Welp, the engine died with a whimper last night. It had all of about 4 hours running time on it.

Earlier I posted about how my engine builder/machinist screwed up during assembly. Basically he used TFE paste on the threads of the splayed studs on the engine's main caps. Those studs extend into the block's water jacket. All six of them leaked like a seive whenever there was any pressure in the cooling system.

Anyhow, I fixed that water leak problem and thought I was good to go. However, the water leak into the oil upon initial startup prevented, apparently, the cam and lifters from properly breaking in.

I had it out for a drive last night. It started sputtering and farting through the carburetor and clanking. I immediately took it home, pulled the valve covers and had my wife crank the engine. Imagine my surprise when some of the rocker arms did not go up and down. The short story is that the cam and lifters are wiped. I'm also certain at this point that the cam, rod and main bearings are fooked up because of the water leak. (And I'm not too sure about the condition of the rings, either, at this point.)

I visited the engine builder/machinist today and brought him up to speed. The short story there is that I told him that I'm going to pull the short block and take it to him to be rebuilt properly. Free--I'm not paying for poopie.

I've refrained from using this machinist's name on the forum before because, frankly, I figured that nothing good could come from slamming the guy. I am going to reveal it now. It's really too bad because he is a very nice guy and quite well known in some racing circles as a machinist and competitor. In fact, he recently built a flathead with a Ardun OHV conversion for Dick LaHaie. (I wonder how THAT engine is running?)

Anyhow, I have nothing against him personally but after this engine is repaired my business relationship with him is over:

Bob McKray
Bob McKray Performance
25672 Taladro Circle, Unit F
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
(949) 458-7087

I'm also posting this in the "Pacific" section of the Forum.



[Modified by The Dude, 11:33 AM 1/26/2002]

 

Just don't understand how a top builder like that could make a mistake with the paste on the bolts ?

Good luck !

Vic

 

Was this built using a new block?

ARP makes a non-hardening thread sealer that is pretty much a teflon paste, and it is recommended and used by most pro engine builders and racers. If the block is used, the threds in the block may be worn/loose fitting and that's why it leaked with the paste. I don't know if I would lay all the blame on the machinist. If he's willing to foot the bill of putting new beairngs, cam, and lifters, he sounds like a pretty good guy who stands behind his work. It's unfortunate that's for sure, but I'm sure it'll get worked out.

 

No.

I agree. However he fitted this block with aftermarket splayed 4-bolt main caps. Therefore, the holes that were leaking are holes he drilled and tapped. And the leaking stopped after I removed them, cleaned them and re-installed them with a different thread sealant. (Permatex No. 2A).


I really hope so, too. Like I said, he is a good guy and fairly well-known. And it's not like he assembled the thing with no sealant at all. TFE paste as a bolt thread sealant looks good on paper and I'm sure there are thousands of engines out there that are sealed with the stuff. It just didn't work out in my case. I'm not angry with the guy. It's just a problem that has to be solved and,the root cause of the problem in this case lies with him in that those threads weren't sealed properly from the beginning. It's unfortunate but I'm hopeful it will be worked out without a lot of drama.

FYI--Here's a little bit about who Bob McKray is: http://206.65.176.100/pub/articles/c...s/201029a.html



[Modified by The Dude, 4:00 PM 1/26/2002]

 

Jack, we were wondering where you were yesterday.... thats a big time bummer.

As I may have told you, Bob has done all of the work to my heads.... I too have always felt he's a decent guy to work with, but it also seems like he might be a bit over extended. Everytime I've been in their, it looks like he has 50 sets of heads waiting their turn for some serious metal removal.

I didn't know he built motors until you told me he was doing yours, I always thought he was just a port and polish shop.

In any regards, good luck with it and let me know how its going.

Beach Bum

 

Vic'89 made the comment that he can't figure out how a top engine shop could make such a mistake. Well, I had a "top" shop in NY rebuild my engine and didn't figure out that they screwed up for a lot of years later. It wasn't a catastrophic problem like yours but my valves, cam and lifters (they literally exploded and fell apart) as well as the oil pump were doomed from the beginning. This guy also built drag racing engines. How did it happen? My theory is I didn't get the "A" team, I got the "B" or "C" team that had not much experience and the owner was too busy to properly oversee the work. Just my .02.


[Modified by BB68Vett, 10:50 AM 1/28/2002]

 

Sorry to say this, but it happens all the time. The B and C team end up doing more work than the A team, and messing up the rep of the builder.

My AFR 190's were 'first' ported by a C team member and the guy got a whopping 8 cfm's more out of them. After I pitched a bitch, the owner got the A team guy grinding on them, and picked up like 28 cfm.

As long as the guy stands behind his work, you should'nt have a problem.

I'd charge him for having to pull the motor though, that's his fault not yours.

 

There is no "B" or "C" team at McKray's shop. He's the guy.

Beach, i know what you mean. While my project was gathering dust and he was building LaHaie's flathead conversion he was working on loads of Hemi heads for his nostalgia racing buddies. The condition of some of those heads was shocking--it looked like he could have saved some serious time by melting them down and re-casting them.

More power to him, though. The nostalgia guys keep coming back.