logray

Yep, block is still at LN engineering being upgraded to 3.6L... here were the last pics of it about 4 weeks ago before it was shipped off to them. I hope to post more pics soon, and get the car back on the road in less than a month.

jsoderbe

Ok, maybe you started a part 3 that I have missed?

How did the sleeves measure? Did you find out what was wrong?


Johan

logray

The part 3 thread hasn't started yet...

It might have been a little short sided of me, but I did not measure the cylinders. Since I already made the decision to have them rebored, the end result is really what I'm concerned about.

rwflier

More than likely, it's a cracked cylinder head, mine was on the number 1 cylinder, the usual place. Costa Mesa R&D is doing the head repair and rebuild.

logray

Nope, no cracks in the head. The valve job included a pressure test which yielded no cracks. Blackstone showed zero coolant in the oil. And there was no oil in the coolant.

Just oil contamination in the cylinders. All the diagnosis and evidence supports worn piston rings and/or worn or oval cylinders. New cylinders, pistons, and rings are going in...

As a side note, when I was removing the upper oil control rings from piston #2 a piece of the ring broke right off. I barely applied any force at all and it just cracked, the metal appeared to be very brittle. I'm wondering if it was already cracked (which could explains some of the oil fouling).

edit: oh I checked valve seat seal on bank 1 head using some solvent. Not a drop leaked through, the level stayed the same for at least 5 minutes.

route66lives

logray, how is your LN rebuild going? did you get your block back yet?

logray

Hah, funny you ask! Case halves were delivered on Friday. I am still waiting for the pistons.

One thing to note: LNE says that they do not clean blocks and they will come back to you as clean as you sent them in... well technically mine came back dirtier than when it was sent. You wouldn't believe the amount of metal shavings everywhere!!! In fact, you can clearly see many of them in these pics. I have a mountain of work ahead of me to clean them all out!

More info coming soon!

route66lives

You would think they would at least blow them off. Was their turnaround time accurate?
I'm thinking of going for the 3.6 to 3.8.
Do you know of anyone who has been running the larger bore/nickies? I would imagine there have been quite a few.

Dharn55

So the pistons did not come with the cases? Seems kind of strange to me if LNE is supplying the pistons. And I am surprised that there were metal shavings. It is one thing not to clean the cases of corrosion, etc. but another thing not to clean up the shavings from machining. That really surprises me.

logray

Actually it looks like LNE might have farmed out this work, but I'm not totally sure on what the business relationships are, it might have been one of their "legs".

The pistons/etc. come from JE and have to be ordered separately and shipped to LNE first which is why they didn't show up with the case.

Yep pretty surprising to me too, but I guess they do disclaim this part well that they simply do not clean anything and that is the builders responsibility (although if you send them a case that is completely oiled over they will certainly charge you to clean it first). There were a ton of metal shavings even in the box they shipped in and all throughout the cases. After blowing them out I'm going to have to go through with a microscope to make sure every last shaving is gone. Then a good hot water mild soap scrub down, followed by denatured alcohol and chem wipes until clean.

logray

I think pretty much any F6I car has been Nickied, so there must be loads of them on the road.

Yes the turnaround time was very accurate. 5 weeks pretty much on the dot.

speed rII

So, it's up to you to check the piston to bore clearance? And the pistonring clearance?

Sound's odd to me... Or the tolerances are so tight that...

ltusler

I have one 3k track miles and running great!

logray

Yes up to me to measure/check/correct clearances for pistons and rings. But from what I understand (read/told) the tolerances are generally correct from the manufacturer. But that won't keep me from measuring everything, installing the rings and validating their gaps are correct before final assembly.

logray

Did I find the smoking gun?

Piston cooling jet in #2 is damaged and totally clogged with a metal shard embedded. Of course, all new oil spray jets are going in (after all they are only about $6 each).

Perhaps this lead to a hotter #2 (and adjacent #1 and #3) and over time oval bores and loss of ring seal?

Oil fouling in #2 was the worst of 1-3.

The shard came out, but underneath it's completely damaged and "welded" shut.