So the trouble started last September when a fill up in NJ, (55 gallons), yielded a pinging and suspected bad gas. Then with confirmation it was not the gas, and after idling with octane booster, the pinging and loss of power turned into a ticking. Then in route to home,(in Florida), a stop overnight in So. Carolina for the night and morning start there was a knocking. Full power going to home not hearing a knock but at idle. Oil changed and garage not wanting to work on engine I headed home 8 miles away and it shuts down a mile from home. Towed in for evaluation told it started with a new distributor gear as old one was worn down on one side. Being told it needs total new engine at $8500 +- I then had it towed for second evaluation. Right bank 1,3,5,7 compression was off in 3 & 5, so head came off and proved to be a leak at center point between 3 & 5. towing so far $650, (reimbursed from insurance),work $495. New garage bill for head check and new gaskets was $1069. Now upon restart the engine has tick again perhaps at 7 cylinder; hydraulic lifter or spun bearing still not confirmed. Garage has no lift and can't get interested in doing check, as another opinionated engine man says rod bad? Ticking not heard other than idle, so third opinion from a 21 year Chevy service manager, tomorrow. First opinion was block cracked turned out head gasket leaking, second opinion rod knocking. Two other opinions say lifter stuck with coolant in it. This unit is a 36 Foot 14 foot slide Tropical 235S 1997 with new $4700 roof, all new brakes, plus everything else in great condition as it has only 43,886 miles on it and I am original owner. Sticker new $108,500. current value with engine repaired maybe $17,500. as is maybe $3,000. so fix well worth doing if it's under value repaired. MORE TO FOLLOW....as work gets. done.

Deja Vu here on that with my previous MH. Ended up being a spun bearing and wrist pin on #7. Put the call in to Jasper engines and had a long block delivered end of week. Spent the week pulling old engine out, cleaning etc and put new one back in that weekend. Probably run you just under 5k. Make SURE that you replace the oil cooler in the radiator with the new one that comes with the engine. Radiator shop can install easily.

Tough call..Personally I would go for a long block. And before I went for a rebuilt I would look at brand new OEM. You would be surprised that a new engine is not that much more than a rebuilt. Last year I got quoted a brand new Chevy 454 for $250 more than a rebuilt for a boat.

No such thing as a NEW engine, only available in a NEW vehicle. BBC out of production for years, last version was the 8.1. I've had good luck with Goodwrench remans from GM dealers. Haven't use one since the bankruptcy however.Any solution will be a rebuilt or remanufactured example. Not much good feed back from Jasper on line. What ever you do, pre-oil the engine throughly before attempting to start.

Summit Racing has new Chevy performance 19207552 L29 crate motors.

Mike Hohnstein wrote:No such thing as a NEW engine, only available in a NEW vehicle. BBC out of production for years, last version was the 8.1. I've had good luck with Goodwrench remans from GM dealers. Haven't use one since the bankruptcy however.Any solution will be a rebuilt or remanufactured example. Not much good feed back from Jasper on line. What ever you do, pre-oil the engine thoroughly before attempting to start.where do the GM Performance Crate motors come from? If they are sold as new, legally they have to be new. These also do not require a core, only the rebuilt ones want the old core.On Edit: If you are replacing your heads, it is well worth getting fast burn heads. This allows for higher compression and improved mileage. Its not just about performance - ie building a race engine. Fast burn is technology developed by a mutual partnership between Edelbrock and GM.

454 L29 1997 moves to next stage of repair | Good Sam Community

Mike_Hohnstein
Explorer
Feb 26, 2014
http://www.gmpowertrainwarehouse.com/12491894.asp

