Another 6.5 bites the dirt

[Missy Good Wench]

Sounds a like good ideas all around.

Well the autopsy is all completed and the corpse is ready for burial now.

Sadly the block is junk. The bores were perfect with hone marks still showing in the upper cylinder area.

Crank is sweet too. Rods and pistons are good too.

Got the block all stripped out by about an hour ago.

The beast is a large bolt squirt block.
Nasty crack in the number four main saddle that started in the squirt hole and progressed up the main web and into both number 6 and 8 cylinders.

Here are 3 pix of the nasty crack.

MGW

 

[Matt Bachand]

So that means it had squirters, ala 97ish block?

How many miles on it did it have ?

 

[Missy Good Wench]

Dont know for absolute sure. Truck has 185K The engine casting date is 96. This was a complete crate engine from GM with all the goodies attached.

The 97 engines had the smaller outer main bolts along with the squirts.
Too many changes and most all for the worse.

The 929 Non squirt block thats going in will definately be a real plus.

I have had a non squirt 506 blocks with small outer bolts, squirt blocks with large outer bolts, had em all.
The Burb has a 599 block, non squirt with 12mm bolts all the way.

 

[JiFaire]

That's a nasty crack, Robyn... your new block is a definite step up. you going with CCH heads again? (I haven't had any issues with the Daytona head I got from Ideal, and they're famous for breaking, too. Same thing as CCH - new for less than the price of rebuilt wrecker heads.) I remember the thread on the Page about 'Hummer-style' heads... just askin.

Jim

 

[TurboTahoe]

Yeowch! That is one gnarly crack!

I agree that the replacement block sounds much better.

Good luck! Thanks for the photos!

-Rob

 

[Missy Good Wench]

Yup Nasty crack for sure.

Going with CCH heads. Will use the crank from the broken engine.

The Burb has a set of the CCH heads and 40K later its fine.

Stinking Squirt holes just caused more grief than anyone needs for sure.

Just got off the phone with the outfit I bought the pistons from. They are shipping me another .5 piston to replace the one that was mismarked.

Should have it in a few days.

All for now

MGW

 

[Missy Good Wench]

Got the replacement piston today for the one that was marked wrong.

Should have things back by the first of the week or so to.

Well be great to get the beast back together and going again.

Block is bored now and it cleaned fine at the .50mm OS

More news as it happens

MGW

 

[davo727]

Sounds good MGW!

 

[Missy Good Wench]

UPDATE
Spent most of Sunday cleaning bolts, and parts and rebagging them for reassembly.

Got the VC's, Pan and other stuff all cleaned up too with the hot washer.
The block should be back by Weds or thursday and ready to start back together.

This beast was the nastiest mess that I have ever seen inside.

All for now

MGW

 

[SmithvilleD]

Have you seen or used the parts washers that use sonicator probes to make them work like the ultrasonic jewelry cleaners?

Full-size ones are pretty expensive but the concept is great; can't wait for the price to come down.

My cheapy HF parts washer works fine; but the idea of simply submerging the tough to clean parts & walking away to let it churn at them 'til they're clean has appeal.

A neighbor bought the little (maybe a quart or 2 liquid capacity) Harbor Freight ultrasonic cleaner and it is impressive how it removes the baked grease/dirt mix on parts small enough to fit in it. I want see if the sonication will remove baked on carbon like piston tops or valves, without requiring manual/mechanical scrubbing of some kind.

 

[Missy Good Wench]

UPDATE AND ITS GOOD

Today I got a very unexpected cash infusion from a deal.
Now the DaHooooley project can move ahead the way I wanted in the first place.

Going to get a set of CCH heads coming as well as a Scat steel crank.

Oh yeh buddy.
Get the assembly ballanced and its off to the rodeo we go

More updates as they happen

MGW

 

[Ratman]

Robyn, -you gotta be on cloud nine right now, -good deal!!

Like when Hannibal from the A-Team says "I love it when a plan comes together" with the cigar hangin outta his mouth.

