Motor is gone

[Dex]

I picked option 3 when I was in your situation.

 

[US-1]

Option 1, Ron. Just enjoy the car for a while then decide whether you want something different.

 

[NastyStang113]

Option #3.

 

[Steedman07]

Option 1....Like it was said above..have fun..10 psi can be fun!!

 

[Croft]

Ron, again, i am sorry for all that you are going through. i can only imagine all that is going through your mind...........please take everyone's advice and take a breather, then make your final decision. you have a great support system here and we are all cheering for you!! good luck!

 

[94tbird]

well i also have the 2002 GT that i am drving aroudn in the meantime so it helps a little

 

[ChevyKiller]

Take a step back, relax, and forget about it for a little bit. When you are ready, sit down and and make a list for yourself of the pros and cons and costs of either way to go and then choose which route makes you feel the best. Forget money, forget everything else. You can't put a price on stress and go with what will give you the best peace of mind...

 

[one eyed willy]

this is like deja vu, i was just in your situation kinda. i bent my # 8 rod with out having funds to do much about it. i did the same thing as you and wrote out my options, and a price tag with time frame next to each one.

i was very close to getting another long block for $1500 and slapping it in and being done.i ended up spending about another $1500 to build my shortblock and do it but im worried it still wont hold, im only planning to push 500hp when its all together.

i was only pushing 450 on my stock block, but my wastegate spiked and there it went...that was a huge concern when i concidered my options. i didnt want to spend $1500 for another stock longblock and risk another spike in pressure, so i went with the forged goodies instead.

 

[94tbird]

this is like deja vu, i was just in your situation kinda. i bent my # 8 rod with out having funds to do much about it. i did the same thing as you and wrote out my options, and a price tag with time frame next to each one.

i was very close to getting another long block for $1500 and slapping it in and being done.i ended up spending about another $1500 to build my shortblock and do it but im worried it still wont hold, im only planning to push 500hp when its all together.

i was only pushing 450 on my stock block, but my wastegate spiked and there it went...that was a huge concern when i concidered my options. i didnt want to spend $1500 for another stock longblock and risk another spike in pressure, so i went with the forged goodies instead.

This was a forged motor

 

[Freaknazty]

imo ron figure out the main problem at hand , ditch the bbr cams and just turn down this motor to 10-12lbs run it like that for a while , then when the cash comes available buy the big bore block from rgr or livernois and swap it out if you want to up it again

 

[Freaknazty]

i didnt want to spend $1500 for another stock longblock and risk another spike in pressure, so i went with the forged goodies instead.

no offense but the forged block will still pop if you don't get the spike issue fixed ...... a forged block isn't bulletproof it's just a little more " forgiving "

 

[DirtyDogOfTheDesert]

I've been watching this thread from the start, and for the record, I am also sorry about all these problems, and kudu's to Peter for helping out so much.

From the way you describe your situation, I think option 1 is the best for the short term. It'll get you feeling good about your car again, and with spring just here you have lots of time to enjoy it.
Once option 1 is completed, you can save towards option 3.

Option 2 and 4 are both poor choices IMO, with 4 probably being the worst.

And if you scab together your Larry H piece of shit, and then have another failure of some kind, you'll really feel crappy.

 

[ZmanM3]

ive only been at about 15psi, 16 if its really cold outside

I think 15 to 16 psi is a very different thing for me then for you. With your cams you live at a higher RPM then I do. I almost never see boost until I really punch it. Even during highway driving until I get on it I'm in Vac.

its a lot of things. I hear what you are all saying. Ive learned al ot about these motors in the teardown process and couldnt have gotten as far as i did if it werent for Peter ocmnig to help and Josh and Kevin over the phone. But im feeling overwhelemed and frustrated and angry and a whole slew of other motions. I have a few paths to take here and I am unsure of what to do.

1. Stock Motor, KB @ 10psi and be done
2. Fix the built motor, remove the BBR cams and go back to stock cams to make the car more manageable and fun, but still have the worry that Larry_H built a shitty motor
3. Rebuild the entire motor from top to bottm, Send the heads at minimum, or the entire motor to livernois and jsut have the entire thing redone
4. Part out and trade in for a GT500

Option one would be the most econimical of all 4 paths. It will be the cheapest, easiest and quickest.

