Engine Life

[y5e06]

1718

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.

[Supercharged111]

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.

[drecords]

Current build is on its 2nd season. Last one lasted ~5 while Wade owned #34.

[marshall_mosty]

Mine last about 13 1/2 minutes... :(

[Pranav]

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

[y5e06]

5 engines. lord almighty!
I wouldn't even be considering an LS swap if one could still find quality new Delphi OPTIs

[Pranav]

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!

[Sook]

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

[Fbody383]

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.

[RichardP]

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.

[Pranav]

While torquing up the clutch to install it, the engine dropped from the hoist and bent the front of the crank.

1719

[michaelmosty]

Started racing in 2006.
Engine #1 lasted 5 1/2 years before snapping the crank in 2011.
Engine #2 lasted 2 1/2 years before snapping the crank in 2013.
Had a temp engine in for the start of 2014.
Engine #3 has lasted 2 1/2 years and is still going strong. (fingers crossed)

[Alien]

Don't have an odometer in the car... or a speedo.... or a tach...

'07-'10
Started in 2007 in HPDE's and autocrosses to shakedown a 180k+ mile ex-cop car TPI engine (new valve springs). Down on horsepower (209hp) but got me on track. Ran it until end of 2010 and it was still running when pulled to step up to CMC2.

'11-'12
For the start of 2011, 101k+ mile LT1 installed (again new valve springs). Threw a rod at end of 2012 (R3 at last event of the season at NOLA ending my 111 race start streak), I believe due to running lean because of to failing fuel pump. Shame the CEL couldn't be tuned at that time.

Took 2013 off. Rebuilt a spare LT1 at Vilas Motor Works in B/CS.

'14-current
2014 to 2nd event 2016. No oil pressure coming off track. Mistakenly I spec'd a high volume oil pump in rebuild which stripped the teeth off the oil pump driveshaft. Back to the machine shop, inspected, heads never came off, new cam and drive, new bearings and ready for the next event.
Remainder of 2016 no major issues asides some ignition related gremlins.
Taking 2017 off except for COTA.

[AllZWay]

I don't know miles.. but my first LT1 was out of a street driven car with 158,000 miles on it and it lasted for 4 years. Second engine was a unknown used engine I picked up from Bryan Leinart.. it last three years.

[ShadowBolt]

Kevin and I have had really bad luck with the 4.6. I don't know what issues he had but I was cheap and did not put in hardened oil pump gears in my first rebuild and a catching second instead of fourth it turned a million rpms and broke the oil pump gears. Second and third engine rebuilds I was trying to run 10.75:1 compression ratio to try and keep up with the 350's with only 281 cubic inches. I guess I got something besides 93 because two times I killed the engine with bad fuel. This engine is 9.5:1 to make sure I can run 91 if need be. It has cost me a ton of power. Even the high compression engines did not make the torque numbers (I could make 260 to 266 hp) but the current engine only made 247/290. At MSRC you could not see it but at TWS it was obvious. If I was starting from scratch I would go with a 302. I never broke anything on the first car running a 302.

JJ

[BryanL]

I bought the black LS1 #24 with a bad engine but I didn't know it at the time-busted ringlands likely from running an aggressive tune for T2. Rebuild lasted one event due to how the engine builder put the rods/pistons together. They replaced all the rods/pistons and re-sleeved one piston. I hooked up the oil cooler backwards at 2 am in the dark and ran it enough to pull it out for new bearings. Six years later it was still making perfect numbers and I got it running after the wreck to make sure it didn't have any bad noises so it's ready to keep going. Builder told me to pull it for bearings whenever the oil pressure started to drop but it never has and the Blackstone Analysis is fine.

Current LS1 in the white Camaro I don't know how old it is but I don't think Wayne had any engine issues in the years that he owned it so I would say it has at least more than 7 years of life on it. Blackstone Analysis was great that I did this year.

Issues have been breaking the plastic power steering pulley-now billet- and some alternator issues from running reman alternators with a weak battery. Change plugs, oil/filter, check pushrods and replace bent ones, clean intake due to ingesting oil, clean the MAF religiously, new air/fuel filter every year. Otherwise I don't think I have ever replaced a sensor or valve springs. Have never broken anything related to clutch, trans, or rearend other than bending an axle at Hallett.

[Al Fernandez]

My lt1 was built circa 2004. At some point I swapped heads with a set of take offs with new springs. The trick is never washing the engine compartment.

[Rob Liebbe]

My lt1 was built circa 2004. At some point I swapped heads with a set of take offs with new springs. The trick is never washing the engine compartment.

Or, evidently, the rest of the car. When I borrowed it in 2010, I had to degrease everything on Al's car. I left the engine compartment alone due to Opti-fear..

[AI#97]

My original AI race motor made 7 years of abuse which included 2 Nationals events. I had one head gasket failure which was my own mistake but I actually spoke with the guy who bought it this past weekend and it has seen 4000 miles of mostly drag racing duty in New Mexico and now Alaska. He is upgrading the heads and came and going to spray a 150 shot on it. Motor was built in late 2005. Wasn't cheap but if you amortize that over time...It was money spent only once.

[Supercharged111]

Kevin and I have had really bad luck with the 4.6. I don't know what issues he had but I was cheap and did not put in hardened oil pump gears in my first rebuild and a catching second instead of fourth it turned a million rpms and broke the oil pump gears. Second and third engine rebuilds I was trying to run 10.75:1 compression ratio to try and keep up with the 350's with only 281 cubic inches. I guess I got something besides 93 because two times I killed the engine with bad fuel. This engine is 9.5:1 to make sure I can run 91 if need be. It has cost me a ton of power. Even the high compression engines did not make the torque numbers (I could make 260 to 266 hp) but the current engine only made 247/290. At MSRC you could not see it but at TWS it was obvious. If I was starting from scratch I would go with a 302. I never broke anything on the first car running a 302.

JJ

And this is why I firmly believe we owe the 4.6s either a decent set of cams (like the 5.0 gets to run) or the ability to dyno tune. Those plenums and crap that have come up before just aren't enough.

[Pranav]

Speaking with my Dyno guy he says the 4.6s run too much timing and too lean stock. Fixing these issues would make them even less powerful. Agreed that 4.6s should get whatever they need to make the numbers without blowing up.