4L60E requires core charge, not new. Only trans I found on the site.
randallb
Explorer
Feb 25, 2014
Daveinet,
Any diesel spec oil addresses the flat tappet issue. If you really want the most ZDDP in your oil the original Delo 400 is available in 5 gallon pails. However, to much ZDDP will slow ring seating in a new engine. The point I was making on the roller lifter is that the original install recommendation would lead a novice to think they can just be dropped in while the manifold is off. No mention is made about the material difference in the cam, the choice of cam gear (grafted or not), the difference in lobe profile, controlling the thrust and lifter design choice. Also remember that roller lifters do not like to be used in situations where there are extended periods of idleness. When the engine sits the oil drains out of the rollers and start ups are a bit tough on the needle bearings. This along with cost were the primary reasons it took so long for rollers to get in to production. The roller lifter failure rate was finally offset by CAFE penalties and the materials needed to produce a good lifter finally became affordable.
Randy
st687
Explorer
Feb 25, 2014
Mike Hohnstein wrote:
randallb wrote:
Besides improper height of distributor and improper gear material another common cause of distributor gear failure in a BBC is a high volume oil pump. If you install a high volume pump on a BBC engine with standard clearances the load on the distributor gear increases dramatically and it will wear out prematurely. Also, explain the installation of a set of roller lifters and why it should be done while the intake is off. Aren't there other things that need to occur before roller lifters get installed?
Randy

Positive thrust clearance control is a good plan with roller lifters, Mark IV and V BBC will require a torrington type bearing between the block and upper timing gear and a thrust button between the gear and the cover.
Again I stand corrected on the new engine subject, forgot about how the engine plants have way excess capacity the last 10 years. In the transmission business, it's not that way. I don't believe even now you could buy a NEW transmission from a dealer.

New GM engines and transmissions at www.gmpowertrainwharehouse.com.
Mike_Hohnstein
Explorer
Feb 25, 2014
randallb wrote:
Besides improper height of distributor and improper gear material another common cause of distributor gear failure in a BBC is a high volume oil pump. If you install a high volume pump on a BBC engine with standard clearances the load on the distributor gear increases dramatically and it will wear out prematurely. Also, explain the installation of a set of roller lifters and why it should be done while the intake is off. Aren't there other things that need to occur before roller lifters get installed?
Randy

Positive thrust clearance control is a good plan with roller lifters, Mark IV and V BBC will require a torrington type bearing between the block and upper timing gear and a thrust button between the gear and the cover.
Again I stand corrected on the new engine subject, forgot about how the engine plants have way excess capacity the last 10 years. In the transmission business, it's not that way. I don't believe even now you could buy a NEW transmission from a dealer.
Daveinet
Explorer
Feb 25, 2014
The purpose of roller lifters is to make up for the lack of ZDDP in modern oils. Old engines will wear the cam prematurely with the lower ZDDP content.
randallb
Explorer
Feb 24, 2014
Besides improper height of distributor and improper gear material another common cause of distributor gear failure in a BBC is a high volume oil pump. If you install a high volume pump on a BBC engine with standard clearances the load on the distributor gear increases dramatically and it will wear out prematurely. Also, explain the installation of a set of roller lifters and why it should be done while the intake is off. Aren't there other things that need to occur before roller lifters get installed?
Randy
Flyfisherman128
Explorer
Feb 24, 2014
No such thing as a NEW engine, only available in a NEW vehicle. BBC out of production for years, last version was the 8.1. I've had good luck with Goodwrench remans from GM dealers. Haven't use one since the bankruptcy however.
Any solution will be a rebuilt or remanufactured example. Not much good feed back from Jasper on line. What ever you do, pre-oil the engine throughly before attempting to start.

I have one.. its in my boat.
turbojimmy
Explorer
Feb 23, 2014
WILDEBILL wrote:
The OP hasn’t come back with more details but a worn distributor gear and sticking lifters are oil related.
Bill

Yes - those and lots of other things can be repaired without removing the engine. If it is oiling-related and he stops driving it (it sounds like he has) he can avoid bottom-end damage. Could be far less drastic than a complete R&R.
WILDEBILL
Explorer
Feb 23, 2014
Lets talk about “have to resist scope creep” I haven’t mentioned you have the intake off time for new intake new hi volume water pump new high volume oil pump What about a nice set of roller lifters?
Now seriously when you get it together run good oil I recommend Mobil 1 5-30. I want to hear from all those that say, “I use the cheapest oil I can by because they are all the same” crowd. Hear in this thread are two different believe, oil related failures. Remember THE ENGIN IN A MOTOR HOME IS IN SEVERE USE ALL THE TIME.
The OP hasn’t come back with more details but a worn distributor gear and sticking lifters are oil related.
Bill
FuzzyKnight
Explorer
Feb 22, 2014
I would go with a 502 from summit. Probably about the same as having someone rebuild yours. And a hell of a lot more power!!!

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