Option two will probably cost 1-2 thousand dollars to make it work but I still have the uncertainty of Larry_H's motor

Option 3 will cost a few thousand dollars as well with the most downtime

Option 4 will cost me a lot of time and money with a result of a slower car than I currently have

Money is a problem. I do not have a lot of money, certainly not enough for option 2 or 3 right now. Option 4 will net me some cash plus a car I can trade in toward a GT500 and I can finance the rest.

Im at a loss. I do not know what to do

I think that if you are really that worried about the Larry H engine then option 1 would be the best. You could pull the Larry H engine and have a reputable builder go over it and freshen it up in the future. But it will give you time to save $$ and to go over options.

well i also have the 2002 GT that i am drving aroudn in the meantime so it helps a little

A second vehicle that it lightly or not modded at all is one of the best things to have in my opinion as if you do have problems your not stranded. Like option 1 above, it also gives you time to get your barrings and make an informed rational decision.

 

[NastyStang113]

no offense but the forged block will still pop if you don't get the spike issue fixed ...... a forged block isn't bulletproof it's just a little more " forgiving "

I think he finally ordered the Tial wastegate like he should of from the beginning.

 

[shanec]

its a lot of things. I hear what you are all saying. Ive learned al ot about these motors in the teardown process and couldnt have gotten as far as i did if it werent for Peter ocmnig to help and Josh and Kevin over the phone. But im feeling overwhelemed and frustrated and angry and a whole slew of other motions. I have a few paths to take here and I am unsure of what to do.

1. Stock Motor, KB @ 10psi and be done
2. Fix the built motor, remove the BBR cams and go back to stock cams to make the car more manageable and fun, but still have the worry that Larry_H built a shitty motor
3. Rebuild the entire motor from top to bottm, Send the heads at minimum, or the entire motor to livernois and jsut have the entire thing redone
4. Part out and trade in for a GT500

Option one would be the most econimical of all 4 paths. It will be the cheapest, easiest and quickest.

Option two will probably cost 1-2 thousand dollars to make it work but I still have the uncertainty of Larry_H's motor

Option 3 will cost a few thousand dollars as well with the most downtime

Option 4 will cost me a lot of time and money with a result of a slower car than I currently have

Money is a problem. I do not have a lot of money, certainly not enough for option 2 or 3 right now. Option 4 will net me some cash plus a car I can trade in toward a GT500 and I can finance the rest.

Im at a loss. I do not know what to do

I rode in a new 550rwhp GT500 last weekend. All he put on it was a whipple pulley, CAI upgrade, & tune. Fun as all get out - and built to handle it. Not just he engine, the whole car. We went up a curved interstape ramp at WOT - I was pinned hard in the seat and the car took the curve well. Felt very stable.

A fast car is one thing. A built-at-the-factory-to-be-fast car is something else. The car I rode in wouldn't beat your's in the 1/4, but I bet it was more fun to street around in.

Sure wish I'd have looked harder at a GT500.

 

[shanec]

i was only pushing 450 on my stock block, but my wastegate spiked and there it went...that was a huge concern when i concidered my options. i didnt want to spend $1500 for another stock longblock and risk another spike in pressure, so i went with the forged goodies instead.

Now that scared the hell out of me. What's a wastegate?

450 at the crank or rwhp?

And - are Saleen Mustangs (from Saleen, not supercharged GT's) forged? Just curious.

 

[94tbird]

Now that scared the hell out of me. What's a wastegate?

450 at the crank or rwhp?

And - are Saleen Mustangs (from Saleen, not supercharged GT's) forged? Just curious.

wastegate is for a turbo

RWHP, no one cares about crank hp heh

No saleens are not forged unless you get the extreme edition

 

[94tbird]

Well I jsut jacked up the car to listen to the noise by placing the stethoscope on the oil pan and i hear nothing out of the ordinary. I dotn hear anything out of the ordinary on the drivers side either but it sounds a little different on the pass side. Then as i was replacing the stethoscope, the car stalled all on its own. The idle is a bit erratic as well. But i still do have oil pressure. This is leading me to believe i have a head problem, possibly a bent valve.

Does anyone have a boroscope that will fit into the sparkplug hole that I could borrow to see if the pistons look hit? Id obviously pay for shipping both ways

 

[ChevyKiller]

Damn I don't have one but it does sound like a valve Ron...

Dumb question, I know - but heads/gaskets look fine/secure, right?

 

[94tbird]

Damn I don't have one but it does sound like a valve Ron...

Dumb question, I know - but heads/gaskets look fine/secure, right?

yes they look fine, no leaks or anything. Not that I'd know what i was looknig at heh. Plus we didnt remove the heads