That new crank is going to give you some much needed piece of mind.

The heads, -well, they're CCH's, -and obviously, we have had excellent results from those boys in the past.

I think you are gonna have a nice setup when this is all put back together.

Call me.

 

[DieselCash]

How do you get one of these CCH Heads?

I can not find their website! If they have one.

Thanks,

 

[Missy Good Wench]

Here is the link to CCH's site

http://www.cylinder-heads.com/


MGW

 

[DieselCash]

Here is the link to CCH's site

http://www.cylinder-heads.com/


MGW

Thanks! :thumbsup:

 

[Missy Good Wench]

I had a chat with the folks at both CCH and Scat yesterday.

All set now to get the heads and the crank coming.

Having a good steel crank is going to be a nice feeling. for sure.

MGW

 

[DieselCash]

I had a chat with the folks at both CCH and Scat yesterday.

All set now to get the heads and the crank coming.

Having a good steel crank is going to be a nice feeling. for sure.

MGW

That is the truth! Can you purchase the crank from CCH also?

 

[Missy Good Wench]

UPDATE

Block all done now and ready to pickup from the shop.

Still fussing over what I am going to use for a crank. I want a zero hour crank in this thing.

A scat is $419 plus freight and a Forged steel crank from Peninsular is $943 plus freight.

I really would love to have the forged piece doing the honors BUTTTTTTTTTTT the cost is a tad outside what my budgit can justify at this time.

I also quote to others, Pay me now or pay me later.

I dont want any more issues with this beast either.

Decisions decisions. ?????????????/

MGW

 

[TurboTahoe]

Hi Robyn,

If you are planning to add serious power, I would find a way to afford a forged steel crank. Also depends how long you plan to keep Dahoooley. I would say that if you average it across the likely lifetime, and you plan to make this into a 300HP beast, then you'll be penny-wise to upgrade the crank.

Perhaps you can cut back somewhere else.

All the best,

-Rob

 

[Missy Good Wench]

Well
The decisions have been made!!!!!!!!!!!!

The issue being that the cubic checkbook will not stand the stress of much more shopping.

I got the block and new pistons back last eavening from the shop.

Looks wonderful (as it should)

I absolutely need a fresh radiator and a few other items before the job can be finished.

Too many outside things pulling $$$$$$$ from the pot.

The engine that came out was fine other than the cracked #4 main that had gone up into water.
Otherwise this engine ran sweet.

Going to reassemble using most all the original parts, the crank and the heads were fine and will likely serve for many many miles.


This is definately not my dream build-up but the source of $$$$ is not there for what I want to do.
My rationale is that my 94 Burb had 230K on it when I bought it, lost a head gasket at 237K and I reused the shaft in that one.
The Burb has 268K on it now and runs pefect.

Loads of these factory cranks out there that have been run to death, reground .010-.010 reboxed and reused in remans and run a buttload of miles.

My truck usage is not even severe.

The cost of the forged crank is near the total cost of what I had available to fix the thing.

Just too many little things that also need doing while the engine is out. (because they are tough to get to with the engine in the rig)

The heads are fine, valves look good and there was not any issues with the top end.

Will do injectors while they are out to make sure it starts and runs its best.
Glow plugs too.

New oil cooler lines, some wiring repairs on the glow system (RH side)

Steam the engine bay out reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal good.

Timing chain, fresh pistons and rings (.5mm OS) new bearings Crank sensor (Old one has worn wires)

Oil pump was perfect. (Will use the squirt block pump on the non squirt engine now)

It was a magical dream of having a real killer build, but the reality of things has to prevail.

One thing though thats for sure, the old girl will likley run very well and should be fine.

With the non squirt (929) block and the inserted outer main bolt holes, the bottom end should be good to go.

Had the wrist pin bushings redone on the rods, the big ends were still to spec so we left them alone.

Hope to get going this weekend on putting it back together.

Really miss that ride.

MGW