Engine carnage, Incorrect clearance Options

[nine14cats]

As many of you know I missed a shift earlier this year and blew up my 2.7L 6 at Buttonwillow. I'm currently building a new car with a 3.6. I sold my burned up motor to a raceshop and they tore down the engine. What they found was that I did not bend valves as suspected. I broke the rings on every cylinder due to incorrect head clearance.

My missed shift was going to do damage, but not this much if the machine shop I used had done the clearancing correctly. What is interesting is that on the last rebuild I did with this engine, I used a large, nationally know engine machine shop and thought I was safe.

Even if I didn't miss a shift, my engine was living on borrowed time. It appears the pistons and heads were touching. It kinda makes me lose faith in everyone I talk to in this business. I'm not a master mechanic, but the lack of of attention to detail I have run across over the past 2 years has been really disappointing. Maybe I'm just cursed.

Anyway...here's some pics of what happens when your P's hit the heads.

Bill P.

[nine14cats]

My thread is not meant to bash a business, only to show what happens with a clearancing issue. I trust the shop I sold the engine to, but everyone makes mistakes, so maybe the shop I sold the engine to measure wrong, mis-diagnosed the cause and effect, or the machine shop was wrong.

Both the race shop and engine builder are very well respected, so I'm not questioning their motives. And it is not their fault that I spun the motor to 9000 RPM with my missed shift. But there were other things going on with the motor that I did not "order" when I specified what I wanted.

At least the cams and crank are fine, so I'll only have to refund a portion of what I received.

I wish I had the talent and time to build motors. I've done SBC's and 4cyl Ford's, but never an air-cooled engine. And a race engine to boot. I was hoping to receive a 200 hour motor, but I may really have received a 30 hour motor.

I've tried my best to talk, listen and learn. So far I'm not batting very well with regards to reliability. The car has been quick, but not reliable. The new one will hopefully be reliable.

I'm with Brad, I want to sit around and shoot the shit in between runs and/or days. I don't want to constantly rebuild my car just to play. I'm hoping we can build a reliable, fun car this next time out.

But it's frustrating when you break your toys.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Bill P.