Spun a bearing in the beaSSt!!! :(

[Boricua SS]

well, i got the final diagnosis from the dealership today... and booooooy am i shocked... to make a long story short... the motor has spun a bearing... so where i go from here, im just not sure... and youre all about to see why in the pix... at first i was just worried about the motor and if i would have confidence in the SS after i got her back.. meaning if i decide to take her to the track, would she hold... well when i went to the dealer here is what i saw...

now talk about being sick to my stomach!! this is what i mean.. 1.) why on earth would they take the body off the frame just to get to the motor... yes i know for more room.. but damn... there is plenty under that hood to manuver that thing outta there... and 2.) how can i know that i wont have problems down the line if say they forget to put a ground back right, or forget to tighten them all down, not to mention all my after market parts that i had on the frame rails (hid ballasts for the fogs, my big 3 upgrade, the rear air bag adjustment), if the tranny will be hooked up right, since its the weak point on the SS, if they'll reinstall my tranny cooler right... im just at a loss now.. its still getting fixed under warranty, but man.. i just dont know where to go from here once i get her back...

and now here are the motor pix...

im still uncertain if im going to get a new crate LS2 of if their just going to fix whats wrong with the motor and do a complete rebuild... so i'll update once i know more...

 

[Me007gold]

Holy Cow :wow::wow: If it were me I would want a new motor in there. Good luck with what you decide to do

 

[Boricua SS]

thx Mike... im going there wednesday and talking with them to see whats going to happen... i had my mind set on keeping the truck... but man, that just changed in a heartbeat today...

 

[djthumper]

Wow! That is unbelievable. If it were not for the pics I wouldn't believe it.

 

[Boricua SS]

Wow! That is unbelievable. If it were not for the pics I wouldn't believe it.

thats why i posted them lol.. i know the rules.. pix or it didnt happen!!!!

 

[JosueLT]

Looks familiar?

 

[Boricua SS]

yea, but i would trust you... this is some random guy that doesnt know me frm a hole in tthe ground

 

[smitty5150]

Damn, man. I have nothing but trailvoy love, but I would not be happy if I were you. My first order of business would be to get it fixed and reassembled, and then trade that bitch in.

 

[STLtrailbSS]

That is just dumb literally THOUSANDS of people pull LS engines and I know they are not lifting bodies in the garage see my dealer is to lazy to ever do anything of that sort lol Make them fix it and trade it......anything but a Mazda! Please! They are liable for ground issues and all that now so atleast you have someone to bitch at if something acts up.

 

[jimmyjam]

how can i know that i wont have problems down the line if say they forget to put a ground back right, or forget to tighten them all down

not tighten a ground down? who would do something as stupid and painfully idiotic like tha.....


oh.. oh yeah...

 

[STLtrailbSS]

IDK how I would feel Mine has been stagnet driving minimal since my sound occurred It hasn't come back and I cant find it again but honestly if they were to replace all the parts your getting i would be pumped they are just replacing all the weak stuff with brad new goodies. If your still under warranty and your not paying I was just sit back an relax and tear the crap out of that rental hahah

 

[Boricua SS]

Damn, man. I have nothing but trailvoy love, but I would not be happy if I were you. My first order of business would be to get it fixed and reassembled, and then trade that bitch in.

i like how you think my friend!!!

That is just dumb literally THOUSANDS of people pull LS engines and I know they are not lifting bodies in the garage see my dealer is to lazy to ever do anything of that sort lol Make them fix it and trade it......anything but a Mazda! Please! They are liable for ground issues and all that now so atleast you have someone to bitch at if something acts up.

ahhhh.. i see you jumped on my bandwagon finally eh??

not tighten a ground down? who would do something as stupid and painfully idiotic like tha.....


oh.. oh yeah...

now thats f'n funny right there

 

[Boricua SS]

IDK how I would feel Mine has been stagnet driving minimal since my sound occurred It hasn't come back and I cant find it again but honestly if they were to replace all the parts your getting i would be pumped they are just replacing all the weak stuff with brad new goodies. If your still under warranty and your not paying I was just sit back an relax and tear the crap out of that rental hahah

well that is partly my thoughts... i am getting all new goodies.. or at least a rebuild kit... im uncertain if their going to put a new crate motor in.. almost sounds cheaper just to do that??

as for the rental.. i denied it since i have my DD (Grand Prix GT).. so no tearing her up!!! lol...

 

[STLtrailbSS]

ahhhh.. i see you jumped on my bandwagon finally eh??

Im just siding with you If I had to trade a Corsa cold start sound for a Mazda in the morning I would walk back inside and cry But I do see where your coming from But me and the SS have talked about it she doesn't go until she Is DEAD and maybe I will have money by then to build my track warrior and I will still have my baby.

Edit: They have already payed for an LS2 crate with there crazy process to get the motor out I mean arnt we going on a month of labor?

