to say. (Imagine it with a thick Maine accent.) But, I would make this call all day long: It would be worth the time and effort to remove the engine from the car before doing the autopsy. It'll make everything a lot easier, and there is a very, very good chance that it needs to come out, anyway, so you might as well just give it the big yank right now. I guess it doesn't really make a whole lot of difference, either way, but it will save some time and aggravation.


Keep the shiny side up!
Scott

 

This may be the cheapest replacement engine http://www.jegs.com/i/GM+Performance...67353/10002/-1
Like others have said, stop and take a breath, figure out how much horsepower you want and go for it. Having said that I remember very well being 17 and building a kick *** 327 .30 over and guess what, I blew the transmission. Fixed it and guess what, I blew the rear.
If you just want a reliable driver put the engine in I listed above. Best of luck.

 

This is the same engine I mentioned in page one of this thread. If it turns out that your cylinder heads were not damaged, or only recieved minor damage that can be easily and cheaply repaired, you can bolt them right onto this short block. Stab in a better cam, and you are all set. You may even be able to reuse the cam and lifters, pushrods, rocker arms that are in your engine right now, inspect them during disassembly, and keep track of what piece goes with what, so you can bolt it back together with the pieces that they are already broken into. Lifters, pushrods, rocker arms, rocker arm nuts, rocker arm pivot *****, all stay together, segregated according to which cam lobe they all came off of. Sell the heads, and valvetrain that came on the new engine to try to recoup some of the money you paid for it. If you decide on a new cam, you just have to buy the cam, and you could use the new lifters in the new engine. You won't be able to use the new rocker arms with the Vortech heads, though, they are different, along with the intake manifold.

If the valvetrain, and heads and everything are OK, and it is just the bottom end that needs replacing, this may be a good option, too. Pretty short money for what your getting, and as far as I know, they have a good reputation.

http://www.competitionproducts.com/C...tinfo/SB350-P/

And, shipping shouldn't be too bad from Wisconsin to Kentucky.


Keep the shiny side up!
Scott

 

http://www.jegs.com/i/GM+Performance...67353/10002/-1

That one Superdave linked looks like a long block to me.

-W

 

Sorry to hear about your mishap. You should see if the engine will turn over, if it does then just JB weld a piece of metal over the hole in the oil pan, put in more oil and start it up. You will only be running on 7 cylinders but you will hardly notice the difference. NO NO don't listin to me I'm just fooling around. You need to listen to what these guys are telling you.

Good Luck Tim

 

I'm sorry to hear about your mishap. I've been in a similar situation. I bought a 79 around the 20th of February and, after driving it for less than a week, took it to my mechanic for a looking over. He said the engine needed rebuilding as he could tell by the way it was running (with 90,000 documented miles on it... one of the valves stuck open, backfiring through the carb every now and then) that it needed it. So, I drove it for a week before the engine backfired through the carb and was really running badly and I took it back for a rebuild. Pretty much every part of the engine needed replacing. I don't have the car back yet, but my mechanic did take me on a short (very short... didn't take long at all) trip up to 100MPH with the completely rebuilt (the only thing original is the block) 500HP engine. Best thing that could have happened to that car (not my bank account though ), and they're applying the finishing touches now.

I figure the early c3 big blocks made a rated 435HP (most say the actual numbers are closer to 500HP) and can handle it; why not go for it if you can afford it?!

I opted to not go for a crate motor because I (very fortunately) found an excellent mechanic who stands by his own work. If something went wrong with a crate motor, I'd still have to pay the shop for labor for removing or replacing the engine, etc. If anything goes wrong with my engine, he's got me covered. Something to think about.

Good luck!

 

Yup, it's the GM Goodwrench long block. What I meant was that he can remove the heads and bolt his Vortecs onto it, that's all, sorry about the confusion. The OP might have some pieces left over, depending on how he wants to do it, or what parts he can salvage from his smoked engine. I also posted a link to a short block from competition products that looks really interesting for the money, less than 900 bucks.


Keep the shiny side up!
Scott

 

Don't listen to Tim81, he overthinks everything. Him and his fancy-pants JB Weld.....we are not all rich like you, Tim!!! All you really need to do is stick some bubble gum in the hole!

Obviously, I'm just joking around with Tim, but seriously, if you want to be a hotrodder, blowing up the occasional engine is sometimes just the cost of doing business, if ya know what I mean. Hopefully, the rest of your engine can be salvaged, and you can get running again for a couple grand, maybe less, if you have some buds who know what they are doing, and will work for beer. An engine swap always attracts people who just want to take part in the adventure. (even if it's just to watch and drink some beer.) Just remember: Lefty loosey, righty tighty! You'll need an engine hoist, an engine stand, some tools, and a place to do it. Harbor Frieght is a good place to find cheap tools, they were just advertizing a small engine hoist for about 100 bucks not too long ago. Here are a few links to help you see what you are getting yourself into. Good luck, and keep us posted!

http://www.carcraft.com/howto/1005/index.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neB4cgL8J5Q

http://www.wikihow.com/Change-a-Car-Engine

Please don't use this technique!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUuXV5CIwic


Keep the shiny side up!
Scott

 

The next thing you're likely to experience in your rebuild efforts is, "while-im-at-it-tis". It's not really a bad thing, but it can get expensive! In your case, I'd suggest looking at a transmission too. If you like speeds of 90mph, you'll probably want an OD trans (if you've currently got an automatic) or a 5 or 6 speed manual. There are two popular automatic swaps for these cars, the 2004R and 700R4. Both fit, both have pros and cons, and both are discussed at length in different threads, you might do a search before asking which one we'd suggest. Bottom line is, updating the trans will give you 4 gears vs. the three the current trans likely has and 4th is an overdrive....a good thing for highway speeds...

 

Old Stock High Milage Block + High Revs = Assured Destruction

For what exactly? That it will be an easy fix

Everyone has given you good advice here. Get a crate motor and enjoy the sauce. You should probably replace the transmission while you're at it. Maybe rebuild the suspension.... rebuild the rear-end too...... hmmm.... good time to redo the interior and repaint the car... see the possibilites...

 

Dang and I just sold a CE LT1 with angle plug heads for $500.

 

If you smell a strong smell of gas in the future check it out sooner.

Most likely you thinned out your oil with a bad carb dumping gas when shut off and your oil wasn't capable of doing its job anymore and you spun a rod bearing.

Its bottom end time at the very least.