Rebuilt engine starting problems

[AZ75K5]

Hey guys. I followed the instructions you gave me to double check/correct distributor setup, and sure enough...it was 180* out. It must have been at TDC on the intake stroke when I set it. Who knows...either way, it fired up with no problems. Now for the badddd news...about 3 min into running the engine and beginning of cam break in, I noticed steam coming from the valve cover vents. I immediately shut it down knowing something was wrong. I pulled the oil dipstick and it was grey...coolant was leaking into the oil somewhere. I pulled all the plugs and only the #6 cylinder plug was wet, so the culprit of the problem has to be there. Im sooo pissed though because I trusted that the builder of my engine would have magnafluxed the block and heads making sure there are no cracks. All new Felpro gaskets were used upon reassembly too. Maybe I will get lucky and just have a blown head gasket at the #6 cylinder...I have my fingers crossed. I am going to call the builder tomorrow and hope to hell he will stand behind his build...otherwise I will be fuming. After a year of build up and finally getting everything ready to go...this crap happens. I am really wishing over and over that I built the engine myself so I could have checked and rechecked everything. Any input you have on a possible solution or what might be wrong, etc...feel free to pipe in. I am fearing the worst and that I will have to totally pull the motor again and be out all this time and more money...if the builder doesnt stand behind his work.

 

[gmtech954]

sorry to here that man. if only cyl 6 has coolant in it i hate to say its prob a crack in the block. what are you running for a block i might have a spare lying around.

 

[AZ75K5]

sorry to here that man. if only cyl 6 has coolant in it i hate to say its prob a crack in the block. what are you running for a block i might have a spare lying around.

Its a SBC 400 block. Not sure from what year as Ive never ran the serial# to check it. What leads you to think that its a cracked block rather than a cracked head or bad head gasket? The builder said he did all the necessary magnafluxing on the block and heads and assured me that they were crack free. He sure as hell better honor his warranty if its either the head or block has a problem. If it was a gasket, I wouldnt blame him too much...but otherwise Im gonna go after him and the company he works for.

 

[beater_k20]

Easy check... get the rotor pointed at #1 on the distributor. Now take out the #1 cylinder sparkplug. You should be able to slip a thin screwdriver or wood dowel into the hole and feel the top of the piston. Also, the timing mark on the harmonic balancer should be lined up with the 0 degree mark at that point.

Just looking at the rotor pointing to #1 doesn't really prove anything. You need the cylinder at TDC at the same time.

doing this with the distributor installed correctly, or 180* out, you will get exactly the same result.

with a properly installed dist...

Exhaust valve closes, piston moves from TDC to BDC, intake valve opens -intake stroke
IVC closes, piston BDC to TDC. - compression stroke
*spark*
TDC to BDC - power stroke
EVO piston BDC to TDC - exhaust stroke

with it 180* out, you're trying to do this...
*spark*
intake stroke
compression stroke
power stroke
exhaust stroke

in each cycle the piston moves to TDC twice.

 

[AZ75K5]

Well, I called the engine builder today, and he is seeming to stand behind his work. He will be out of town over the weekend, but said to call him back on Tuesday and he will come over to begin the diagnosis/repair. Anyone have any ideas on what it might be thats allowing the leak? Cracked block was mentioned...but whats the chance of a blown head gasket or cracked head allowing similar symptoms of steaming out of the valve cover vents (coolant in crankcase oil), and coolant shown on spark plug for #6 cylinder only. Other than that, the new motor sounds awesome, although I shut it down immediately upon the discovery of the steaming.