TheaterFire

Fifth engine down the drain. 187 miles on it. wtf. Should I just give up?

Posted by AlejoMSP@reddit | projectcar | View on Reddit | 641 comments

Yep. After breaking the engine we were auto tuning with tuner studio. All great. Very conservative timing and then 4 rod bearing broke like glass into a million pieces. Never seen that.

Reply to Post

641 Comments

phribzee@reddit

I was gonna say “damn dude, you’re learning some expensive lessons here” … but this being the 5th time you’ve screwed yourself I’m not sure much learning is happening lol. Good luck on #6 - don’t listen to all these people and their crazy “clearances” and “plastigauge” nonsense. You know what you’re doing.
View on Reddit #16655345

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

5 in 15 yrs. Is that bad?
View on Reddit #16905614

ItsTheCougs@reddit

If this is #5… yeah maybe ya should. Unless you can figure out what YOU are doing wrong. Because at this point, you doing something catastrophically wrong is the most likely scenario here.
View on Reddit #16639848

quartz-crisis@reddit

I said the same thing three weeks ago when they blew up their 4th engine and got downvoted to hell lol.
View on Reddit #16642265

llamacohort@reddit

Reddit opinion is very swayed by the first few votes. That is why astroturfing is so strong in the platform. So your downvotes aren’t an indicator of the majority disliking it as much as just a few people disliking it and the majority of others filling their lead.
View on Reddit #16900770

ClosedL00p@reddit

5 is the magic number evidently
View on Reddit #16644115

imadabgod@reddit

6 coming soon?
View on Reddit #16667108

Hampton069@reddit

This sub has mood swings with logic at times lol
View on Reddit #16642995

Deadmenkil@reddit

Reddit and logic just don't tend to see eye to eye.
View on Reddit #16649375

LeftTurnAtAlbuqurque@reddit

Herd mentality is strong here for sure.
View on Reddit #16658820

lunchpadmcfat@reddit

Here’s your late term lost upvote.
View on Reddit #16644594

Gostaverling@reddit

I worked the parts counter for awhile. Wildest thing I saw was a guy coming in to get rod or main bearings (can’t recall which). I asked what size, he stared at me blankly. I said “Standard, .010, .020 etc. He asked to see standard and .010 bearings. I brought them out and he rubbed them between his thumb and pointer finger like he had calibrated hands and said .010. I asked the dude if he had micrometers for fingers and insisted that was in no way the way you spec bearings. He doubled down and said those are the ones he wanted. I sold them to him, but made it clear that I wasn’t going to attach a warranty to those bearings.
View on Reddit #16641653

lunchpadmcfat@reddit

While I wouldn’t assemble an engine by the feel of my fingers, I will note that the sense of touch of a human finger is sensitive to one micron.
View on Reddit #16644715

Steelhorse91@reddit

Look up Allen Millyard on YouTube, he chops up bike engines, welds the casing together and builds variants of engines that never existed (four cylinder Kwak H2’s, six cylinder z1’s etc). One video he trues a multipart press fit crank by eye/feel with a small hammer, then checks it after. He’d got it to within 1 thou.
View on Reddit #16655958

ThaMan12@reddit

Allen’s been doing that kind of engineering since he was a preteen.
View on Reddit #16896596

wrb06wrx@reddit

As a machinist I can say I can see a difference in thickness of parts of about .005 I can also feel the step over or mismatch in tools of .001 but I've been doing it along time and I in no way use it as a method of inspection but when I see/feel it I know which tools to check. Its really annoying for me because when I buy things I start inspecting it like I would at work I hate it but I camt help myself I've really tried over the years to break the habit but I can't...
View on Reddit #16659907

mahSachel@reddit

Yes machinists know shit.
View on Reddit #16680973

wrb06wrx@reddit

Yea but I feel like a dick alot of times because ill notice something and hand it to a friend who is helping me and he would really notice it or bother him. I wish I could live in the ignorant bliss of the 99% its so annoying to me to be working on something and like I said I notice when the edge isn't broken properly or there's a mismatch from where 2 different endmills didn't blend properly I notice holes being in line but not perpendicular to the edge even though the thing still works I notice it and I hate it, the worst part is I can't turn it off... First world problems I guess, im that guy I fund imperfections everywhere
View on Reddit #16687293