 

[Boricua SS]

Im just siding with you If I had to trade a Corsa cold start sound for a Mazda in the morning I would walk back inside and cry But I do see where your coming from But me and the SS have talked about it she doesn't go until she Is DEAD and maybe I will have money by then to build my track warrior and I will still have my baby.

Edit: They have already payed for an LS2 crate with there crazy process to get the motor out I mean arnt we going on a month of labor?

those are my thoughts as well.. to keep it and just max it out when it becomes my all out toy.. but i dont know if she'll last that long for me to save up the funds lol...

and yea.. this is the 3rd week now... so who knows...

 

[jimmyjam]

so juan did you say it was sitting for all winter, and the first time you ran it, it did this? I wonder if it would have been a good idea to pull the fuel pump fuse and turn it over for a minute with the starter to get the oil flowing before starting it.

 

[Juicy K]

Kinda off subject but here in the next week My Father and I are pulling the body off the frame but its his 67' Chevelle. I do hope once you gets the beaSSt back it is fine, hope it stays that way.

 

[Boricua SS]

so juan did you say it was sitting for all winter, and the first time you ran it, it did this? I wonder if it would have been a good idea to pull the fuel pump fuse and turn it over for a minute with the starter to get the oil flowing before starting it.

yea Jimmy... its been parked since late october... brought it out in march on freakish 80* weather, took her for an oil change.. and boom.. knocking noise...

im not sure if it was something stirring up until the time she was parked, and then revealed itself once i took her back out, or if it just did this as i took her out... just alot of unanswered questions i have and will have once it is all said and done...

 

[Short Bus]

You know you want to keep the BeaSSt, or trade it even up for a lifted EXT

 

[Boricua SS]

You know you want to keep the BeaSSt, or trade it even up for a lifted EXT

well i did want to keep her until i saw that today... now im all confused again, decidiing if i should keep it or trade it...

and if i do trade it... it wont be for another TB or Voy...

 

[gmcman]

I was under the impression it's normal practice to pull the body on our platforms for ease of access. Think of the time savings over pulling the engine/trans out of the engine bay with the hood removed, cussing over hard to reach bolts, cooler lines, exhaust, etc. I was told it takes a couple techs 45 min to pull the body with a lift, I wouldn't worry about the body being off, there's not too much to remove to get it to that point.

 

[Boricua SS]

I was under the impression it's normal practice to pull the body on our platforms for ease of access. Think of the time savings over pulling the engine/trans out of the engine bay with the hood removed, cussing over hard to reach bolts, cooler lines, exhaust, etc. I was told it takes a couple techs 45 min to pull the body with a lift, I wouldn't worry about the body being off, there's not too much to remove to get it to that point.

yea thats what my brother said since he's done one before.. its just a matter of trust for the tech.. the dealer has already stated im one of only 2 SS' theyve ever seen there or worked on for that matter.. and im sure it isnt to this magnatude of work...and i dont know how qualified this tech is... so fingers crossed as they say...

im most certain im over thinking things because i just never thought this would happen to me.. i always read the horror storries.. but dang ya know

 

[Sparky]

Actually kinda cool to see the frame and body separated Though a little unnerving as well.

Heck, it would almost make me feel better if they are rebuilding or putting in a new engine than fixing the other one almost. It's new! Remember my story about the 4 engines in my old car?

I still vote keep it!

 

[Boricua SS]

Actually kinda cool to see the frame and body separated Though a little unnerving as well.

Heck, it would almost make me feel better if they are rebuilding or putting in a new engine than fixing the other one almost. It's new! Remember my story about the 4 engines in my old car?

I still vote keep it!

yea i remember... and from what i know, a complete rebuild is in order now.. just using my ariginal block... something about machining parts etc.. but for the most part.. a complete rebuild... i'll know more wednesday as to what is actually going to happen... but if they havent ordered a new motor yet.. something is telling me that its going to get rebuilt

 

[Sparky]

A spun bearing rarely causes damage to the block. Sometimes they can machine the crank and use oversized bearings, but if the crank is too burned they just replace the crank.

I'm surprised really that it is a spun bearing as it didn't sound like one to me in the video.

 

[Regulator]

I was under the impression it's normal practice to pull the body on our platforms for ease of access. Think of the time savings over pulling the engine/trans out of the engine bay with the hood removed, cussing over hard to reach bolts, cooler lines, exhaust, etc. I was told it takes a couple techs 45 min to pull the body with a lift, I wouldn't worry about the body being off, there's not too much to remove to get it to that point.

From my experience tearing down the parts truck I bought, it would have been a lot easier if I had the body up and out of the way. Especially knowing how easy it is to pull the body on our vehicles.

That being said, I can still understand how difficult it is seeing your baby in the air like that.

Check out this video for a little bit of reassurance.

[video=youtube;pjw2gQEBSc0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjw2gQEBSc0[/video]

 

[Sparky]

I... What.. what happened there? I don't get it. Just randomly tipped off the lift? That guy was lucky he walked over there right before it did that!

