strotter Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Driving back from work today, taking off from a stop sign, heard a "chirp" like a belt slipping. "Chirp chirp", gradually getting worse. Pulled over to the side of the road, with engine running, the belt and pulleys looked fine, nothing bound up. Huh. Climbed back in, took off, continued noise, figured I'd get it back home before the belt or whatever let go. As I drove, it quickly got worse, and louder; a half a mile from my house, I stopped again to look under the hood. The noise was constant, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what part of the belt system was making noise: the alternator, water pump, a/c compressor, and idler pulley were all turning freely, the belt itself was fine, but that noise, it was for sure a belt or pulley, or maybe a bearing on the idler, or maybe... bearing? I stuck my head entirely into the engine compartment, and the noise wasn't coming from the front of the motor: it was coming squarely from the area of the block. Just then the motor began to labor; the computer was opening up the IAC to keep the idle up. There's only one thing that makes a noise like that from the block: a main bearing spinning merrily in its' race. Well, crap. I've just driven five miles with a spun main bearing. Crap crap crap. So tomorrow I'll drain the oil, and confirm what I'm already pretty sure of, and start looking around for a shortblock. Crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleMX Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike kZ Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 That sucks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Don't think of it as a breakdown....think of it as "an opportunity to upgrade" Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strotter Posted July 21, 2004 Author Share Posted July 21, 2004 "an opportunity to upgrade" -- yeah. The thing that bugs me is that I've never, ever, had a problem like this with a smallblock. I've built a number of them over the years, and the bottom ends have always been indestructible. Usually it's the top end and accessories that give grief in American drivetrains, not the bottoms. Interestingly, I *have* spun a bearing in a Z before - in my previous 260, many years ago, when I was just learning about motors and rebuilding and whatnot. The only motor I've ever done myself that 'sploded. (I didn't build this bottom end myself - but I consider it my fault, 'cause I had it entirely apart, mike'd and measured it to my satisfaction, and reassembled it. Not careful enough, apparently). Without a doubt, though, this will be the end of the 327 thing. I think I may have just have asked too much from a 38 year old machine, pushed it just a bit too hard. My GTech indicated a 12.55 1/4-mile a couple of times, indicating something well over 350 hp at the flywheel. Just too much for such old steel. So now I'm thinking "crate", but the problem is that GoodWrench doesn't offer a middle-of-the-road shortblock. They've got the ZZ-4 unit, but it's a bit too steep for me at this point. I've exceeded my target budget by 50%, and frankly don't want to fall into the money-pit thing. Suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rainer3012 Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 It was a GM performance 350 that pushes 330 to the flywheel. Not superpowered but plenty stout. Its all new not rebuilt and the price was hard to argue with like 2500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest the_dj Posted July 22, 2004 Share Posted July 22, 2004 Well, if you want to assemble an engine yourself again, I have a freshly prepped 350 block if you're interested in it. Cleaned, fluxed or whatever they do that checks it for problems, and bored 30 over to 355". Would come with brand new piston and rods (pins already pressed), stock crank with unknown mileage, new main bearings, low mileage stock heads (3000mi), the stock roller cam, and a new dual plane intake that's already re-drilled to match the late model intake bolt style of the heads. Kept well oiled to prevent rust since it was built. It wouldn't make as much horsepower as a built-up engine, but almost everything on it is brand new or less than 3000miles. Mileage is so low because I pulled it all off another engine during a heads cam swap. Edit: also have a holley carb, unknown condition but looks in order & is mechanically sound. Planned to rebuild it but never got that far. Gasket sets are crazy cheap if you've priced them. Make an offer if you're interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strotter Posted July 22, 2004 Author Share Posted July 22, 2004 Thanks for the offer, DJ, but I already have a four-bolt-main 350 in the back bedroom (don't ask) that I'm thinking I'll do. Maybe I'll pick up a stroker crank while I'm at it, I just don't know at this point. It'll need to be bored .060 anyway, so I'll have it magnafluxed and align-bored at the same shop while I'm at it. If I go that way, at least I'll be able to stretch the money-spending over a longer period of time, make it seem less irksome. As to the top-end, I'm thinking I'll just swap over all the goodies I had on the 327 - Vortec heads, Comp 263 cam, roller valvetrain, dual-plane RMP manifold, the f.i. and the ignition system. All the parts should work - after all, a 350 is just a stroked 327, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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