mahSachel@reddit

I build high end powerboats for a living and our customers expect near perfection fit and finish. A lathe factory that sends parts out to be machined because a line is down a couple days and if your new part isn’t near perfect, millions of destruction is possible if it fouls up the works down line. And people get laid off and don’t get paid etc etc etc. I’d rather have the guy who notices the details building my stuff that has to last. To avoid all the bad things that could happen from half assing.
View on Reddit #16870899

wrb06wrx@reddit

I get that, but its annoying when I buy something from Amazon and it legit bothers me the whole time I'm putting it together, or I pick up something in the store and find 2 or 3 things "wrong" that wouldn't bother a normal human being and don't effect the items overall performance. It's something that I can't change either, so it seems like I'm nitpicking everything when in reality I just can't help myself I think I might be low key ocd or on the spectrum or something
View on Reddit #16873963

Tangledfox@reddit

heres a fun fact most people can hear the difference betwwen hot and cold water being poured. our sensesa are pretty ridiclous.
View on Reddit #16702176

HeWhoShantNotBeNamed@reddit

>1 thou Is that a new unit of measurement?
View on Reddit #16673540

voxelnoose@reddit

It's one thousand (0.001) of an inch and is the most commonly used unit by machinists in the US. Most of them would even say 250 thou instead of one quarter inch
View on Reddit #16749602

foxjohnc87@reddit

Allen Millyard is a national treasure. I have seen a handful of his bikes in person (his V-12 Kawasaki was my personal favorite), and the fit and finish is absolutely astonishing, especially when you consider that they were all built in his sheds.
View on Reddit #16679739

spongebob_meth@reddit

He's not truing a crank by feel lol. He has dial indicators. That's how you have to true a 2 stroke crank.
View on Reddit #16669708

Tea_Fetishist@reddit

He's the guy who build a motorcycle with a dodge viper engine
View on Reddit #16666791

lunchpadmcfat@reddit

That’s insane
View on Reddit #16660752

vulgarandmischevious@reddit

He is my hero. Love that guy.
View on Reddit #16660651

Tango91@reddit

Yes but he’s some kind of wizard or something
View on Reddit #16659057

Miffers@reddit

Well the guy didn’t come back so all is well with his micrometer hands
View on Reddit #16647652

ReadWoodworkLLC@reddit

People with tons of experience can do this kind of stuff. It seems impossible but they do it. I’m a carpenter and I’ve seen the guys I learned from do things I thought I’d never even try when I was learning. I saw a guy split a piece of plywood in half without measuring or drawing a line. He just ran the saw through it and made a percent straight and square cut about 1/8” off center. Another guy said he was going to mark the center of a 4x8’ sheet but for example just put an X near the center to carry on with direction. When we laid it out properly, he was dead on. Now, 20 years later, I can do some of those same things. Ie: I never was good at eyeballing level but I’d seen guys do it perfectly. Now I can eyeball a level line 40 feet long within 1/2”. I can tell metric threaded screws from standard too, by feeling the threads. I can eyeball measurements really accurately. I once was laying out these pins and got off the ladder and the boss said they’re too close together. I said I had to fill in because whoever laid them out before did a 1.5’ spacing and they’re supposed to be 1’. So these are like 9” in some spots. Then I said, “ that one is dead on 9” but this one is 10” and that’s 11” then we get back to the 12” pattern we’re supposed to have.” “What’d ya do measure them!?” He said disgustedly. I replied “No, but I still know what they are spaced at. I’ve seen those measurements so many times my eyes just know.” He got on the ladder and pulled his tape out and looked down after measuring and said “What the fuck man!? You’re within 1/16” on every one and they’re dead on centered between the two that were spaced too wide. How did you do that.” I told him I just trust my brain and eyes and let them place the pins. My hand just follows directions. The blank stare the guy gave when asked what size was probably him realizing that he didn’t check, but he held them and probably inspected them for some time. So he just did it the same way. I can totally believe it worked.
View on Reddit #16683231

what_in_the_who_now@reddit

Plastigauge hands! Green or red?
View on Reddit #16706820

blackbeardaegis@reddit

Green
View on Reddit #16796474

ReadWoodworkLLC@reddit

😂
View on Reddit #16723309

eatsomerocks@reddit

Eyeballing A 16th of an inch and 100th of an inch are two entirely different thing especially when you consider that engine tolerances are within a 1000th and framing carpentery you can get away with 1/4” +/-
View on Reddit #16699679

