My Engine experience with Dick Hall out of pataskala, Oh
 

well I had Dick Hall assemble my 468.

after 6 weeks, I get the motor back and after about 20 minutes of run time it starts to pop. I pull the intake off and see that he did not check lifter to lifter bore clearance and the lifters hit the block, broke the cross bar off and turned sideways, destroying a brand new set of comp roller lifters and a brand new Lunati roller cam.

As I am taking the motor out i find 2 head bolts are not torqued down, only finger tight.

I pull the motor out, put a new cam and lifters in it and head to the track, Now 3 weekends and 22 passes later it has 4 pounds of oil pressure.

I pull the pan off and ALL 5 main bearings are destroyed, 2 are through the copper. The crankshaft is a total loss.

http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/2616/058ml0.jpg
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/2650/060yo4.jpg

My advice is to stay away from him or his engines, He is a very nice man but my experience has been terrible.

engine
 

what did the builder say?

Re: engine
 

I am sure he said samething 90% of every engine builder in the country would say .. "it happens"

sorry to hear about this Josh it sucks !!

ummm.....after it broke the lifter and ruined the cam...did you NOT check the bearings? I would have cause if it chewed up the cam there is a pretty good chance those metal grinding went through the bearings....I know you have a filter but if my motor comes out./..the pan comes off...especially if something has failed. JMO sorry about your luck...I have been there. I had a lifter break after 20 passes in a bbc and lost all of it including the block. They too were comp and they didn't hit the block it just broke.

I called the builder when it busted the lifters and he said it should be fine.

Famous last words...lol...

I was hating on the big block, but I just had a run of misfortune with it... I know it happens to everyone, but i have only made 46 passes in the car and ate up a small block and a big block. Time to get serious and not half ass it.

I am alot calmer today, I cant do anything about it now.

Anyway thanks guys, I will get the ol sled back together sooner or later...

If this stuff was easy everyone would do it, right?

I made 22 passes on one big block before it became doo doo. I know how it feels. Saved and penny pinched for a loong time to get it together and then lost it to a busted lifter. :(

Real sorry to hear about your problem, Josh...Let me know if I can help you in any way, I build Chevys to!!! PM me.
Jim Johnson
Pop&Son Performance
Racing engines
Super stock Mopars

BUT IT WAS A CHEVY!!!!!!!LOL LOL LOL ONLY KIDDING TODD :lol:

LIVELY

Thanks guys except lively....lmao....

I am planning to take the motor to Performance Engine as soon as I can get the time off work to get it up to him... Ralph is gonna line bore it, balance it up and put the shortblock together with a new crank and bearings. It should be ready to run then....

ENGINES--ANY BRAND --CAN BE BUILT WRONG
BUT SOME EXCUSES SOME BUILDERS COME UP WITH ARE DOOZIES!!!

I DO NOT KNOW THIS BUILDER BUT ANY TIME SOMETHING COMES APART INTERNALLY YOU NEED TO TAKE IT APART AND INSPECT AND CLEAN EVERYTHING!!
MY 2 CENTS -LIVELY