 

[fadyasha]

Juan man! holy cow ! Sorry you walked in on that like damn that sux! I'm sure it hurt man! I wouldn't over think it too much man! You took that step forward to get it fixed and warranty covers it all! Once she's back take her out and if you feel somethings not right again take her for another visit there! If she strikes out 3 times on not going back to what it was then you could always trade it then!

Give it a chance! you guys got history together Good Luck and keep us posted!

 

[djthumper]

yea, but i would trust you... this is some random guy that doesnt know me frm a hole in tthe ground

LOL he knows you from a hole in the ground...

 

[JosueLT]

The fact of the matter here is, once he gets it back, and after knowing the extent of the work that was done, ALL of his senses are going to be on full alert. Meaning, any hint of a noise, squeak, rattle, electrical glitch, funny shift, 50 RPM drop in idle, tiny miss under acceleration, any little thing he feels isn't normal from before all this happened....is going to drive him absolutely nuts with concern. It's going to be like the Tell Tale Heart, a constant reminder in the back of his mind about what happened to his truck, that could eventually push him over the edge.

It's the same thing with people getting rid of their cars after a major collision, a common thought is that "it's never going to be the same". We (most reputable shops at least) certainly do our best in returning the vehicle to pre-accident condition, but the only thing that matters is how YOU feel about your car when you get it back. I can't tell you how many times people bring their cars back for things that are CLEARLY unrelated to the accident, but all of a sudden they notice it because they're on full tilt after getting their car back, and we're forced to repair it to make them happy.

Like he said, he could trust me to do the job right since I'm his brother, but some random kid (dude's younger than him) at a dealership where they only get 2 SS's in to work on (and only routine maintenance until this extensive job), it's not hard to see where he's coming from. I still don't think he's going to pick it up, and drive straight to another dealership to immediately trade it in, but I wouldn't blame him if he did. lol There's a lot to be said about having a vehicle that's untouched in this respect. A certain "feeling" you have knowing that your pride and joy hasn't been under the care of a total stranger in it's lifetime.

If that doesn't make sense.....let me ask you guys this, would you buy a vehicle even though you knew it was in an accident that took it to the brink of totaling it? Would you pay $20,000 for this SS, knowing that it's been disassembled to this point, AND had to have the motor rebuilt at only 42,000 miles? Or would you keep looking for a vehicle that's still in factory form?

 

[hitman]

Ouch man i kinda would have lost it on them if i went to the shop and saw that...been like WTF are you doing ....Billable hours i guess

 

[The_Roadie]

Imagine the possibilities for a thorough detailing with the body off the frame. You'd be able to clean and polish places that NOBODY else could, and then you'd have bragging rights that could never be easily duplicated!

 

[Ilikemy3s]

HAve you also thought about that since the frame is off, have the trans rebuilt by someone that can make it handel the SS motor? Or since they are building the engine anyway, have them put better bearings, rings and so on in it rather than factory parts. Doesn't GM still sell Hi-Po parts for upgrades to factory equipment?

 

[Boricua SS]

HAve you also thought about that since the frame is off, have the trans rebuilt by someone that can make it handel the SS motor? Or since they are building the engine anyway, have them put better bearings, rings and so on in it rather than factory parts. Doesn't GM still sell Hi-Po parts for upgrades to factory equipment?

Oh I have thought about upgrading by far.. but one word ..money.. I don't have the funds for anything.. so I just need to get it repaired..

 

[Boricua SS]

Imagine the possibilities for a thorough detailing with the body off the frame. You'd be able to clean and polish places that NOBODY else could, and then you'd have bragging rights that could never be easily duplicated!

They said the same thing on ssowners.. "imagine how detailed the frame could be"

 

[The_Roadie]

They said the same thing on ssowners.. "imagine how detailed the frame could be"

Big difference is - they were probably serious.

 

[jimmyjam]

whats better than a detailed frame!

BLING!

 

[stormsurge]

I would look at it as the tec is going to do a better job because he will want to say he worked on that nice ss. Most tecs would take more pride working on high end stuff and i bet you get the best tec in the shop. I would beat it a little to make sure all is good. Thay should have replaced it with a new one. The body lifted off wouldnt bother me. Less of a chance of it getting banged up. Good luck with it. Its a nice ss.

 

[MDBT]

I don't get how this being an SS has all that much to do with it. The body is essentially the same as any other TB and the connections to the body are mostly the same as any other TB and the ones that aren't are likely shared with the 5.3L versions. The engine internally might be different (though I'm sure it's not the first Gen IV LS motor they've seen), but if you're going to replace the whole thing then it's just a matter of bolting things to the outside of it. I wouldn't get that hung up on this whole "they've only ever seen X number of TBSS before" stuff. The important factor is whether the guy is competent or he isn't. If he is then he can handle a big project like this on a TBSS just as easily as an engine repair/replacement on some other GM pickup or SUV. If he's not then he could screw up a cobalt and doesn't belong working on anything.

 

[The_Roadie]

whats better than a detailed frame!

A detailed shop floor?