Rebuilt lower end. Did i just burn 700$?

[OnThe7ThDayFord]

Hey guys. Im kinda down and Im not sure if I getting yanked around here or if my friend is over reacting but I know if anyone knows the answer it will be yall. Iv dealt with many of yall – Mopar – beefy – college man -dreamer and Eric. This is why im here bc there the best.

I recently traded my 93 ford f150 5.0 with 300k on it for a 66 c10 Chevy with a sbc 400.
I trade because my f150 had a snapped ring and was blowing threw 6 gallons of oil in 1000 miles on the high way. The guy i trade with said all it needed was wiring work.

When I got it home-
I fixed the wires.
I checked the oil and found it to appear a lil over filled but clean.
I then started he up – I had 50psi oil pressure cold- after 15 mins of running the oil pressure had went to 0. I shut her down and checked the oil again and found it looked like water in the oil.
I ran compression checks. 140 on all cylinders but number 3.
I pulled the head and found a lil rust in the cylinder(3) and that the head was cracked.
I had it check by our race shop hear in town. They said it was scrap. I got a new one for 200 with a 10k warranty.
I installed the new head and the compression went back up to 140(3).
I did a oil change. Used good oil fired her up and the same thing happened again.
I thought maybe the gauge was failing (I only use aftermarkets gauges from sunpro) So I pulled the valve covers with the engine running to check for oil uptop. There was oil but some of the rockers wear not rocking fully. I went threw the basic checks and found a flat cam.

I pulled the engine- Did a pull down and found infact the cam had every lobe gone but 2 (Not sure how it ran as good as it did)
I found the mains wear for sure shot but everything else looked Alright…
Took the crank – block (New cam) Pistons/rods (New timing set) to the race shop.
I told him to do what needs to be done but done not bore if its in spec and will run happy.

The crank was turned- 150$
The block was vatted – honed.135$
He found 3 pistons backwards- He fixed this.
He installed new cam bearings.20$
He ordered me a rering kit for 90$ with- complete gasket set.
He put the short block together 150$
A cracked piston had to be replaced – 50$.
He said the cam i had was a pretty good size had i need to change the valve springs or id kill the cam. *STEAL DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS* (Mainly the exhaust springs) He solid me a set for 32$
He installed the cam/ timing chain and cover – harmonic balancer .
I maybe missing some small things but in all it cost me 700$

I paid him his money we went out back and we wear talking – I asked how many miles i should get out of it and he said he did not know – He then tells me i do not get a warranty because i did not have it bored and with the light rust that was in cylinder 3 he was unsure how it would effect cylinder life. He said he feels it will probably burn a lil oil for the fist 500 mile until everything finds its place.

He said I should get some good miles on it but it was a shot in the dark how many.

Now my buddys are telling me that if it had 140psi before the work it should have no issue with a proper hone. It should be the same or better with new rings. There also saying 140 is better then stock compression for a sbc 400. Most of them claim with good proper oil changes i can push 200k.

Iv got one buddy that is claiming – QUOTED FROM HIS POST.
Hold on for a minute.I am thinking he sensed you not wanting to spend for new pistons and tried the standard rebuilder’s move of hone and go.Then found not CRUSTY RUST,but rust pits.So moving forward towards a bore,have it sonic checked before you pull the trigger on that.If that machine shop can’t do that kind of work or can’t hone with torque plates,find someone who can and return the parts you can no longer use.
post 2 –
Well what I am saying is this,from what your saying,is a new game in that now you have perfectly round ringstrying to seal against a nu-smooth bore surface.So your compression from before really doesn’t come into play anymore.He’s saying this because of the fact,sounds like,he can’t be sure how that cylinder will ever seal correctly,nor now what your compression will be now or for the long term.That is a gamble now.

No doubt about it,guys are forced to do clean up oversized bores for situations just like yours.And that reinforces the need for sonic checks to see wall thickness so the machinist knows how much a block can be safely over-bored. If it is enough for him saying he won’t stand behind the one bore,than it is enough for you to be concerned about it.

You have been through hell with this not even knowing if it could be saved.Now is not the time to make what could be a risk bad decision and not have the insurance of standing behind a rebuild with your wallet to buy new pistons for the over-bore and that rings to go with it.Returning the rings you have now which wouldn’t work on a different bore

I dont want the moon but I need some good miles.

What do yall think?
Iv got a disabled wife right now – one kid and anther on the way to top it off I cant find work (Mostly because no car or truck).
The fact that I may have just threw 700$ away is keeping me up.
I wasnt trying to cheap out on this but 300+ for new pistons and boring is not possible.

I only got this thing because I knew my truck was going to die – and I had a shot at maybe not having replace a engine. I got lied to and here I am.
To top it off my f150 was a quad cab and not knowing there was anther baby on the way I traded something I loved that would a done alote better for a family then this c10. Altho it is kool.

Some advise please? Thanks.

Topic

[college man]

From what I read. You basically had the motor rebuilt.
For the exception of new pistons which is fine. The only
thing I see wrong is the rust pitting in the cylinder walls.
This can cause a sealing problem.Is the engine back in the truck
or still out? With the cylinder walls not getting bored to put a
smooth surface. This is why the machinist can’t predict how it will
work or for how long. Hard to give an answer here.The best solution
would be to have the cylinder walls bored out and new pistons installed.
Then you should have a motor with longevity.But I understand what you did
and why.I believe if the pitting was not there. You would be fine with the
rebuild as it was done. :unsure:The machinist could not sleeve the cylinder
and then bore it to match the others.This way your same pistons can be used.

[OnThe7ThDayFord]

Thanks collage man.

Here my next qustion. As of right now the only thing I could do to fix this is a bore and new pistons right?

What would I be hurting if I go ahead and try and run this thing for a few and see how it does.

Whats the worse case??? Is there any why of causing damage to the NEW lower end? Or is the only real risk at the pistons and rings and walls?
I guess wear Im coming from is – One way or the other ill need to bore but would it be worth a shot trying to run her like this???

my 93 f150 ran for years with 90psi across all cylinders. Altho there was never any rust that i know of. It was steal running when i got rid of it. I believe the snapped rings was cause by some one giving fuel that had disal in it.

I heard of many guys buying cars and or trucks that have set for many years and rusted inside the cylinders – They soak the engine the tran fluid and marvin mystery oil to free the engine. Once there free they run them many years like this. Iv heard most times they use some oil but nothing to bad.

Idk what to do or think.

[college man]

You can try and run it. It may run no problem. Like I suggested
before. see if the machine shop can sleeve the troubled cylinder
and then bore it to your original piston and that will be the end
of it. If the rust hole is not to deep. You may never even notice
a problem. I just want to see you solve the problem and have a trouble
free motor.

[OnThe7ThDayFord]

When I started this whole bizz I installed a new oil pump (This is before I knew the issues)
It was a high vol oil pump. Im wondering if I should reuse it or not. Pretty much all new oil was ran threw it but I worry about grit from the flat cam possibly hurting the pump or being inside the pump its self…. If i reuse I plain to PRIM the pump a few mins cycling any junk inside . The pump its self did not see more then a 1 or less of run time. What should I do?

[college man]

Rinse it out with brake clean.

[ytram]

If you have engine running in truck, run it. At this point nothing to lose. I have seen many pitted cylinders of my own when I was much younger that ran just fine.

[Author]

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