1st time engine builder and the shit locked up. What did I do wrong?

[TitaniumTT]

Originally Posted by RotaryResurrection

Could be an endplay/thrust bearing related issue that caused debris to get into the front main bearing and chew it up. Also the front main is the first place oil starvation shows up.

Assuming that he checked and set endplay, I'm still going with mixing and matching S4/5/6 front assembly bearings. One of the reasons I got my engine so damn cheap was because some "pro" level builder fucked that one up. Engine lasted a whopping 25 minutes.

Originally Posted by RotaryResurrection

I had a buddy who built his own engine at my place one time and it ran for 15 seconds then locked up solid. Come to find out he'd let the little oil pump sprocket key slip out when he slid the sprocket on. The oil on the bearings lasted 15 seconds. The pump probably spun long enough to load with thick cold oil, then due to lack of a key it slowed down or stopped while the sprocket continued to turn. Then the engine ran out of oil on the bearings and locked up.

Had a friend of mine do that too, that thing can be a bitch to get in properly, don't know why people don't check that before the cover goes on, also don't know why people don't prime the oil system.

I wait until I have 30+psi of oil pressure at cranking before I try to start the engine. I also pour oil down the oil filter pedastal, both holes, try to fill the oil coolers as much as possible with oil, and then spend a few minutes turning the engine over by hand to start the oil moving. Then I'll start cranking in short bursts until I see pressure, then the cranking gets longer but never going over 7 seconds until I have suffiecent pressure. Then prime the fuel system, and light the girl off.

This is also common practive for me if I haven't driven my truck for more than a week - I'll pull the fuel pump relay and crank until I see a little pressure, then put the relay back in and fire her off.

[need RX7]

Originally Posted by TitaniumTT

I wait until I have 30+psi of oil pressure at cranking before I try to start the engine. I also pour oil down the oil filter pedastal, both holes, try to fill the oil coolers as much as possible with oil, and then spend a few minutes turning the engine over by hand to start the oil moving. Then I'll start cranking in short bursts until I see pressure, then the cranking gets longer but never going over 7 seconds until I have suffiecent pressure. Then prime the fuel system, and light the girl off.

Thanks for posting this . I'll keep this in mind when I fire up my 'new' engine in the n/a. I probably would have just cranked it for 5 seconds and called it done and fired it up .

[TitaniumTT]

Yeah, lots of people do and that's what happens. You'll be surprised how long it takes cranking to get oil throughout the entire engine, all the coolers, the passageways, the filter, the turbo's etc etc etc. Even when letting a car sit for an extended period of time oil drains out over time. Just a good idea I think. If you're changine the oil it'll take a full second if not a little more to pressurize everything. Benefit is there's still oil in all the journals, bearings etc etc etc so it's not all that bad.

We did put an accu-sump in my buddies Landi Tsi 300 though so as soon as he turns the key before the engine rotates there's a little pressure.