ReadWoodworkLLC@reddit

Thinking more about this and what’s hard for me, I think it actually gets easier for me as it gets smaller. I can eyeball 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2” or under an inch pretty much perfectly every time. But if I eyeball 2 feet, I could be a little off sometimes. If you make that 5’ I might be over an inch off more times than I’m right on. Make it fifteen feet I could be even farther off. It also matters if you’re pulling it out of space or if you have something to compare it to. Like a machinist on here said he can tell you which one is bigger down to about 0.003 difference by eye and he could tell you to the thousandth by feel.
View on Reddit #16704257

ReadWoodworkLLC@reddit

Not really when you’re talking 40’ vs 1/2” that’s in the thousandth range when talking ratios. Even a foot compared to a 16 is closer than a thousandth of total distance. But this isn’t a question of eyeballing. This is about feel and that’s way more sensitive if you can tap into it. I also mentioned being able to distinguish between metric threads and standard threads by touch, by rubbing my thumb over the threads. That’s much a smaller thing to sense. Really I was illustrating how dialed in your senses get after tons of experience. It’s crazy. Did you know a professional drummer can deliver a beat that can be or equally accurate in timing to a metronome. I think the thing I read said a metronome can be timed within 3/1000 of a second. Actually I’m pretty sure they said some drummers can get it perfect. The brain and nervous system is an incredible thing if you know how to use it.
View on Reddit #16700204

banana-talk@reddit

Same bro. Thanks for typing it out. This was really nice to read, it just calmed me down after a hard day.
View on Reddit #16697061

ReadWoodworkLLC@reddit

I’m glad to be of assistance. Hope you get some time to relax.
View on Reddit #16697118

ordinaryuninformed@reddit

Went to the other flavor of parts store next time to save face
View on Reddit #16722885

ethirtysix@reddit

Sounds like he knew better than to return to the same dealer in shame 😂
View on Reddit #16703727

juxtoppose@reddit

You’re being downvoted but the human eye and touch can pick up changes much smaller than you would expect.
View on Reddit #16645024

JakeEngelbrecht@reddit

Especially with bene gesserit training
View on Reddit #16655676

Creative-Dust5701@reddit

especially the prana bindu part
View on Reddit #16733877

But_to_understand@reddit

Not enough up votes for this
View on Reddit #16660222

altiuscitiusfortius@reddit

I have aquariums and I can tell 77 degree tapwater by touch with my hands. I confirm with a thermometer before filling and I'm right plus or minus a degree 99% of the time.
View on Reddit #16645598

basssfinatic@reddit

I can tell a banger is 525-550 degrees. Every time by holding my wrist above it
View on Reddit #16683913

ReadWoodworkLLC@reddit

I can do the same thing! I run 75 degrees but I can get within a degree every time. I used to check with a thermometer but I stopped after awhile of being right, then I actually had a thermometer that said I was 81. I thought 💭 well I guess I can’t be right all the time and adjusted the temperature to 75. Then it just didn’t feel right, so I checked it with two other thermometers and found out the one that said I was off was wrong. So I had to change it back to what I knew was right at first. After that I stopped double checking.
View on Reddit #16683755

Pbarmasher2@reddit

That is a reason to use F for body temperature. You can tell a difference of 1 deg F easier than C. A useful diagnostic tool.
View on Reddit #16652670

doctorcapslock@reddit

if anything it'd be the other way around lol
View on Reddit #16654746

FesteringNeonDistrac@reddit

I think that's more on the lines of being able to feel a 1 micron bump on a surface, not measuring two things though.
View on Reddit #16689706

upsidedownfunnel@reddit

He just looked it up on Google though and got 100 blind upvotes so he’s an expert.
View on Reddit #16695878

upsidedownfunnel@reddit

Sure the difference between two surfaces. Very different from figuring out which rod bearings you’d need.
View on Reddit #16682361

