This is what TTi found when they opened up my engine:


You can see the cam gear is just about ready to fall off.

Which resulted in this:



It had a lifter that was broken in two.

So now the rebuild has started. Since the engine had to come apart to be checked anyway I've gone ahead with the forged project. It is going back together with Callies Compstar rods, Mahle pistons, the Dr. Phil spec Cam Dynamics cam, and will be topped off with AFR 205 heads. This should allow for a good bump in boost and really let the X kit shine.
After experiencing what it was like with 600 RWHP on the "low" boost setting I'm almost afraid to see how it's going to be now. Should be fun.

 

I love happy endings.

Sounds like your new motor is pretty similar to mine. You'll love it.

 

My cam gear bolts were loose, not barely hanging like yours. Another 2 minutes at idle and it would have been gone.

 

Any changes to the fuel system? It would be sweet if you got one of those RPM/Quicktime SFI certified bellhousings, as another "while you're in there". I don't think they're available yet, but might be when your motor goes in! Are you going to drag race? If so, you'll need it for NHRA tech, because you will easily be in the 10 sec club.

 

I would suggest replacing every moving part in your motor (Rocker arms, oil pump, etc.). The only reason I could see the cam looking like that is metal from the bolts rubbing against the timing chain cover. So your motor has more than likley been contaminated with metal particles.
Did you get any codes and did the service engine light come on?
I wonder why this happens so much with the LS1 motors, but I never heard this happening with the old small block chevy? Is it the bolts themselves?

 

Make sure the Lifters and retainer trays are replaced!!
It looks like 1 or more of the lifters may have rotated caussing that damage.

 

Oops! I don't see any loctite on those cam bolts I take it the cam was never replaced or the front cover opened?

 

Stock cam or did someone do a lazy cam swap? I made sure to use red loc-tite on my cam gear bolts and torqued them to spec.

 

Chris: I'm going to see if the fuel system I'm running now will be up to the task. It's a racetronix in-tank pump, harness and boost-a-pump. I guess we'll see if it holds up when they start putting the boost to it. If not I'll have to consider an add on system. ECS or A&A. I probably should consider a clutch housing but like you say I'm not sure if they will be available then. Since there has not been an option up until now I hope it won't be an issue. We'll see. And yes it should be 10s easily. Phil says this engine will be nearly identical to the one that put him well into the 9s. It's a proven combo.

Red99: The whole engine is apart so all of the parts will be checked. So far it does not look like there was any contamination with metal filings. Nothing was found in the pan but with all of that damage it's hard to imagine that there wasn't some metal floating around in there. The good thing is that the engine didn't run for long after it broke. I was more worried about the turbos but George at TTi said all looked good. The damage was from the broken lifter(s). Yes it did throw a code shortly before it went out. I had almost made it home when it let loose.
The engine was as it came from the factory with less than 11k miles on it. Stock cam. It seems to be a pretty common problem with the 01-newer cars. I'm surprised the factory has no method of retaining the bolts. If they didn't use a retaining plate I would have thought they would have at least put some thread locker on them. Sometimes you really have to wonder about GM.

Phil: George is going to put in a set of LS-7 lifters per your reccommendation and I mentioned the trays when we last talked.

 

What's really great is when the service manuals advise you to not use threadlocker as it alters the actual amount of torque required to correctly fasten the assembly.

When it comes to cams and a few other things around the motor that are subject to vibration, I think I'll just take my chances and put thread lock on anyway.

 

I always use ARP bolts there too with blue threadlock torque to GM spec, never had one come out. The bolt kits are cheap too, they are about 8 bucks for the kit for the retainer and about the same for the cam sprocket kit.

 

Ouch!! New motor and you will be back in business.

 

Nick is bang on-ARP makes bolts-add locktite and you sleep better at night!

 

The bolts with threadlocker seems like a good idea for these engines. I can't imagine that a little locktite on the threads would alter the torque reading enough to make a big difference. Most torque wrenches are probably not that accurate anyway unless they are constantly re-calibrated.

 

Does anyone know of a sheet metal locking plate that could fit LS engines, or has anyone safety wired theirs?

 

I hear yeah!

I'm in the same boat with you, if you seen my post on my #7 cylinder rings that went out!

So I too am going with a forged bottom end and going for 600 RWHP with about 10:1 and 9PSI of B@@ST!

I'll be watching to see how things develope for you

Thanks,Matt

 

Yes I've been watching your posts on the search for the elusive combination. It's a really hard decision to make with all of the choices out there but I ended up going with the advice of people who have a lot more experience than me. By staying with my block, crank etc. I was able to spring for the AFR heads and keep the costs within reason. I'm thinking those heads will help my mid-range quite a bit. We'll see how it turns out. The numbers you are looking for is right where I was at with the stock engine. I'm now looking at around 9.5:1 compression with the new combo and whatever boost the fuel system will support. I don't really need more than 600 rwhp but I figure I might as well take more advantage of the potential of the X kit and can turn the boost down for street driving.

 

Same thing but not as bad.I had a S/C installed and a 100 miles or so my DIC pulled a code I forgot the numbers but it was a high frequency code.Chris from ECS said it happens once in while when you boost. Locktite and a re-torque and alls good.

 

On one hand I wish I would have gotten off that easy but on the other hand I'm really looking forward to the forged engine. With the boost I was running I would have always been worried about the engine letting go. I know a lot of guys have had real good luck with the stock internals but since I seem to be such s*** magnet I'm sure I wouldn't have been one of them. The funny thing is now I'm going to be more worried about breaking the drive train. Just can't win.

I've been able to be pretty calm up to now waiting for the car to get back together But George called me today with a progress update and the excitement is starting to set in. It's getting close. Now if the weather would stay clear so they would stop putting all of the sanding gravel on the roads I'll be fine.

 

It's probably the pin from the end of camshaft that broke loose and ended into lifter valley. I had exactly same end-result year ago...



The pin from broken lifter, or then the pin from the end of camshaft, was then popping between lifter valley and windage tray, as can be seen from these pics:





If you ever see P0343 error code, shut down the engine and pray...