You are a funny guy.. Rich, Funny, and Lucky...Great Combo..

Oh no, I am high jacking again.." Skooza", and "So sorry"....:_paranoid

Now I am hungry....Chow...:thumbsup:

Valve springs are definite......I'll check oil pump today.

NYES built the motor then sold it to me. That includes the heads.....built from bare castings. It's their motor. They need to be the ones that work on it period. I'm not 100% happy and confident with my decision but thats how I feel.

After they fixed the leaks last time around everything was fine. This last incident will need more research.

I hear you on utilizing NYES; I hope they take good care of you G!

Oh I've made that fatal mistake more than once.... I'm thick - it takes me a couple tries sometimes because I prefer the "benefit of the doubt".... But I'm getting smarter!

Good engine builders get it right the first time. Trust me on this one!

Hah! I'm learning that same thing right now. I've been pretty lucky with parts, and expenses but between having to figure out what was wrong on my own, and also breaking things, it has cost me a lot of time. I have never had an engine that ran without issue since I've owned my car. What is the point of paying a good amount of money for something that ultimately keeps you from enjoying your car, versus paying a little bit more. At what point do we have to step back and think about how much our time is worth?

Matt

But what they can't do is accurately determine when a component may fail. :D If it was a weak timing chain or bad metalurgy in the gear or elsewhere.......Not defending just a reality IMO.

Timing chains make me nervous. My seat of the pants judgement leans towards a belt or high quality gear drive for max durability. But they are 2-3 x's chains or gears.

They look to have a pretty decent reputation by a quick search. They do seem like a volume crate engine company with some agressive pricing. The more volume and the less margin an engine builder has, the more mistakes and supect parts that will be used.

Unfortunately, I speak from experience. My first engine was built by a crate engine volume place and it was the demise of my engine. They made a mistake and it wiped the bearings. I then found bad guides and a super sloppy timing chain upon disassembly. They offered to fix it but I knew they weren't capable.

Sieg has a point about the part failure. It happens to the best parts. However, some manufacturers have higher standards and less failures. Is the builder using the part to increase profit and attract busines, or because he's freshended up many engines with the same part and inspected them after service?

For us guys that are really leaning on our equipment, I like a clean sheet build and a builder that puts his hands on EVERYTHING specified for the application. My blueprint from Pettis Performance would blow your mind.

My take.......NYES does alot of volume due to the aggressive pricing. You cant blame me for jumping on an aluminum block 427 race engine for $9850 shipped. That price no longer stands and I'm pretty sure I am the last guy that got that deal just by luck because that ad was removed from the Racejunk site after I bought it. They now charge over $3000 more for the same motor on pump gas and only 525 hp. On top of that at no charge they balanced my flywheel to the assembly, centered my Lakewood bellhousing to the block, and had a cam custom ground for my specific application.
Building a relationship with a builder takes time. My feeeling is that if I continue to return we will build a relationship and maybe I get some extra attention. Only time will tell.

As far as the failure goes I will need to do some more research.

Todd, your right about smaller builders that work alone or have a small crew. We were talking about that today at the shop....Vince was trying to talk me into using a local guy that does all the work personally but what experience does he have with PBM blocks and with race motors. Picking an engine builder should be something that one does after alot of research.

NYES built the motor then sold it to me. That includes the heads.....built from bare castings. It's their motor. They need to be the ones that work on it period. I'm not 100% happy and confident with my decision but thats how I feel.

I agree with using a local machinist but as long as we're human errors can and will be made. I use my local machinist for years and have always built my own engines, partly because of cost but also I believe that if you want it done right.......That's what we do from these projects building them. IMHO

Shane

I agree with using a local machinist but as long as we're human errors can and will be made. I use my local machinist for years and have always built my own engines, partly because of cost but also I believe that if you want it done right.......That's what we do from these projects building them. IMHO

Shane[/quote]

Agreed. If I had the time, the shop, and the tools I would do the same. It's gotta be nice to gap your own rings and check your own tolerances.