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stage 1 Project Fubared aleady!!!

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norbs

Classic fast, XFI, SPortsman & MS3 programming
Joined
May 25, 2001
Messages
6,202
After getting my block back , i am doing some test fitting and the crank is very hard to turn, the rods don't fit on the crank, the rods don't fit in the bore, and theres no rod side clearance about .002. This has put a big dent in this years progress!
 
WTF!!

The rods "don't fit in the bore"??????

The rods won't go on the crank:
On center rods on an off ctr engine?
Wide rods on a narrow crank?

:confused: ;)
 
I am not dealing with them no more. Just been lucky to get everything back! The oliver rods are too wide to fit in the 3.8 bore so i have to grind them down on the sides, also they are too wide for the crank, have to sand off a few thou some how. The block was line bored, but still not sure why the crank needs a prybar to turn
!
 
update, now the cyl wall clearance on jE pistons is .002, wheres the .005 i asked for. WHat do they think these are cast pistons!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm really pissed now WTF? any suggestions for engine builders new the border?
 
WTF revisited!

Why not pay them a visit?? Did you pay them w/ a CC?? If so, stop the card. That'll get their attention.
FWIW, I'd not be grinding on those rods.. Then the entire project will be FUBAR!!

The crank is locked up because either the line bore is WAAAY off, or the crank is not ground to the size that the brgs are...OR, it's BENT!!:eek: :eek:

A visit w/ some "help", is in order and get the asshole's attention....:( :mad:
 
My Oliver story
I bought new Olivers for my Lightning engine and they also did not fit the bore. Its a long story but anyway Oliver insisted that they do the rework on the rods and so I sent them. When the rods came back the big ends were grossly out of round. They only had to mill maybe .050 off each side but it messed up the big ends. So they got them back a second time.

Serves'em right.....when they went back the first time, I requested that they tighten up the big ends because I had a bearing clearance issue, they said they wouldn't do that because the rods were within tollerance, even tho this was a huge pain in the ass to me, but they took care of it the second time. It only cost me a month or so.
 
?

Crank is dificult to turn? Check to see if the flange between the rear main seal and rear bearing is rubbing the block.
 
On the crank issue, if the journals are radius, check your main bearings to make sure they are chamfered. The Federal's 107 have this chamfer but the Clevite 960's do not. As you tighten down the mains (one at a time), rotate the crank to see which journal might be binding. Also check for end play on the crank. Sometines you can get the number 2 (controls the end play) bearing out of postion and the crank will bind. Of course check the amount of bearing clearance.
Good Luck,
Jeff
 
thanks will check the bearings for binding, and thrust bearing, going to send it to another shop to get all the specs also
 
I would figure out a way to get your $$ back, or a lesson learned at this point.

I just about lost my breakfast after reading this thread. This clown should not be in business.
 
Sounds to me like the rods are on the pistons backwards.Check the direction of the notch on the rod for the bearing.The rods are offset
 
I checked that, thats ok i have the offset the right way, just the rods are too wide for the crank about .005, it can be fixed by maching them a tad. I have loosend the main caps and the crank turns now, and tried to align the thrust bearing, no improvement. I have to get this to a shop to measure everything with a written statement on whats its going to cost to fix, and then try and get my money back
 
Originally posted by norbs
I checked that, thats ok i have the offset the right way, just the rods are too wide for the crank about .005, it can be fixed by maching them a tad. I have loosend the main caps and the crank turns now, and tried to align the thrust bearing, no improvement. I have to get this to a shop to measure everything with a written statement on whats its going to cost to fix, and then try and get my money back

God help me, I'm giving Norb advice..we all know how that's gonna end! ;)

Get the rods surface ground on a grinder with coolant, especially if they only need .005". It should be fairly quick and easy; I narrowed a set .050" or so in about 3 hours; yours should take much less.

If the caps are screwed up, make sure you measure in multiple locations on each journal ("clock" the dial bore gage to several orientations and measure front and back edges).

Note that it is fairly normal for the journal to have a small area near the cap/block mating line that is oversize; you really can't correct this with a normal bore/hone. Often you can see visually whether the hone hit the majority of the journal; if there are large patches where you can't see the cross-hatch pattern it will probably need to be redone.
 
Norby,
I have run into the exact same problems on two seperate 3.8 engines I built with Oliver rods. I called Oliver about the rods not fitting in a standard 3.8 bore and they said that I was doing something wrong. After I had them machined to fit, I found out they were too wide for the crank and didn't have enough chamfer on the edges to clear the radius of the crank. I sent them back to Oliver to get those problems fixed (and paid even more $$$). Don't let them tell you that they have never seen this problem, if so, mention my name. Because of the way I was treated, I will only use Olivers as a last resort.
 
i will have to grind the rods for sure. Thanks for the advise. I am thinking about ajax engines maybe? They do alot of buicks i heard.
 
Originally posted by HighPSI
Norby,
I have run into the exact same problems on two seperate 3.8 engines I built with Oliver rods. I called Oliver about the rods not fitting in a standard 3.8 bore and they said that I was doing something wrong. After I had them machined to fit, I found out they were too wide for the crank and didn't have enough chamfer on the edges to clear the radius of the crank. I sent them back to Oliver to get those problems fixed (and paid even more $$$). Don't let them tell you that they have never seen this problem, if so, mention my name. Because of the way I was treated, I will only use Olivers as a last resort.

Cal, I don't know if you remember me but I just got rods from Crower and their customer was excellent! Karrie Novack who helped could not have been nicer. The Crower crank I have was machined incorrectly and the journals are for a BBC. So I wound up with 2.200" big ends with a .927" pin dia. on a 6.3" off center rod. He said at this time of the year it would take 6-8 weeks to complete and they had it done in 2.5 weeks. Karrie also narrowed a set of BBC "H" bearings for me (no charge). Crower also said they can do the balancing for $120 ($40 for each piece of heavy metal if required).
Regards,
Jeff
 
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