[TnVTX]

Here are the pics I took from dissassembly of this, the 2nd time this new stroker motor has wiped out the bearings.
For those who didn't see my previous posts, I had a '78 W-72 400 block magnafluxed, leak tested, align bored, decked, bored & honed with torque plates. Short-filled hard bloc since it's .065 over. ARP main & head studs. New Eagle 4.25 stroker kit (SRP-JE pistons, file fit moly rings, H series bearings, Eagle 6.8" H-beams rods). Entire rotating assy rebalanced, surfaces polished, thrust surface polished, bearing clearances set, new cam bearings.
The crank spun freely in the bearings when caps torqued down (no binding).
Crower 60919 (041 RAIV copy) degreed, crower lifters, Rollmaster timing set.
HS 1.65, crane pushrods, 87cc E-Heads, pistons .005 in the hole (10.39:1 compression).
Performer RPM intake gasket matched & Q-Jet & MSD-HEI modified by Cliff Ruggles for this combo.
The machine shop work was done at a race engine shop, and has done many Pontiacs in the past (only one around here with Pontiac torque plates).
The first time together I used a RAIV 80# pump, motor knocked at 500 miles.

>The second time, I paid the shop to assemble the short block thinking I might have done something wrong,
they put in a new 60# pump with a new Moroso drop pickup for my new Moroso deep sump pan, and a new nonbypass Kauffman oil filter housing.
They also tried 360degree grooved main bearings.
Had the crank reground .010 under on mains & rods.

I found bearing material in the filter at a 100 mile inspection.
This thing ran like a raped ape, with no spark knock. (12 degrees intial, 36 degrees total. No signs of pre-ignition on pistons nor spark plugs).
I checked the screw-in oil galley plugs, no interference with galleys.
I can shine a light in the crank's main oil galley, and see light through the rod pin's oiling hole.
This thing is real head scratcher... 2 times in a row, the race engine shop can't figure it out, and of course won't refund any of my money.
I'm making payments on a pile of parts that won't work!!

[TnVTX]

More pics...

[Half-Inch Stud]

Sooooo,

[Half-Inch Stud]

I got nothin.

[Half-Inch Stud]

Ah, just one thing. A riddle:

Since it all looks so shiney and new, I was wondering why there is no blue.

If you are still staring, then those cam bearings are the last remaining herring.

Seems the oil pressure is certainly there, I suggest your crank is a genuine scare.

And I'm spent. HIS

[uneasyrider]

I don't know if this will help you or not but here is what the factory recommended for the '70 RAIV bearing spec's if I read it right:

Main: No.'s 1,2,3,4 - 0.0012-0.0028, No. 5 - 0.0007-0.0022

Rod: 0.0015-0.0031

Please confirm those spec's for yourself.

If I'm looking at your pictures correctly your rods fall within the spec on the tight side for a '70 RAIV but your mains are outside on the loose end. I have no idea if it means a thing but since the factory set the RAIV up as a "loose" engine maybe the mains are too loose on your engine. I have no idea and I'm sure there must be some people out there that will know.

[PONTIAC DUDE]

Did they check the line bore the second time?

Rods side clearance?

I see this quite often in the #2 main area and Pontiac blocks.

[ry57pont]

what oil filter are you using?

[johnta1]

#2 main cap on backwards.

[GRX]

Originally Posted by johnta1

#2 main cap on backwards.

Yes it is. Last image in post #2. That would most certainly be a problem.
Then again it is very unlikely the crank would spin freely after the caps were torqued down.

[Billy177]

was it line honed before you installed the studs, I have heard that you need a line hone when you convert fron studs to bolts

[TnVTX]

Originally Posted by PONTIAC DUDE

Did they check the line bore the second time?

Rods side clearance?

I see this quite often in the #2 main area and Pontiac blocks.

Not sure if they re-checked the line bore.
The rods had plenty of side clearance.

[TnVTX]

Originally Posted by ry57pont

what oil filter are you using?

WIX

[TnVTX]

Originally Posted by Billy177

was it line honed before you installed the studs, I have heard that you need a line hone when you convert fron studs to bolts

After the studs...
I took a pic of it when it was sitting in thier Sunnen machine to be align bored: I saw the thick as heck torque plates they used for cyl boring/honing, but I didn't take pics of them though...

[TnVTX]

Originally Posted by GRX

Yes it is. Last image in post #2. That would most certainly be a problem.
Then again it is very unlikely the crank would spin freely after the caps were torqued down.

It was on there, and registered right... the oil puddled in the number "2" + the angle I took the pic makes the 2 look upside down.
But, if you notice the little "0", it's in the same position as pulled in the next pic, and the "2" is correctly oriented:

[taff2]

Do you run an oil cooler? Sometimes debris from a failing engine will get into the cooler and then when you run the new motor, the debris will get pumped back into the bearings etc.

[taff2]

It does look as if the crank is wiping the bearings more so on #2 and #4 though, so maybe the line bore is out,or a bent crank?

[TnVTX]

Originally Posted by taff2

Do you run an oil cooler? Sometimes debris from a failing engine will get into the cooler and then when you run the new motor, the debris will get pumped back into the bearings etc.

No oil cooler.

[joegio]

Oil pressure at adapter and top of block within 5 lbs ?

Oil pump clearance checked and bypass seat clean ?

Crank drilled correctly and passages clear ?

Cam bearings installed correctly and line up with holes in block ?

Check the lifters make sure they are not chebby lifters and that grove does not pass out the lifter bore.

[wrench]

What was the oil pressure with this engine? Cold, hot, when new and just before failure? Is that cam hydraulic?