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Running on 7 cylinders

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Old May 12, 2021 | 11:19 AM
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I recently replaced my heads on my blown c6 that was previously making 888whp on pump and meth. I upgraded to trickflow heads, measured out the pushrod length and put it back together. Ever since, I can feel like it is missing under load. Right around 2000 RPMs and up. I pulled the plugs, and found one to have the porcelain cracked. Replaced and it felt great for a bit. Soon after, same issue. Cracked porcelain near the electrode tip. I got busy with buying a new home and moving so 3 months passed by. Now that I'm settled, I'm picking this back up. I changed coil packs, and wiring and pulled the plugs after a long but judicious drive and found this

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It smells like there is fuel, but the plug looks perfectly clean. Definitely no combustion happening here. I've replaced plug wires also but the issue persists. What are my next steps?
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Old May 12, 2021 | 11:30 AM
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Put a timing light on that plug wire or a sparkplug checker, if you have spark do a compression check. To me that plug looks to be fouling, is that soot or carbon under the ground strap?
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Old May 12, 2021 | 11:54 AM
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Good. I will get the timing light tomorrow from Oriley's. That was more like an oilly soot that wiped off easily.
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Old May 12, 2021 | 01:23 PM
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For a DIY’er without a scan tool and scope it basically comes down to playing “swaptronics” or just replacing parts !!...if all ignition parts have been replaced (you still have to verify wiring) you would have to think fuel injectors or its wiring or something mechanical !!...put the gas pedal to the floor and hold it there and try to start the car. (Clear flood crank)..car will just crank but listen if the car cranks over evenly..if it doesn’t I’d worry about something mechanical.

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Old May 12, 2021 | 01:52 PM
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Detonation probably smoking your plug. Pull some timing.
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Old May 12, 2021 | 11:46 PM
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Originally Posted by C5 Diag
For a DIY’er without a scan tool and scope it basically comes down to playing “swaptronics” or just replacing parts !!...if all ignition parts have been replaced (you still have to verify wiring) you would have to think fuel injectors or its wiring or something mechanical !!...put the gas pedal to the floor and hold it there and try to start the car. (Clear flood crank)..car will just crank but listen if the car cranks over evenly..if it doesn’t I’d worry about something mechanical.
I have new injectors in there, so I doubt the injectors themselves are the culprit. I will check the wiring though. I'll do the test you suggested.
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Old May 12, 2021 | 11:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Orion2011
Detonation probably smoking your plug. Pull some timing.
It does make sense and I thought the same. I will need to invest in HP tuners..
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Old May 13, 2021 | 12:40 PM
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I did as suggested and used the spare plug tester. It looks good. I should probably change that plug out if it fouled. Next would be having the tune analyzed?
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Old May 14, 2021 | 12:29 PM
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Found the issue. I removed the intake and found this:

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The intake was full of gas/oil.

After removing the valve cover, I found that my yella terra pedestal bolt had snapped in half. Pushrods are straight, valvsprimgs are good and rockers look good. This might have been the best case scenario.


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Old May 14, 2021 | 12:53 PM
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I sure wouldn't have thought that that much oil could get past the rocker stud into the intake runner! Did you use tread sealant on the rocker studs? What's going on with that valve cover? is that a hole in it? is that from the stud breaking? Cylinder was full of oil and the intake valve was hydraulicing ???
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Old May 14, 2021 | 01:26 PM
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Originally Posted by grpweld
I sure wouldn't have thought that that much oil could get past the rocker stud into the intake runner! Did you use tread sealant on the rocker studs? What's going on with that valve cover? is that a hole in it? is that from the stud breaking? Cylinder was full of oil and the intake valve was hydraulicing ???
What looks to have happened was the rocker pedestal bolt snapped, preventing the exhaust and intake valves from opening. The rockers are shaft mounted, so both valves were affected. The injectors were firing as they should and filling the intake runner with gas. I have a catch can that catches most of the oil, but a little gets through which is normal..

Last edited by slow goat; May 14, 2021 at 01:27 PM.
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Old May 14, 2021 | 03:31 PM
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Saw that happen to another Yella Terra setup a few years ago. That time the threaded part of the bolt stayed in the head. . Glad you found your problem and it was simple
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Old May 14, 2021 | 04:06 PM
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Originally Posted by wjnjr
Saw that happen to another Yella Terra setup a few years ago. That time the threaded part of the bolt stayed in the head. . Glad you found your problem and it was simple
Same thing happened here. The threaded part stayed in the head. Thanks for the help everyone.
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Old May 14, 2021 | 04:10 PM
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Are you still SBE making that power? M6 or 6L80?
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Old May 14, 2021 | 04:19 PM
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Originally Posted by slow goat
I have new injectors in there, so I doubt the injectors themselves are the culprit. I will check the wiring though. I'll do the test you suggested.

Did you do a “clear flood crank” and notice anything unusual ???
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Old May 14, 2021 | 04:49 PM
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Originally Posted by C5 Diag
Did you do a “clear flood crank” and notice anything unusual ???
Yes, at some part of the crank cycle sounded slower and then would speed up, then slow down...repeat.

Originally Posted by VVVROOMTX
Are you still SBE making that power? M6 or 6L80?
No sir. Built 416 LS3 through the stock T56.
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Old May 14, 2021 | 05:48 PM
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Originally Posted by slow goat
Yes, at some part of the crank cycle sounded slower and then would speed up, then slow down...repeat.



No sir. Built 416 LS3 through the stock T56.
This is a quick way to sometimes tell it’s a mechanical issue...what’s happening in your case is the crank sped
up after the bad cylinder since there was no or low compression in that cylinder offering any resistance so that’s why it sounded that way !!...glad you found it !!
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Old May 14, 2021 | 05:53 PM
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Originally Posted by wjnjr
Saw that happen to another Yella Terra setup a few years ago. That time the threaded part of the bolt stayed in the head. . Glad you found your problem and it was simple
I ended up buying these and will replace them all.


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Originally Posted by C5 Diag
This is a quick way to sometimes tell it’s a mechanical issue...what’s happening in your case is the crank sped
up after the bad cylinder since there was no or low compression in that cylinder offering any resistance so that’s why it sounded that way !!...glad you found it !!
Thanks for that tip. It was helpful.

Last edited by slow goat; May 14, 2021 at 06:06 PM.
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Old May 14, 2021 | 06:31 PM
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Sounds like a good idea.
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