GonzoRacer wrote:
BB69 wrote:
That engine was a total loss. I could see through it standing 10 feet away. It's been through more than it's fair share of engines. I have a fresh LS3 in the garage waiting to be installed. I also added a dry sump system to eliminate any oiling issues.
The DogAss Slotus is on engine #3, which I thought was a horrible statistic. What's your tally so far, Sir? I'm not gonna point and laugh, but I might feel better about that "3" if your total is, ohhh, a "6", ya know?
I have read that some LS motors have oiling issues under hard cornering. The solution is a dry-sump system. I think even GM went to that on some Corvettes, didn't they? That is probably a very smart improvement on your part.
JDK
If my memory is correct, the LS3 sitting in the garage will be engine number 7.
5.3L junkyard engine - killed by boost
6.0L junkyard engine - killed by builder error when oil pick up o-ring was missed
6.0L rebuild - killed by boost when the wastegate lines melted
LS2 - the engine in the video with flames; cause undetermined
LSx - combination of different LS parts put together by my buddies - killed by builder error when oil lines installed incorrectly
LS3 - first with dry sump - killed by builder error when car was left outside during freezing weather and cracked
LS3 - waiting to go in.
The builder error ones are obviously the most painful. The o-ring issue happened when there were multiple people building the engine at the same time. We still don't know who missed it, but I compounded the issue by not having the oil pressure gauge installed when I fired the engine. Of course, I was in a hurry to make a track day. For the oil line mix up, I learned my lesson and had the pressure gauge working. However, the gauge was plumbed into the remote oil filter housing and the pressure was great there because the oil flow was being stopped by the filter. The gauge showed a rock solid 60 PSI. Finally, the car was left outside after catching on fire at the end of the season. It had antifreeze in it, but not enough it turns out. The fire was caused by me not putting the fuel cap on one of the fuel cells.
It reads like a comedy of errors, and it really is. I could go into all the background story, but I will simply say the main lesson learned is to realize that missing a deadline is better than losing an engine/car. Every time something went wrong, I was scrambling to get the car ready for a track day/session at the last minute.
I'm gonna go cry now.
Ken