Mark's LS2 2nd Gen Camaro build by Marktainium

5 minute(s) of a 242 minute read

Spent a good chunk of my day making brackets to hold my iginition coils. I'm so lucky to have access to a shop that has metalworking equipment. The notcher is one of my favorite tools right now. I still do a lot of hand filing though, as that is somehow really rewarding to me. It's as close to being an artist as I get. Can't draw to save my life, but give me a chunk of aluminum, the notcher, and a file, and I'll make something purdy!

4/24/2011

A bit more work, gotta get rid of the blue and red stuff though!

5/1/2011

I got it fired up with the exhaust on, no exhaust gaskets though, and ended up hearing a weird knocking sound. I've researched the heck out of it, some say it's lifter noise. I'm not sure so out it comes again for inspection. Better safe than sorry...

5/3/2011

Tore it all down and inspected. As suggested it was all fine. Seems to be the dreaded piston slap. I guess there are pistons available with an offset piston pin to reduce the slap. I wish I'd known about the offset pin before hand. Oh well... Should have it all re-assembled and running on the weekend.

5/31/2011

A quick update, Well, after tearing it down I found excessive scuffing on the piston sides, both major and minor thrust sides. I took a bunch of pics and relayed them to the piston manufacturer. he had me send them back to him for inspection. He sent them out to an independent measuring company, who measures to within a millionth of an inch. Turns out the pistons are ok but the problem was that the oil ring support ring that I received was the wrong size. From what I was told , once it was installed into the oil ring groove, being that it was for a slightly smaller diameter piston, it deformed into a wavy shape which in turn pinched the oil control ring which in turn prevented proper piston skirt / side lubrication. I have since received the pistons back, with new rings, and new support rings.

I'm getting pretty good at filing rings, as this is the third set for this engine, which still hasn't been driven.
I got everything put back together this last weekend and was lowering the car down off of the jackstands to fire it up when a wheel fell off of my jack causing the jack to stop moving and the car moved on the jack which ended up with the jack going through the oil pan. AWESOME!
I pulled the motor back out the next day, and tried to weld up the cracks but as the pan cooled the welds cracked. I ordered another oil pan and am waiting for that now.

My patience is being severely tested, and I'm close to locking up the garage and breaking off the key in the locks. My birthday is a week from today, I hope to have it driving by then.