Sudden Increase in Blow-by

[Screaming Metal]

Well, I figured we'd find something like this. When a blower starts putting out boost, it has to suck in a equal amount. If the valve stem seals aren't up to the task, well, you'll oil down your ports. Just think you've reached the end-of-life time on your seals. Probably several other contributing factors.
Like Ron said, all these won't amount to a 70% pressure drop. If your pulling that much past your intake seals, well, your base pressure will likely be your exhaust seals. That much oil will unseat your rings also.
Think you'll probably see the stock looking umbrellas on the intakes with the oring. God only knows whats on the exhaust....

I'll go out on a limb and say you need to rering, and reseal things, do a hone job, touch up the valve seats and just freshen things up. Should you not find anything funky with the bores.
But, The good ray of light, looks like nothing was hurt....
Just go with the chrome moly top ring, cast iron 2nd, regular expander oil ring. You want your rings to seat, valves to seal, put some good seals on your valve stems....

 

[Lee_in_KC]

I'll go out on a limb and say you need to rering, and reseal things, do a hone job, touch up the valve seats and just freshen things up. Should you not find anything funky with the bores. But, The good ray of light, looks like nothing was hurt....

That's what I'm currently thinking, SM. Hopefully today I'll get the heads de-sprung and get a look at the valve seals, stems and guides. Might even get the #1 slug out.

 

[Lee_in_KC]

John, re your rather detailed request for info, I appreciate the effort you are putting in to try to help, but I think the return on investment of time and effort in assembling all of that info is pretty low compared to my continuing to disassemble the motor and look at the parts. Besides, I don't have probably half of what you are asking for, so the info will be incomplete and we will just be guessing based on limited info. I think looking at the hardware will be more productive.

Off to the garage for another day of fun and games!!

 

[Screaming Metal]

Lee, IF I were you, and wanted to make sure your motor is vented....I'd come off the rear of each valve cover with a pcv line, going to the base of the carbs. Then, at the front of each valve cover, run your push in or twist in breather.

If you drive it spirited, really not getting down on it hard, but use the motors 'peppiness'....Thats what I would do. Motors that extremely hard, vacuum wise, in the intake tract, will tend to have 'ring flutter', especially when backing off or closing the throttle really fast or hard. This, will also 'unseat' your rings....

Whever you go back and freshen up your motor, use someone that has done blowers before. Need any info, we'll be here, or call, BDS, or one of the many other ones.....
Build a good basic Hotrod Motor - without a lot of cam -, cause you don't need it....your pressuring your intake.... you have plenty of power at the accelerator, all you gotta do is mash it down as hard as you need.
Forget about getting a really lopey idle with a blower.
1. Its really hard of the blower bearing, seals and gear....
2. A blower 'Masks' the cam, ie, a all out racing cam with a hellacious idle will idle alot more smoothly because the motor isn't hyperventilating at idle.

And don't think about a blower motor not lasting. They used to hang off the sides of Detroit Diesels and would go way longer the 100,000 miles before a motor freshen up....

 

[Lee_in_KC]

OK guys, got #1 intake valve disassembled...

The valve stem is nice and snug in the guide. Shining a light through the guide, it looks great. The seal seems to be in good shape. Looks to be a good quality viton seal.

I'm now suspecting the intake-to-head gasket seal. These are the gaskets I used... http://www.summitracing.com/parts/fel-1256

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Here is a video of the top of the intake manifold. You can see puddles of oil in the pockets that form the mounting base for the blower case. I assume the oil came in through the intake bolt holes, as they are slots that don't seem to be designed to completely seal. It was the intake-to-head bolts in these pockets that weren't as tight as the others. I remember getting these torqued was a bitch because of the angle into the socket was not 90* because of the manifold structure. You can see there is an oil trace from two of the pockets across the surface of the intake and into the intake throat. The gasket is wet with oil in that same area.

http://vid60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/Lee_in_KC/IMG_0460_zpsnzb3k3ae.mp4

 

[2old2fast]

It appears that you had oil coming up the intake bolts ?? but the area where the oil is puddled is not open to the intake runner , is that what I'm seeing ??
dave

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Or if you play it right could be used as a excuse ticket for more cubes,stroke,boost , or all the above, lol.

LOL indeed! I have sorta been looking at 383 short blocks... just in case, you know!!

