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Thread: Engine Life

  1. #1
    Senior Member Grass-Passer y5e06's Avatar
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    Engine Life

    IMG_20170426_211955279[1].jpg

    Found my note from the 2nd oil change I did on this car back in ' 05. Bought it with a cracked block and started from there.

    I'm curious as to what kinds of life you folks get out of your CMC (and AI) mills.
    Its no secret my attendence has been spotty over the last 10+ years. However, I still managed to get 5000 track miles out of my old LT1.
    Had it done with ARP's, balancing, and basic stock stuff.
    I'd say I'm quite happy with the life I got out of it, mistreatment and all. I used redline 40wt race oil its whole life, and only ever swapped the valve springs every 'full' season or two.

    If I refresh this one, or another core, I'll likely take it back to the same dirt track shop in Waco for the work.
    Last edited by y5e06; 04-26-2017 at 09:39 PM.
    Dust Collector

  2. #2
    Senior Member Carroll Shelby Supercharged111's Avatar
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    I rebuilt mine in 2015, it has 2 full seasons and seems no worse for the wear. If I get fewer than 5 seasons, I'll not be happy. The punkin has to be on its 7th or so season. We don't seem to have a whole lot of issues up here, but we do have thinner air. We have a couple AI cars with LS6s that are at least 5 years old too, but they're unopened stock crate motors.
    RM CMC Director

  3. #3
    Senior Member Grass-Passer
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    Current build is on its 2nd season. Last one lasted ~5 while Wade owned #34.
    Daniel Records
    CMC # 34

  4. #4
    Senior Member Carroll Shelby marshall_mosty's Avatar
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    Mine last about 13 1/2 minutes...
    Marshall Mosty
    AI/SI Texas Regional Director
    2011 NASA-TX American Iron Champ
    AI #67 "Mosty Brothers' Racing" (RIP)
    ST6 #21 Toyota Corolla (being revived)...

  5. #5
    Senior Member Carroll Shelby
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    2012-2013 Engine 1: Bought used, threw cometic head gaskets on it, could never get it to hold water in the afternoons; also spun a lifter during comp school and ghetto fixed it. Always ran with one cylinder with 85% leakdown, ended up throwing short block away, kept the heads: 4-5 events

    2013-2014 Engine 2: Picked up and rebuilt a short block, re used my heads, killed due to misfired killing rod bearings, ran with spun bearing too long and smacked a head: 4 events

    2014-2015 Engine 3: Rebuilt #2 (somehow they fixed the head!) Built, killed when I was clutch in, idling, and coasting in to pit after T13/14 at TWS and the front rod bearings starved; I was running too low of an oil level because the guys at Canton are idiots. : 5 events

    2015-2016 Engine 4: Bought morgan's old street car motor, had it built. Ran great until I dropped a valve or fragged a pistion randomly at WOT/high RPM, I had a PCV oil consumption/detonation issue that was fixed a couple days before this happened, never was sure if it was related: 7-8 events

    2017 Engine 5: Acquired LM4 5.3, had it gone through and spent money on real valve springs and hardned locks/retainers. Running great so far, my first LS 5.3: 3 events and counting
    Last edited by Pranav; 04-27-2017 at 02:39 PM.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Grass-Passer y5e06's Avatar
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    5 engines. lord almighty!
    I wouldn't even be considering an LS swap if one could still find quality new Delphi OPTIs
    Dust Collector

  7. #7
    Senior Member Carroll Shelby
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    Yeah, engine #2 is why I have been cutting open filters before throwing them away: to catch a cheap inaudible problem early before it becomes audible and expensive!

  8. #8
    I haven't gotten more than one event on an engine since I started...

    LT1 - Grass fire TWS 2016
    Junkyard LS1 - Seized on Friday test day for MSRH 2017
    Crate LM7 - Ran good at Cresson, had trans issues. Spun bearing at TWS on Friday test day 2017

    Yeah.. I'm taking a break for a while.

    - Josh

  9. #9
    Senior Member Carroll Shelby Fbody383's Avatar
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    I had to go find the post to remember - this engine since summer of '12. And it's the one we boiled completely dry at MSRH last January after Lienart complained about a little smoke.

    Oh, it broke an injector wire in '14 or '15. And it might have a little oil blow by.
    #39 CMC Camaro
    Orange is Fast!
    CMC-NT01 FTW!

  10. #10
    Senior Member Carroll Shelby RichardP's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sook View Post
    I haven't gotten more than one event on an engine since I started...

    LT1 - Grass fire TWS 2016
    Junkyard LS1 - Seized on Friday test day for MSRH 2017
    Crate LM7 - Ran good at Cresson, had trans issues. Spun bearing at TWS on Friday test day 2017

    Yeah.. I'm taking a break for a while.

    - Josh

    Orange has a long history of being a bastard, long before Josh got anywhere near it:

    Previous owner: Engine blows up causing the car to hit the wall at Sears Point. Engine rebuilt but not completed before Dan bought it.
    Transferred from California where I completed assembly and got it running. After first event, I was troubleshooting it in my garage when it seized up.
    Purchased and installed a running take out motor from an F-body dismantler. While torquing up the clutch to install it, the engine dropped from the hoist and bent the front of the crank.
    Purchased and installed a second running take out motor from same f-body dismantler. Cam to timing gear bolts backed out in first race trashing a lot of stuff.
    Car sent to engine rebuilder. At first DE event, engine ran like crap and overheat quickly.
    Car sent back to engine builder where engine bearings, etc. were replaced.
    Car ran fine for a few race seasons before it started overheating at Hallett. Engine sent to a rebuilder to freshen up.
    Car ran for a couple of more years before persistent electrical gremlins set in. Josh replaced the complete electrical system before the car "popped loudly," died on track, and set the grass on fire underneath it. (Hindsight: we should have let it burn)
    Even though the engine appeared to be fine mechanically, we gave up on LT1 crap and installed a running take out LS1 motor from a maybe less than reputable dismantler. Engine seizes in the second session. Further investigation shows maybe an LS1 block with LS6 heads but weak truck valve springs???
    Installed a rebuilt LM7 truck motor that started ticking one session into its second event. Appears to be eating itself internally (cam bearings?)???
    Car now mothballed until further notice...

    Richard P.

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