Lets just say after a valve lash job and one nut was left completely loose there was one very happy retainer I'm just offerin the pan since Jim is local to me and if he knows how to weld that little ding up the pan is perfect.

 

One other area to look is, It looks like you have a shaft rocker system and check to see if the hardware or the bolt holes that go into the intake ports and if the hardware has no sealer it will suck oil down through the threads, That maybe your oil problem not sure but its another place to start.

Good luck

 

Jim,

The oil consumption issues are not from the pump or windage tray situation (nor the valve guides as that type of symptom is smoke on start up). I would encourage you to do a leakdown test on the engine....its obviously broken in at this point and ideally you would hope to see it less than 5% hot....10% max for a fresh engine.

Also, its disheartening the windage tray wasnt installed....its common to shim the tray away from the rotating assembly for adequate clearance with a stroker.

Keep us posted and good luck

Regards,
Tony

 

Did they mill the block so the oil drains are not blocked?

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...post1565930642

 

-There is sealer on the bolts holding down the shaft rocker support.
- I told him to use standard tension rings and he says he did
- I can't weld Mike but thanks for the offer
-I will do a leak down next week and check/replace all the plugs although #2 and #4 looked fine a week ago.

-Tony, is that true about the drainbacks on even the new AFR heads when used on the LTx block?

 

My oil consumption on my 396 was due to Rings, oil rings specifically. They were JE's low tension and it smoke, even when revving it up. Oil consumption was between 500-700 miles a quart driving nicely.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_REuskEebI
I now have virtually no oil consumption, oil is clean (due to blocking bypass valve which oil pressure was usually above 60 psi, and I lowered the pressure witha standard spring for my Mellings HV pump).
I have a standard Corvette pan and windage tray. Leak down didnt show any problems due to rings seated properly and the compression rings dont affect oil consumption.
Low Tension Oil Rings are the enemy on a street car. I will never ever use them again.
Also, my rings were at .018 and JE's SRP higher silicon pistons to keep things tighter.

 

yes i'm in the stages of getting a 383 stroker designed by cusinartvette, ( and the details of this build could show up here) so i can relate sooner, rather than later the need to address the issue of break-in,

i can't help but wonder why is it that sometimes home-build motors have these blow-by issues. i've seen and heard of more than a few, a few too many...even motorbikes

new cars and hence their ensuing break-in out number home builts

and new car buyers are probably less incline to bother, or are even aware, of proper break-in procedures, coupled with the fact that some new cars don't mention break-in.

these cars go on their merry way of delivering transportation, oil consumption free.

there has got to be a time tested, part; build procedure dependant aspect to engine overhauls that even the apathetic approach can ensure a proper seal.

this is what i'm after, the peace of mind that once the last bolt is tighten, and that the collective effort of all invloved should yield a motor set for another 150,000 trouble free miles

 

Looked at your video and that's how mine looks at the same type of throttle. He told me he used standard tension rings as I requested.

I'll be paying him a visit on Monday to discuss things. I spoke to his partner today and he told me he feels confident that the rings just need a little more seat time and that they "should" be seated and smoke free before I put the car away. My experience tells me otherwise. I've installed a bunch of hypo motors in the past and none of them smoked past the first 100miles.

We'll have to wait and see I suppose.

 

Curious, and I apologize if it missed it in an earler post,, but which break in procedure did you use?

This is what I have done, works every time..
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

 

This motor was not "homebuilt" it was built by a professional who has a good rep, holds the MPH record in his class and seems like an honest guy. I'm a professional as well and have installed many LT1s without issues into Corvettes.

This is what bugs me the most. The two motors I had built for me in 89 and 93 had no wide bands to check air/fuel, no data logging, no dyno tuning and I falsely babied them since I was not even an apprentice yet and didn't know any better.

No oil consumption problems, or smoking.

 

That's the method I used.

 

Could you expand on that?

 

I have an oil drip, thats all. But after 400 miles, no change in oil level. I lose a drop every once in a while when I turn it off, but not while running. It seems to be the RMS.

 

when i said home built i meant not mass produced factory motors,but one-off custom built: having issues....thats all

 

I'm not Tony (didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night either) but I did bring the oil drain back thing up when I built the engine in the above pics.

Yes you still need to grind the block even with the new AFR casting. That engine used the new AFR Elims (195 Comp Ports to be exact).

It's only the DRIVERS SIDE FRONT oil drain back that gets blocked and needs to be ground on.

As for other stuff to look at I agree with a few others here.
1. Do a leak down check (and post the results).
2. Get a new pan with a windage tray (Kevco, or Canton will work fine).
Will

 

You know why the manufacturers don't specify break in other than maybe oil ?
Break them in the way they are going to be drove , that's it, that simple.

 

Thanks Will...

Talked to the guy I normally order parts through and he says there's a good chance he can get me everything in a few days so hopefully I can have an update by the weekend.

With grinding the block, I understand that you said it will improve drain back but are you saying without it that there's no way to assemble an LT1 and not have consumption issues with AFRs? That being said, if one of my drain backs is blocked I would think a high volume pump would make it worse.


lary00-Of course GM doesn't want you beating on the car under warranty but I believe they do break in allot of their motors at the factory.

slickfx3-My bad I misunderstood you. Of course the mass produced ones don't have pistons that expand as much as 500HP and over engines do but regardless, it's still a SBC. If you make your living building engines and you can't get a SBC to seal right 2 times in a row, that's pretty sad no matter how the customer drove it even though I did do the break in procedure correctly.

 

Grinding the 4 drain backs in the block to enlarge them is a good idea but not grinding them won't cause oil consumption. It will just slow the oil's return path to the pan.

Now the issue with AFR's has nothing to do with this at all. With the AFR's if you do not grind that trench, into the drivers side water pump bolt support pad, the front oil drain back in the head will be 100% blocked off. That forces oil to puddle in the front of the head and eventually it can finally run to rear drain and get out that way. You end up with more oil laying around in that head.

I know there is alot of grinding and polishing in the pic. If your unsure of what I'm talking about, I'll Photo-Chop a pic and highlight precisley where to grind for the drivers side front oil return. However you will have to at least take the drivers cyl head off and tape the rest of the motor up to fix it....

A few things about HV oil pumps. They will NOT pump any more oil to the top of the motor. Common misconception. If they were allowed to pump unregulated they could, but once the pump meets a certain amout of resistance the bypass opens and dumps excess oil directly back into the oil pan. All a HV pump does is bypass more oil directly back into the pan...

This can cause problems on some SBC's because the bypass dump/port is directly above the pick up tube. The oil dumping directly back in the vincity of the pick up causes cavitation and oil pressure loss in some pan/pump combinations.
Will

 

Make sure your PCV is well baffled in the valve cover as that maybe an isse!!

 

I use baffled grommets on the valve covers.