RanchWelder
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2023
- Posts
- 947
- Reaction score
- 1,330
- Location
- Earth
- First Name
- --------
- Truck Year
- 87
- Truck Model
- Blazer
- Engine Size
- 350ci
Bad casting, rusted head gasket surface, improper surface grind for a shim style gasket, cracked block or any number of things can burn your rebuild.
My PO installed a quality block from a known re-manufacturer.
The head surface leaked coolant into the oil and wiped my lifters.
I had space invader's in my apartment and the surveillance camera's were moved from the monitoring positions 3 times with witnesses proving games were going on.
Water or coolant into the oil chamber will wipe your bearings and lifters.
Bad aftermarket lifters are also being sorted out, without proper heat treatment.
Here's a great video that show's the importance of block integrity before you drop your wallet on a remanufacture.
In my situation, the PO used a Nationally known re-manufacturer. I was so pleased with my first rebuild, I recommended the company. Stood by that recommendation, after my first expensive rebuild failed. When it failed, it was devastating, because my transmission reman failed twice immediately afterwards.
Third transmission reman worked as planned, but not without my test bed tools stolen from storage.
A lot can go wrong.
Look for rust on the block surface where the water jacket ports might not be able to seal your head gasket.
Have the block tested for cracks leaks and poor surface, no matter who claims to have rebuilt it.
Just sayin'.
I'm certain my 87' reman block had a head gasket seal leak. Piston discolor and broken ring confirmed.
Between #5-#7.
It likely wiped my lifters and cam similar to this video. I cannot confirm the crack in the valley because I do not have the block anymore.
My insurance carrier would not cover the damaged engine, despite evidence of tampering, damages and repeated threats by locals.
My 1999 4L80-E donor transmission case, probably had an internal crack causing another transmission failure, back to back to back. Never filed a claim for that.
Lesson here: Magna Flux the block and verify head surface, especially if you end up with a reman marine engine, might save your wallet and prevent a lot of heart ache. We had no machine shop for 350 miles when I tried to rebuild the 87' Marine reman block. No magna Flux machine.
It's only paranoid if somebody is not really out to get you. Some of my past work caused me to have "admirer's".
It's also important to search and identify the mistakes we and other's might have missed during the entire nonsense. Poor quality part's were only part of the problem. The head surface looked like it would seal to several qualified mechanics who looked over the damages. Under pressure it leaked.
The manufacturers' industry wide lack of after market measurement data is part of the difficulties we face.
The excessive cost, repeatedly buying unnecessary or improper fitting parts, only makes it worse on the DIY rebuilder.
Fact: People are out to rob you of your hotrod money.
It's not paranoid, it's just the way it is.
Hope this video helps prevent what I went through not knowing what I didn't know.
My PO installed a quality block from a known re-manufacturer.
The head surface leaked coolant into the oil and wiped my lifters.
I had space invader's in my apartment and the surveillance camera's were moved from the monitoring positions 3 times with witnesses proving games were going on.
Water or coolant into the oil chamber will wipe your bearings and lifters.
Bad aftermarket lifters are also being sorted out, without proper heat treatment.
Here's a great video that show's the importance of block integrity before you drop your wallet on a remanufacture.
xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media
In my situation, the PO used a Nationally known re-manufacturer. I was so pleased with my first rebuild, I recommended the company. Stood by that recommendation, after my first expensive rebuild failed. When it failed, it was devastating, because my transmission reman failed twice immediately afterwards.
Third transmission reman worked as planned, but not without my test bed tools stolen from storage.
A lot can go wrong.
Look for rust on the block surface where the water jacket ports might not be able to seal your head gasket.
Have the block tested for cracks leaks and poor surface, no matter who claims to have rebuilt it.
Just sayin'.
I'm certain my 87' reman block had a head gasket seal leak. Piston discolor and broken ring confirmed.
Between #5-#7.
It likely wiped my lifters and cam similar to this video. I cannot confirm the crack in the valley because I do not have the block anymore.
My insurance carrier would not cover the damaged engine, despite evidence of tampering, damages and repeated threats by locals.
My 1999 4L80-E donor transmission case, probably had an internal crack causing another transmission failure, back to back to back. Never filed a claim for that.
Lesson here: Magna Flux the block and verify head surface, especially if you end up with a reman marine engine, might save your wallet and prevent a lot of heart ache. We had no machine shop for 350 miles when I tried to rebuild the 87' Marine reman block. No magna Flux machine.
It's only paranoid if somebody is not really out to get you. Some of my past work caused me to have "admirer's".
It's also important to search and identify the mistakes we and other's might have missed during the entire nonsense. Poor quality part's were only part of the problem. The head surface looked like it would seal to several qualified mechanics who looked over the damages. Under pressure it leaked.
The manufacturers' industry wide lack of after market measurement data is part of the difficulties we face.
The excessive cost, repeatedly buying unnecessary or improper fitting parts, only makes it worse on the DIY rebuilder.
Fact: People are out to rob you of your hotrod money.
It's not paranoid, it's just the way it is.
Hope this video helps prevent what I went through not knowing what I didn't know.
Last edited:
