Another Burned out GN owner...

D

Daniel Jost

Squirtin six
Joined
Oct 11, 2003
Well today we loaded up my boss and two Co-Workers in the GN to go to lunch. I left our parking lot and about a mile down the road I was passing a slow moving civic with mild throttle maybe 1/2 throttle and my engine (for at this un-known reason) locked up in it's tracks... No weird noises, nothing unusual before hand just out of nowhere locked up tight! After it sat for 2 hours while I went and got my truck and a car hauler the car will very slightly turn over at a very slow rate.

I'm pretty well fed up, the car sat for 2 years until about a month ago because I broke the input drum shaft in the trans and it turned into a full on ordeal including a real nice build on the trans, roller valve train, billet pulleys, GT6776S, new external gate DP, lots of powdercoating, new inlet components, silicone hoses, valve covers, all new A/C stuff, and so on... I did the last stretch of Power Tour and I have about 1300 miles on it since it was finished and now the car is down again...

I'm starting to get pretty fed up and can understand why people on here are always B*&^*$ on here. I refuse to go to an LS engine, but I always have talked about going to a 3800 SII/SIII which might now become a reality now. The problem is I am pretty well tapped out on what I want to spend on the car this year so I think it will find itself sitting again for a while depending on what the damage it...

Just needed to rant, Dan
 
I hear ya on getting fed up. I let the car sit for 1 year and what a grueling year it was. Got to sell my daily after picking up a newer car (the buick being down/frustration of fixing it led to that new car), and then fixed her. She runs now awesome.

Dont get me wrong here, I dont want to sound like haha in your face.

These cars, any cars for that matter, were never designed nor could they be to last forever. So parts are bound to give out. With that said.....

Go figure out what went wrong. See if it could have been avoided by preventative maintenance or if someone messed up on the build. Either way, you will find out who is to blame. Hopefully its not something that will take much to fix.

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Does it still have the stock timing gears?? That's what happened to me a few years ago at a stop sign. 1/2 of the plastic teeth gone...

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I feel ya brother. It's usually something simple, so hang in there if ya got it in ya still. You'll be rewarded if you do.
 
I built the motor years ago and just out the roller cam/rockers/springs in this year.

I pulled the pan quick and found the crank broke between cyl 5 and 6. Car was on 23 psi and E85, very conservative 23 degrees and 11.3 afr (gas scale). Im at a loss other than going to a forged rotating assembly and billet center mains.

Dan
 
Daniel Jost said:
I built the motor years ago and just out the roller cam/rockers/springs in this year.

I pulled the pan quick and found the crank broke between cyl 5 and 6. Car was on 23 psi and E85, very conservative 23 degrees and 11.3 afr (gas scale). Im at a loss other than going to a forged rotating assembly and billet center mains.

Dan
Click to expand...

That's not a super conservative tune...;) But you are right on. The stock cranks are getting old. Probably had a small crack or even an unnoticeable weak spot that eventually lead to your failure when you made more power with the roller setup.
 
Since my "project" became a frame off it's going to take more time and $ to get it done. It's been sitting with little attention paid to it for the last couple of years other than minor things done to it Dan. It was supposed to be a rust repair on the rear quarters, body bushings, suspension work, engine and tranny. As most of these seem to go south quickly when you start on them I can tell you to hang in there. Park it for a while and then get back to it. If you need a low mileage crank I've got a couple laying around and the best should be a .010/.010.;)
 
If you didn't build the engine using a turbo crank that would be a mistake. The other question did you have the crank turned & not have it nitrated that would be another problem. Basically with the availability of cheap steel imported cranks it doesn't make sense to run a problematic stock crank anymore especially if your going to beat on it. Don't beat yourself up too bad over this as the saying goes what doesn't kill only makes you stronger. If you can learn how to build a Buick to stay together think how much smarter you will be & that knowledge is transferable to any engine you may build in the future. I've been a mechanic longer than most here have been alive & learned if nothing else failure is an important part of the process. So dry your eyes & get back to work !
 
Sorry to hear Dan. Its the excessive build that scares me into having to rebuild my engine again. I've been happy with the low end ass kickings I can give, and plan to keep my car bolt on happy.
 
I can relate...
I am on my 3rd engine and trans( 4th if you count the stock one that I removed and stored with the original tranny).

I bought my car in May of 2007 with 43k miles on it....it still in the 43k range. I got to build the last engine at Richard Clarks in January of this year. It is now running awesome !!

Step away from it if you can...it will allow you to re focus.

Bryan
 
charlief1 said:
Are you sure that squirrel isn't tired yet B?:p Maybe we need to reserve the lift for you next year.:ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...

Whats this WE shit ??? You havent ever been to Richards......LOL

The squirrel is not even running out of breath yet !! It is running awesome !! Need to get the governor weight fixed as it is shifting way too high right now. Cant wait to get it dialed in and on the track !!

The next event in NC you better have your ass there !!!!!!!!

B
 
Phoneguy said:
The next event in NC you better have your ass there !!!!!!!!

B
Click to expand...
Well you missed the first Texas Buick Nationals and someone from PA made it.;) Another from SC made it as well.:cool: Where the heck were you B?:p If it's held again this year are you gonna make it.:D
I'll be serving brisket and ribs as well as hot links and homemade wine if you dare.:ROFLMAO: I'll see you there.:LOL:
 
"I've been a mechanic longer than most here have been alive"

Boy, that's for sure!!!:p:D
I am really glad I'm not that ancient..:smuggrin:
 
Thanks guys I bought the car 10 years ago, in 09' I built the last engine after breaking a crank snout when the stock balancer bolt came loose. I built the new engine off a very low mile 109 block with turbo crank. This trans I just built is the 5th since ive owned it and I put in all the best to avoid problems where possible (the old saying only rich people can afford to do things cheap), and this will be the 3rd engine now and I planned to do the same and put in forged internals.

So now is the next problem, for the little extra cost do I just make it a 4.1 stroker? Thats another slippery slope, heads, and bigger cam would need to follow...

,Dan
 
Wow, I'm so sorry to hear. I've had my GN for 16 years now and this thread makes me want to sell it. I've been through a lot with it, but not as much as some of you other guys for sure. I guess I've run out of patience as I got older. One setback like this would make me lose it. If I had more money and free time I would not care as much though. That being said, I went pretty conservative with my build and try not to beat on it too much so it will hopefully last a long time before any catastrophic failure.
 
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