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5.3 initial start up issues

NorCalKid

NorCalKid

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I swapped a junkyard 2003 5.3 into my 71 c20 about 10,000 miles ago and it eventually decided it was done. So I got a goodwrench long block to replace it, just a LM7 like before. I got everything hooked back up today and ran into an issue.

I turned off the fuel pump and cranked it for 30 seconds or so to prime it. Turned the pump back on and fired it up. I let it run for about 2 minutes then shut it down to bleed the clutch, top up fluids and all that. When I went to start it again heard a clunk then it wouldnt spin at all. I got underneath it and there was fuel dripping off the seam of the bellhousing and oil pan, I cant find any fuel leaks anywhere else.

Heres what I have done:
Bench tested starter it spins fine
Pulled plugs and aired out for 2 hours - Cylinder 8 was wet
Tried cranking with plugs out and coils unplugged - no dice
Drained oil to check for fuel in crankcase - looked and smelled like oil that had only ran for 2 min

Any ideas whats going on? Stuck injector on 8 that mess something up?
 
Can you spin the motor over by hand using the crank bolt?
 
I tried by hand real quick tonight with no luck, but I had the belt on and plugs in. I should have some time to mess with it tomorrow
 
Pull the plugs and try to turn the engine over by hand in the normal clockwise direction as viewed from the front bumper looking at the front of the engine, if it wont turn over then try turning it counter-clockwise. It is possible that the injector kept leaking fuel into the cylinder then the engine hydro-locked and bent the connecting rod.
 
I tried spinning it tonight, it wont go either direction. Does that mean I am probably screwed?
 
I will yank the engine again this weekend and check it out. With any luck the cylinder wall isnt too screwed up
 
I finally had time to pull the motor and open it up. #8 connecting rod is snapped and wedged against the block.

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Do you think I can get it fixed under warranty? How do I even do that... time to go read up on that
 
Was there alot of fuel in the oil?

What I'm getting at here is. Did it hydrolock on fuel due to a effed injector? Or as I have seen a couple of times is the injector driver got stuck in the pcm.
 
as someone who is about to fire up an LQ9 swap for the first time, stuff like this makes me very nervous
 
4wheelinfury said:
as someone who is about to fire up an LQ9 swap for the first time, stuff like this makes me very nervous
Click to expand...
**** can happen with any engine. If I read the thread correctly this was a brand new long block straight from GM. Nothing you can do about a situation like that... It just sucks. :dunno:
 
I have seen a freshly installed GM "Mr. Goodwrench" brand new 350 that was installed in a older 80's chevy van by a local auto repair garage's highly regarded mechanic,started for the first time,after I delivered 6 quarts of oil and a filter and some other parts like spark plugs,I hung around for a few minutes to hear them fire it up for the first time..

They cranked it over with the power wire to the HEI unplugged,until the oil light went out,so it would not suffer a "dry start"..we heard a disturbing knock every so often as it was cranking..

When they fired it up,it sounded like it had a large rock in the crankcase-:eek1:-it rattled and shook for about 20 seconds,smoothed out for a few seconds,then rattled again,and then locked up tighter than a bulls butt in fly season..

Natuarlly the mechanic was livid,its no fun installing an engine in a van,and he was on the phone with the local Chevy dealer just up the road where he bought the engine before you could say "Its JUNK"...

The dealer sent a factory rep to the garage, and when he showed up a few days later,he didn't even want to look at the engine...he simply wrote "defective" on a tag and wired it to the block and said "I'll have another engine here for you sometime tomorrow"...

When asked if this was a common occourance,he didn't really give the mechanic a straight answer--he just said "well,let me put it this way--MOST of these engines run perfect and rarely give greif--but I have a tight schedule this week--I have at least a dozen other garages to visit this week who have had similar issues as you in this state alone!..evidently the engines were being produced in Mexico then,and there was "quality control issues"..:eek1:

The mechanic also had to install pull the new junk engine out and install the second one at no charge,the customer refused to pay twice,after all it was not his fault the new engine was no good--and the dealer said it was not their fault either,so he did not get reimbursed for his labor or the lost fluids..
 
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