Catastrophic failure...

[paco_pony]

is what happened to my engine. To recap, I just got the car back from HPP and had less than 100 miles on it. I had never taken the revs above 3000 rpm. Last Friday it let go while I was coming to a stop at a light.

HPP pulled the engine apart and found a valve had fallen through the head and impaled one of the pistons. I second valve was apparently on the verge of falling as well.

the heads on one bank are destroyed, as well as the cams and one piston. the other bank is supposedly ok.

manny (the shop owner) says he's never seen this before. his tech's opinion is that the engine was over-revved. Manny also said perhaps the cams were just too big and caused the valve failure--if the engine was not over-revved (his words).

maybe he thinks I really did over-rev the engine, or maybe he just won't stand behind his work, but he says he won't fix it on his own dime. he did offer to comp the labor, but wants me to pay for parts.

All I know is that I just got the car back, I put 100 miles on it, I kept the rev's under 3000, and my engine is now destroyed. Do you guys have any thoughts on what might have happened here? Could they have put in the wrong cam, wrong springs? I am just at a loss and need some ammo when I talk to the shop owner again.

Any help is appreciated.

geoff

 

[SC boss]

Man, Im sorry to hear about this. I know what its like to have motor problems on a new engine and I hope that it all works out for you.

 

[ChevyKiller]

Holy crap...very sorry to hear. I find it difficult to believe they had no idea of what cams and valve train was in the motor they built.

NUMBER ONE question... what exactly heads, cams, and valve train was in the car?

Were the heads ported?

 

[US-1]

Like Mark stated....need to know which cams, springs, retainers, and keepers were on the car.

Initial thought: if it dropped a valve with the rpms under 3000 then the wrong springs were used for the camshaft lift.

 

[Faztford]

Damn that sucks

 

[ChevyKiller]

Like Mark stated....need to know which cams, springs, retainers, and keepers were on the car.

Initial thought: if it dropped a valve with the rpms under 3000 then the wrong springs were used for the camshaft lift.

That's my first thought and second is if he had his heads p/p - then the possibility of the guides getting chewed.

 

[Dex]

Did they put the heads together? If they put the heads together they should put in parts and know what will and wont work

 

[ZmanM3]

That sucks man. And they built the engine?

 

[paco_pony]

Like Mark stated....need to know which cams, springs, retainers, and keepers were on the car.

Initial thought: if it dropped a valve with the rpms under 3000 then the wrong springs were used for the camshaft lift.

this is coming straight from the invoice...

Ported heads--3v--Fully ported and polished, 5-angle competition valve job

3v billet cams (verbally they told me comp cams--the biggest they have for a blower--but I can't confirm exactly which model.

They claim to have reused the valvetrain from the old engine--including springs I assume. I don't have the old invoice so I don't know the specifics on the valve train. but i do know the cams in the most recent engine were supposed to be much, much bigger than the cams in the old engine.

not sure if this helps.

 

[KIM_05_GT]

So you didn't provide them with any parts? If that is the case, I would think they should be paying for everything.

 

[Dex]

They put it together. If they were wrong or shitty parts their tech guy should have noticed and said something. They need to pay for the parts. Time to call a lawyer

 

[SD07GT]

this is coming straight from the invoice...

Ported heads--3v--Fully ported and polished, 5-angle competition valve job

3v billet cams (verbally they told me comp cams--the biggest they have for a blower--but I can't confirm exactly which model.

They claim to have reused the valvetrain from the old engine--including springs I assume. I don't have the old invoice so I don't know the specifics on the valve train. but i do know the cams in the most recent engine were supposed to be much, much bigger than the cams in the old engine.

not sure if this helps.

There should of been new springs with the cams ?? also if your rev limit is still stock around 6k there no way you over reved it ...even if there was a missed shift an it reved to 6k it shouldnt of done anything to the valve train ... just my $ 2 !

 

[DKO]

Didn't the same thing happen to MexGT? He dropped a valve into the cylinder as well if my memory serves me right. I believe they were Manley valves.

 

[SD07GT]

Didn't the same thing happen to MexGT? He dropped a valve into the cylinder as well if my memory serves me right. I believe they were Manley valves.

yes he did !! funny you should mention that ! ...basically he was doing the same thing this guy did with 50 miles or somethig like that on the car keeping the reve around 2k and the same thing happpend

 

[DKO]

yes he did !! funny you should mention that ! ...basically he was doing the same thing this guy did with 50 miles or somethig like that on the car keeping the reve around 2k and the same thing happpend

mmhmmm... err wait... I think his valve actually broke now that I think about it, and the piece fell into the cylinder and did the damage...

 

[KIMMER]

Can you say Livernois........I'd call a lawyer and deal with it that way. At least then they know you aren't messing around. If it was a bad valve from manley, then HPP should be dealing with manley about the issue, but no way should you be stuck with the bill when you've done nothing wrong. Yet again another shop that has no idea what customer service is if this is the case. Can't jump to conclusions until both sides are heard and the problem is looked at some more. Never know what they might find and decide to cover it.

 

[el_jefe]

Where phase lock outs used?

 

[MexGT]

Does this look familiar?

The exact same happened to me, never over-revved the car, hell not even past 3K, I used correct cams with correct springs and everything else.

I feel your pain bro, a broken valve and the head of the valve felt into the combustion chamber and the rest is history.

Manley valves with Manley valvetrain and Comp #127300 cams.

 

[ZmanM3]

If they used the stock valve train with the comp cam blower cams they were wrong.

 

[KIMMER]

Damn Mex, that's some carnage. Sounds like manley has some quality control issues and should be footing the bill for these engines.