[68nou1]

After reading everyones i figure i will put mine up here. Just pulled it out yesterday of my 68 camaro. The motor is a 406, 511 block, currently with pbm heads, rpm air gap, comp roller cam, roller 1.7 roller rockers, eagle rotating assembly and a quick fuel 750. There where a couple of reasons i pulled it and it will soon be turned into a 408.

First, has always smoked with oil blow-by. Has little to no miles on the motor and im pretty sure that the machine shop that did the short block will not see another dime of mine. Seems like the rings never did seat. I dont know if they said they checked/honed it or nothing at at all but has always used the oil. The header gaskets i just pulled off backed all that up.

Anyways reason #2 is more my fault and i kick myself for doing it, but my first time assembling a motor so you live and learn i guess. I reused the old head bolts when putting the heads on and regular old fel pro gaskets. (not the good performance ones that will soon be on it.) I had one or two bolts that would not torque down all the way and thought that it would be ok. Well as of late it had been running hot and i could not figure out the reason. Awhile passed since i had been able to mess with it, went to start it and nothing. Locked up tighter than dicks hat band. Wasn't the starter and when I tried to roatate it by hand at the crank nothing. I started pulling plugs and when i got to #5 water poured out like i had just drilled a hole in a freeze plug.

I am taking the little turd to a much better shop from what i have researched Monday morning. Where it will be done right. I'm going to have them check the heads and block, take it to a 408 (if its still good which i hope it is), up my compression to around 10:1; install head studs and 1014 felpro gaskets (which I have both, brand new), balance my rotating assmbly. Then send it to a few good ole boys i used to work for down in TN who now own and run Dyno engineering to break it in and tune it correctly before i get it back.

My wife told my buddy that helped me pull it out that she had never seen me cry but when i realized that it had locked up and needed to be pulled out, she swore she saw a tear.