 

[Lee_in_KC]

It appears that you had oil coming up the intake bolts ?? but the area where the oil is puddled is not open to the intake runner , is that what I'm seeing ??
dave

Yes, those pockets are supposedly sealed by the intake-to-head gasket and the gasket between the blower and the intake manifold. As I said, it appears that some oil flowed from two of the pockets into the throat of the manifold. However, there is no film of oil in the manifold plenum, but there is a film of oil in every intake runner. ???

 

[2old2fast]

So you're thinking that the problem is leaking intake bolts/ intake gaskets ??? I had a similar problem w / oil migrating "up" the intake bolts on to the manifold surface , after trying different bolt sealants [permatex , teflon paste , etc.] I ended up using blue loctite , that cured the problem , your results may vary !!!
dave
I should add that instead of using the fel-pro [hoopty-do] gaskets this last time , I used "engine tech" el-cheapos w/o the sealing beads from competition products...

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Hmmm, I hadn't thought about oil migrating up the intake bolts. I went out and looked at the bolts, and the only ones I used thread sealer on are the end ones that go into the water jacket. All the others have no thread sealer and are oil soaked. It does look like at least some oil was getting into the intake from those pockets, but it doesn't seem like it would be enough to cake all the intake valves with sludge... but maybe after 10,000 miles it adds up!?!?

I'm going out to pull the #1 piston to look at the rings.

 

[2old2fast]

Another place to look is the rocker studs , w/some aftermarket heads the studs go into the roof of the intake runner ..
dave

 

[Hotrod46]

Sorry about your bad luck.

Earlier in this thread you mentioned blue print-o-seal intake gaskets. Are these the hard blue embossed gaskets that come in most Fel Pro sets? If so, these are usually not recommended for aluminum manifolds( at least Edelbrock doesn't).

If they aren't, just disregard this attempt at armchair diagnosis!

Mike

 

[Screaming Metal]

Possibly one other place to look. Did the intake gasket imprint on the blower manifold. Look where the loose bolts were located. Can you see seepage there? I imagineyour pulling oil from the lifter valley....And yes, oil will wick up the bolt holes, just like sucking on a straw.
Also, check toward the end of the faces on the blower manifold. SOMETIMES, not very often, they'll mill the face and when the cutter feeds off, it'll lowspot the faces there....inserts get dull and they start running into fixture flex.
Just check for that when the motor goes back together and the intake is sitting there atop the intake gaskets....

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Here is a video showing the #1 piston. Anyone recognize that logo? It's not Keith Black!! I'm thinking it's Speed-o-motive!!!

http://vid60.photobucket.com/albums/h28/Lee_in_KC/IMG_0461_zps3gs3agvl.mp4

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Sorry about your bad luck.

Earlier in this thread you mentioned blue print-o-seal intake gaskets. Are these the hard blue embossed gaskets that come in most Fel Pro sets? If so, these are usually not recommended for aluminum manifolds( at least Edelbrock doesn't).

Yes Mike, they are the Fel-Pro print-o-seals. I did not realize they weren't recommended for aluminum manifolds. Might explain the apparently poor seal.

 

[2old2fast]

Those are federal-mogul speed-pro pistons , good stuff, burning below the top ring , not good ..
dave

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Now I'm getting very suspicious of my whole short block build. I was told (yes, I know I should have gotten it in writing) that I would have "KB blower pistons," aftermarket crank and rods (He gave a good brand name but I don't remember what it was), a good seasoned block that would have all the trick stuff done to it (align boring, decking, magnaflux, etc.). The rods appear to be just stock GM parts. Crank looks like an aftermarket cast item, but no ID I can find. The lifter bores don't look they were even honed. The hone job in the cylinders is about 30* and looks hand done. And now I find this...

See the gold-colored areas above and to the right of the lifter bore? That's where oil has not stuck to the block surface... because coolant is leaking out there (see the puddle to the left?). I can't actually see cracks, but I'd bet they're there! That might explain the steam and slight coolant smell from the breather, eh?!?!

I think I'm about ready to shit-can this short block. I tried calling the builder... number no longer in service. E-mail kicked back. I was referred to this guy by someone in our local NTBA chapter who was a long-time roundy-round racer. He told me this guy was well-known in the racing community and that he built strong, dependable motors. His shop was in Ankeny, Iowa. I never went there... I ordered the short block over the phone and we traded a couple of e-mails during the build. I paid $2,200 including shipping in November, 2005, thinking I was getting a good "race-prepped" short block.

So who do you guys recommend for a "new" 383 short block?

 

[2old2fast]

Call Competition Products , ask for Eric , they did right by me ...
dave

 

[Indycars]

Build the motor yourself, it's the only way to know for sure !!!