402 Rebuild

[Cali72K20]

I was excited to prime the rebuilt engine for the C20 and I was adding about a quart of break-in oil when it started leaking on the floor. They only put RTV on the bottom half of the valve covers and the mating surface on both covers is deformed from them over tightening the valve covers and squishing the gasket out.

I am kind of scared to perform the break-in now, what else is wrong with the rebuild if they cannot install the valve cover gasket correctly.

Forgot to mention they painted parts of the push rods and springs...

It ruined a perfectly good Sunday afternoon.

[too much stuff]

Bummer, i would be a little worried. That looks very backyardish...

[Cali72K20]

Part of me wants to pull it back out and remove the oil pan and heads to check everything else out.

[Cali72K20]

Originally Posted by too much stuff

Bummer, i would be a little worried. That looks very backyardish...

It was done at a shop that's has been around for a long time but the original guy that opened the shop retired during Covid. I remember the machinist telling me that he primed the engine, that is impossible, all that oil leaked out from me just filling it up thru the oil fill in the valve cover. I should have bought a create engine...

https://enginetech-ca.com/

[Willshook]

Do you have a detailed list of the work done, the parts used, and the measurements applied? Commonly called a “build sheet”.

[Cali72K20]

Yes, but the machinist didn't provide and specs of work done other than it is a standard bore that was honed. I supplied most of the parts except the new pistons, bearings and valve springs.

[Steeveedee]

How thick is the sludge along the exhaust manifold side of the head? That makes me think that the heads didn't see a hot tank.

[RustyPile]

Rebuild??? Looks to me more like a re-paint... More to the point.. Those rubber valve cover gaskets are famous for doing that.. Fel Pro makes a laminated V/C gasket.. Thin metal sandwiched between two cork layers.. Expensive but does not leak and stays put very well.

[jumpsoffrock]

^^^^Great information, thank you.




OP,
The real problem is your truck is disassembled and I have a funny feeling you weren't planning on breaking the cam in, then getting it on the road the next day and spending a week or two knocking out the other 1000 miles to finish the engine break in; then after that keep the truck driven regularly/daily and put a bunch of mileage on it to make sure it's gonna run good so you can take advantage of any warranty.

The issue with a lot of our trucks/people in this hobby is fellas rebuild an engine and then that engine takes 7 years to do 1000 miles for a full break in.

Firstly, an engine needs to run--a prolonged drawn out break in isn't gonna be the same as one that takes a day or week.
Second is simple: gotta put miles to take advantage of a warranty.

I too would be scared if a shop messed up a valve cover gasket and didn't give any specs on rod clearances, cylinder-to-wall clearance, state of valve guides(material? Replaced? reamed? Knurled?), state of valve seats(replaced? are they confirmed to be hardened? Were they cut? What angles?).

Heck even a sheet stating a confirmation of hot-tanking and the valve lash (if required) woulda been nice, sheesh.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

You need quality gaskets (e.g. Moroso) - what a mess. Shame the guy's workmanship is poor.

after repair of the covers, and checks, seems all you can do is break it in and hope. Good information above.

[Cali72K20]

Originally Posted by jumpsoffrock

^^^^Great information, thank you.




OP,
The real problem is your truck is disassembled and I have a funny feeling you weren't planning on breaking the cam in, then getting it on the road the next day and spending a week or two knocking out the other 1000 miles to finish the engine break in; then after that keep the truck driven regularly/daily and put a bunch of mileage on it to make sure it's gonna run good so you can take advantage of any warranty.

The issue with a lot of our trucks/people in this hobby is fellas rebuild an engine and then that engine takes 7 years to do 1000 miles for a full break in.

Firstly, an engine needs to run--a prolonged drawn out break in isn't gonna be the same as one that takes a day or week.
Second is simple: gotta put miles to take advantage of a warranty.

I too would be scared if a shop messed up a valve cover gasket and didn't give any specs on rod clearances, cylinder-to-wall clearance, state of valve guides(material? Replaced? reamed? Knurled?), state of valve seats(replaced? are they confirmed to be hardened? Were they cut? What angles?).

Heck even a sheet stating a confirmation of hot-tanking and the valve lash (if required) woulda been nice, sheesh.

Not sure where you came up with that assumption:

"The real problem is your truck is disassembled and I have a funny feeling you weren't planning on breaking the cam in"

I planned on driving it over 1500 miles one way after breaking it in cuz I'm moving out of California soon. I had planned to use it to tow my jeep.

[Cali72K20]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

How thick is the sludge along the exhaust manifold side of the head? That makes me think that the heads didn't see a hot tank.

That is the fresh break-in oil that pooled up and leaked where the gasket was pushed out.

[Cali72K20]

Here are more pictures.

[Cali72K20]

Originally Posted by RustyPile

Rebuild??? Looks to me more like a re-paint... More to the point.. Those rubber valve cover gaskets are famous for doing that.. Fel Pro makes a laminated V/C gasket.. Thin metal sandwiched between two cork layers.. Expensive but does not leak and stays put very well.

The engine was rebuilt, here are some bore scope pictures I just took; it's been bored .030 over std.
Here is the invoice I received with the work done, no measurement numbers.
There is a lot of overspray on both sides of the valvetrain too.

