[87LC2]

You need to assemble the heads with checker springs on cylinder number one, put the heads back on and turn the engine over. You want to measure the distance between the top of the valve guide and the valve spring retainer at max lift. I believe your spring retainer is coming too close to the guide and crushing the seal. You either need different retainers or you need the top of the guide machined down a little.

 

[nathancap24]

I found out that the seals and the springs are made by PAC. Has anyone heard of them? Not sure on the specs, still trying to get more information. I also pulled out a flashlight and looked down the cylinders a little better then before. The wanted to see if the scoring I saw before was as bad as I thought. The one I saw before wasn't so bad. What I did see was in the back cylinder on the the passenger side closest to the firewall, there was a score that made my heart drop. I now know what they mean about catching it with your nail. Its that bad. So with that being said, now what is the coarse of action?

 

[A_VAS]

PAC makes the springs and retainers/locks....but the seals are all pretty much the same in most kits. PAC springs are good quality and usually considered the best you can buy at this point.

Your shortblock is most likely fine, scrape the carbon off the piston tops and call it good.
If the compression and leak down tests were done properly and showed good results, the rings should be fine.
Seems like the smoking was caused by the seals being damaged...fix that issue and you should be ok. While it is apart I would measure the PTV just so you know what it is.
But yes if you don't have marks on the pistons then they haven't hit yet...but I'd want to know how close it is on the intake. You can then choose a head gasket thickness to give you a little more clearance if you need it when you re-assemble. If it's pretty tight clearance even a thicker gasket may not be enough. There are options you can do with head work to increase it (valve job and sink the valves a bit).

 

[nathancap24]

Took a few pictures of the cylinders I was talking about, best I could with the camera I have. Maybe you can see the scoring I was refering to.

 

[A_VAS]

cylinder walls are ok in my opinion, some scoring is going to be normal

 

[Lakegoat]

It looks like the incorrect spring height for the cam lift. Seals are beat to crap. This pic will make you feel better.

 

[nathancap24]

On the seals, does anyone know which size seals to order - .500 or .530? I can't seem to find a point of reference. They are stock 243 heads, stock valves. The only difference are the PAC double springs which are .650 lift spring rate. Anyway, anyone have a clue on the size so I can get these heads put back together.

 

[machinistone]

From the damage done to those seals I would say they were either not installed correctly, or are the wrong size to begin with. The factory guide is .505", if you use a .515" seal it will come loose and get beat up like that. My strong suggestion would be to take or send those heads to a shop that is familiar with the LS engines to have them checked for guide clearance, valve job concentricity, and to have the spring and seal package setup properly for your cam.

PAC makes excellent springs, they are what I primarily use.

 

[nathancap24]

Thanks, I was kind of thinking the .530 had to be too big and I would wind up with the same situation I had before. So .505 is the OEM spec size, I think I will have to just order that size and run with it. I would love to be able to get it to a shop have them work the heads over but I am spent. I am doing the best I can, to be as comprehensive and thorough as possible. I will do as much of the work as possible myself to get them back together and then before throwing them back on, have a shop look them over to make sure I didn't screw up too bad. I know its not the ideal situation but it will get me back on the road and I can continue saving to get a new engine. I'm gonna start saving for a new 418 from TSP.

 

[leong6gtp]

Was also going to add that using the stock seats will cause the inner coils to bind because they're not made to accommodate the dual springs but I see it looks you had the correct seats on there. I would look into having someone local build your engine, I don't know how far you are from Texas-speed's shop but you should probably check out the feedback section for Tsp before making that plunge. Just weigh your options first. Andy (avas) said he could have put together a rotating assembly for me for about the same cost as I paid at tsp.

 

[nathancap24]

I'm being told by the original tuner, the parts (seals) supplied where the correct ones as confirmed through the vendor. They are also saying that installation could be at fault but if it that was the case, it would have been immediately apparent and shown signs of fault while on the dyno during initial tuning, let alone the drive home from dallas and over the year after. I argued I knew there was a problem the minute I got it back but that was a mute point. I still have to pay for any parts now to fix this thing now. So, based on all the feedback, I am going to put another TSP V3 cam in and put it all back together. Try to clean up the mess in the block as best possible so no crap is in there to cause more damage to the cylinders and hope for the best. I am close enough to Texas Speed but due to some financial hardships, the thought of doing anything more than an oil change at this point requires months of budgeting so I can look into that at a later date. Maybe just steal an LS3 from somewhere and start over?

 

[treys06GTO]

Damn Nathan didn't know all of this was going on! Good luck with the rebuild I leave to Hawaii tuesday


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[nathancap24]

Damn Nathan didn't know all of this was going on! Good luck with the rebuild I leave to Hawaii tuesday


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Its all good brother, I will get it all sorted out eventually and have her back and running Centex again. You just make sure you get a splitter and try not to get too many tickets on H1 while on the island.

 

[treys06GTO]

Thanks brother can't wait to see your goat back up again! I'm thinking about getting that new goldilocks splitter scss is making now check it out! I'm gonna either get a p1sc or the vengeance racing trick flow head and cam package with this years tax money but I'll keep you updated brother


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