We can rebuild it. We can make it better. Resurrection of Project Whack-A-Mole.

I'm not sure if this is Version 1.1 or 2.0. New block with seven of the with components from the previous engine: seven of eight pistons, crank, massaged heads, and cam.

And we're back I guess kinda sorta.

Back in May, I outlined the plight of my 5.3 LS motor.  Which suddenly developed:

1. Broken rocker stud on No. 1 cylinder, tried fixing that and discovered ...
2. Broken valve spring on No. 6 cylinder, tried fixing that and discovered ...
3. Scored cylinder wall on No. 7

Three completely unrelated issues happening all at once.  Charlie from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" mapped it better.

Charlie work, trying to figure out what went wrong with my engine.

At the time, I worked for a company that sold remanufactured engines and transmissions throughout the lower 48 continental United States, and they had just started a plant on the Eastern Shore of Maryland that would be dedicated to Chevy LS engines (mainly truck 5.3s) and Chrysler Hemi motors, among other things.

I approached the company owner (who I worked with at a previous job ... we'll just call him Ed) about my dilemma, and Ed said, "Sure, bring your engine down."   I loaded the hurt motor into the back of my new pickup and trekked to work.  Then the engine made another journey to the the new facility in Cambridge, Maryland, for teardown.  The diagnosis was the No. 7 cylinder was fucked.  The block, since it had been bored to LS1 specs, wasn't reparable.  So I needed a new block and piston.

Ed found a 5.3 block (a 2007+ aluminum block with a 58x crank trigger -- exactly what I had) in a pile of cores, and a plan was hatched.  Keep the cam, the crank and the massaged cylinder heads.  Machine the "new" block and replace the bad piston.

We can rebuild it.  We can make it better.

Except the only holdup was one Wiseco piston to match the other seven good pistons was on global backorder until late July.

And then in mid-June, I tendered my resignation.  Ed said, "No worries," and the plan proceeded.

We can rebuild it.  We can make it better.

August came around.  Then September.  That one Wiseco piston was still backordered.

Finally last week I received a text that from Ed the replacement piston had come in, and my "new" engine would be ready shortly.

We can rebuild it.  We can make it better.

The guys at the shop unboxed the new piston and found instructions detailing that the rings should be measured and properly gapped.  Seems like basic stuff, but they decided to check the ring gap on the other seven pistons from my original engine.  

Ed forwarded me the text:

"We found Pat's failure. Evidently his previous builder installed the rings without setting the end gap. All were .001-.003. Required is .020-.023."

Coupling with the SR20DE "built" by a shop for my old Nissan Sentra SE-R roadrace car that had disappointing results, I keep thinking I should have done this engine myself because it would have been a whole lot less money, and I could blame the poor workmanship on me.  Not somebody I paid $$$$ to build it right.  

Now I'm back to where I was early last year -- installing an LS engine into my 1982 Camaro -- but I **think** it should be easier.  All the bugs like fuel delivery, hydraulic clutch with the Aisin 5-speed, and this, that and the other thing should be worked out.  Just plug and play now, right?  Right?