The Camaro Club (UK)

About a month ago i was travelling along the M2 back towards london when the engine made a terrible noise.I turned it off straight away an coasted to the hard shoulder.I dipped the oil an that seemed fine then started the engine but the sound indicated something was seriously wrong.I got the car relayed home an took the engine out,not wanting to rebuild it myself the engine is now being built by a profesional builder.After he stripped the engine he found 3 broken pistons,the cause was the previous mechanic had not torqued the rod bolts and they had come loose.I am haveing the engine completely rebuilt from scratch haveing everthing rebalanced,the new set of piston,s have been ordered from Mahle in germany an take 3 weeks to make,also the cam was shot being worn on 4 lobes so it should be alot more powerfull when it,s back on the road.The mechanic that last worked on the car fitted a new oil pump an new ends an mains,this cost me over £2000 but all he done really was destroy my engine which only lasted 400 miles!.

Unfortunately mechanic and engine rebuild / machinist are two different things in my experience. Not every mechanic who can fit a new head light, new brake pads etc knows what they are doing when it comes to engine internals and tolerances / torque specs. Hopefully it'll run sweet as a nut when you have it rebuilt.

Thanks for reply Big block,your right there are a vast differance in mechanics and engineers etc.Just after i bought the car the oil pump packed up.The only person i could find at the time to take the engine out was the person i,d bought the car from who has his own garage repair buisness.All the good engine builders i contacted would rebuild the engine but not take it out.Looking back on things alarm bells should have rang and i should,nt have trusted him to do a good job.This time i have taken the engine an box out myself an the engine builder is very well known for his work on chevy,s.When the car is finished engine wise it is going in the spray shop for a full respray then i will sell it an cut my loss,s.

We have a nation of trained technicians or parts fitters nowdays who wouldn't know how to build an engine. If the computer says change a part they can manage that bit as mentioned previously are clueless about anything else

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1997 30th Anniversary SS SLP
1993 GMC Typhoon

Many engine builders won't remove/replace engines as its time consuming, you need lifting equipment and there's a lot of unknowns. You don't know how many bodges are on these older cars and you often find hidden horrors...

I do both swaps and rebuilds, and I have a good local place that does all my machine work like rebores and grinds.

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My '80 progress thread - hugger orange! Now with LQ9 power - forged pistons, LS2 rods, 236/242, .621/.612, flowed and milled 317 heads. MS3X

4L80e, 12 bolt, 4.11, Moroso brute strength posi, steel shafts.

Subframe connectors, g-braces, solid body bushes, carbon hood and front bumper, custom door cards, Autometer gauges.

A few photo,s of my engine,the block has now been sent to be machined an hot tanked,new cam,pistons etc.The roller rockers were the wrong ratio causeing valve bind so a new set have been ordered.Just glad more damage was,nt done to the block.

The rockers won't cause bind themselves. Matched with the wrong springs, stem seals or pushrods is when you get problems....

Hope you numbered the rods/pistons, valves, lifters etc when you removed them....

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My '80 progress thread - hugger orange! Now with LQ9 power - forged pistons, LS2 rods, 236/242, .621/.612, flowed and milled 317 heads. MS3X

4L80e, 12 bolt, 4.11, Moroso brute strength posi, steel shafts.

Subframe connectors, g-braces, solid body bushes, carbon hood and front bumper, custom door cards, Autometer gauges.

Hi,yes the rods were all numbered,The builder seems to think the original owner of the car tried to compensate the cam wear by replacing the lifters with a differant ratio,thats just a theory he has about it.He has raced chevy,s for years which i know doe,snt mean he,s good but i have every confidance in him to build a good motor.All the valves/rockers an lifters will be new,the only original parts will be the block an bare heads.When i sell the car i dont want any come backs so it will be done right.

At last got all the parts for the rebuild.The block has been repaired where the starter stud had broken away.The new pistons have been fitted to the rods an this week the piston rings will be gapped for size.After investigateing the rocker arm problems the wrong valve springs were fitted and not seating in the head properly so this has now been sorted.Hopefully this should be built an back in the car soon.

Looking good. Hopefully not too long before you'll be back on the road again.