I am going to get these ordered:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/f...make/chevrolet

[Cali72K20]

Originally Posted by 71CHEVYSHORTBED402

You need quality gaskets (e.g. Moroso) - what a mess. Shame the guy's workmanship is poor.

after repair of the covers, and checks, seems all you can do is break it in and hope. Good information above.

Good advice from everyone, thank you!

"after repair of the covers, and checks, seems all you can do is break it in and hope."
This is probably my best option for now, I am going to pray for the best, run it and see what happens.

[RustyPile]

Originally Posted by Cali72K20

............I am going to get these ordered:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/f...make/chevrolet

That's not the gaskets I posted.. Those are silicone rubber, not cork.. I can't speak to the quality of them, however, I do have experience with cork laminated gaskets...

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by RustyPile

That's not the gaskets I posted.. Those are silicone rubber, not cork.. I can't speak to the quality of them, however, I do have experience with cork laminated gaskets...

I've been using the felpro silicone over steel gaskets for a few years on my Chevelle big block. Work very well and are reusable.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by Cali72K20

Not sure where you came up with that assumption:

"The real problem is your truck is disassembled and I have a funny feeling you weren't planning on breaking the cam in"

I planned on driving it over 1500 miles one way after breaking it in cuz I'm moving out of California soon. I had planned to use it to tow my jeep.

Your planning on towing right after the initial cam break in?

[RustyPile]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

I've been using the felpro silicone over steel gaskets for a few years on my Chevelle big block. Work very well and are reusable.

Reusable... Good to know....

[jumpsoffrock]

Originally Posted by Cali72K20

Not sure where you came up with that assumption:

"The real problem is your truck is disassembled and I have a funny feeling you weren't planning on breaking the cam in"

I planned on driving it over 1500 miles one way after breaking it in cuz I'm moving out of California soon. I had planned to use it to tow my jeep.

The bottom line is that you are going the correct route, more miles driven sooner is best. As another member pointed out, towing immediately after a rebuild might be a little suspect, but I still think it's better than letting it sit prolonged and not putting in full mileage after rebuild.

Also it kinda isn't helpful that you're gonna have put on mileage on a one-way trip, unless you were intending to fully break it in while still local to the shop who did the work. Obviously getting warranty work from halfway cross country is outta the question.

[RustyPile]

Originally Posted by Cali72K20

The engine was rebuilt, here are some bore scope pictures I just took; it's been bored .030 over std.
Here is the invoice I received with the work done, no measurement numbers.
There is a lot of overspray on both sides of the valvetrain too.

I am going to get these ordered:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/f...make/chevrolet

The shop did not bore that block.. From the factory, a 402 is simply a 396 bored .030.. And from the factory, .030 is the standard bore for a 402..

It's obvious, they lied about boring the block.. What else did they lie about??

[68Gold/white]

I would absolutely NOT start that engine!!!

Pull it out, tear it ALL down!!!

[jumpsoffrock]

Originally Posted by 68Gold/white

I would absolutely NOT start that engine!!!

Pull it out, tear it ALL down!!!

Dude seriously? Over some overspray on pushrods and a valve cover gasket mistake?
Talk about overreaction

"They put mustard on my burger and my coffee was too hot!
SUE FOR $6.7 MILLION"


edit: OP, I'm sure you are already aware of this, but any disassembly of that engine on your part more than likely voids any kind of warranty unless the builder already stated there was "no warranty". Without any build specs or receipts for parts ordered, don't get me wrong, I'd be a little suspect. But removing the engine and doing a full teardown--especially without first talking to the builder--is a financial mistake not worth making.
Inform the builder of your findings and worries, and ask him if he'd be willing to give you more concrete specs or "other evidence"(???) that he actually did the work. How the builder reacts is going to tell you plenty. (do they try and extend an olive branch or do they bite off your head?)

Again, I'm sorry for making such a big deal about a warranty, but if there really is anything wrong with that engine, a warranty is the only thing saving your money.
And if you do anything to void that, that could be killer money down the drain. IDK how much you spent but I'd assume....over $2K? Lotta money on the line to do anything brash without first asking the builder to help fill you in on what was done, how to prove it to you, etc.

[57taskforce]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

I've been using the felpro silicone over steel gaskets for a few years on my Chevelle big block. Work very well and are reusable.

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

Your planning on towing right after the initial cam break in?

Yep ditch that cork crap and use the perma-seal felpro’s. I use the valves cover gaskets and the oil pan gasket on all the small and big blocks I play with. They are far superior to everything else.
As for towing after can break in, honestly when I used to build engines professionally I liked to see them loaded up pretty good as soon as possible to seat the rings. Idling/babying them along with little load is asking for the cylinders to glaze over, you need the heat/cylinder pressure to finish the hone and seat the rings. I didn’t like to see an abundance of rpms for the first thousand or so miles but loading them up isn’t going to hurt anything if it’s built right. I did a lot of 12 and 24 valve Cummins and I used to tell those guys once the cam is broke in to put a 8 or 10,000 lb trailer behind it and run it around for a 500 miles keeping the rpms down but dragging that load around. Never had any issues with them coming back burning oil, even after 50 or 100,000 miles.

[Cali72K20]

Thanks for everyone's input, I'm going to call the builder and get some more info.
I ordered the Fel-Pro 1630 gaskets from O'Reilly's.