Chicken_Zest@reddit

That's not for thickness that's for surface finish.
View on Reddit #16669317

nleksan@reddit

>sense of touch of a human finger is sensitive to one micron. My micron is sensitive to the touch of a human finger
View on Reddit #16659616

Syscrush@reddit

"sensitive to one micron" could be measured/tested dozens of ways and for almost all of them this absurd statement would be false.
View on Reddit #16656670

Fluster338@reddit

Stop
View on Reddit #16656048

SonOfObed89@reddit

Maybe he was used holding something small everyday...you know what I mean? 💁🏼‍♂️🤣
View on Reddit #16835495

50mg-of-fuckit@reddit

Human finger are incredibly sensitive and can absolutely feel that difference, you dont mention him returning in failure....
View on Reddit #16697153

Gostaverling@reddit

Feeling the difference and knowing what is needed are two extremely different things. Also, what about human nature would make you think that he would ever return?
View on Reddit #16698115

50mg-of-fuckit@reddit

He obviously knew what he needed, guy didn't come back.
View on Reddit #16700225

Dzov@reddit

When I was a teenager, I managed to run my 454 pickup low on oil and I can’t quite remember, but I think I spun a crankshaft bearing. So I parked the truck in the driveway, pulled the oil pan and replaced all the bearings I could get to. I think I left the top of the rear main bearing. I think I went .020 over on the spun spot to make up for any wear and used 20w50 just in case. Also had all the bearings lubed and even used a drill to prime the oil system. Never had a problem.
View on Reddit #16664393

ManintheMT@reddit

Got 'er done, nice work!
View on Reddit #16669831

mahSachel@reddit

Nice.
View on Reddit #16681058

scootunit@reddit

I had an acquaintance who said he calibrated his arms and needs no torque wrench. God bless him.
View on Reddit #16672817

ihavenoidea81@reddit

r/confidentlyincorrect
View on Reddit #16665084

gagunner007@reddit

Gonna be awesome when he puts 10 overs on a standard crank or one that’s been machined 20 over.
View on Reddit #16661984

chainmailbill@reddit

I don’t work with cars professionally, but I do work with metals and machines for a living. I can eyeball and/or feel the difference between those two. A hundredth of an inch is a *lot*.
View on Reddit #16643685

wrb06wrx@reddit

Yes it comes with experience people don't understand how sensitive your sense of touch is much less how big a difference of even .010 is. When I see +/-.030 on a print I always joke about how you can fit a mack truck through that. Standard tolerance for us is +/-.010 close tolerance is +/-.0025
View on Reddit #16660127

jeanfrancoismon@reddit

Telling the difference between them is easy for techs. Knowing which one you need just based off of feel? Not buying it.
View on Reddit #16643954

chainmailbill@reddit

If I gave you two small squares of sheet metal, one at 0.01 and the other at 0.02, you’d probably be able to look at them and feel them and determine which one is thicker. Using B&S gauges, 18g is 0.040” and 16g is 0.051” - that’s 0.011” difference. Just about anyone can look at them and determine which is thicker.
View on Reddit #16645872

jeanfrancoismon@reddit

Yes, that’s my point. I can probably determine which one is thinner. But that does not mean I know which of the two is what is needed for the application. There would need to be something telling me which thickness I need, not just my best guess.
View on Reddit #16656347

Yondering43@reddit

If you understood how to determine bearing sizes you wouldn’t use that example. It’s irrelevant.
View on Reddit #16648716

SquirrelsLuck@reddit

Sure, but what size do you need for the diameter of the crank journals? Whats the oil film thickness reqs? Its bizzare to think that someone who gave a blank stare to that question would know what they need by feel.
View on Reddit #16644501

Fluster338@reddit

It’s absurd
View on Reddit #16656094

chainmailbill@reddit

Oh yeah, for certain. I’m just saying that a hundredth of an inch is actually pretty big when you work with small precise measurements a lot.
View on Reddit #16645898

Yondering43@reddit

And yet that still has no relevance to the scenario you replied to. You don’t “feel” the difference in the bearing sizes needed.
View on Reddit #16648697

DontForceItPlease@reddit

I mean, it's one thing to be able to discern two differently sized bearings by hand, but another thing entirely to *remember* how thick a bearing feels and compare that to what you're holding.
View on Reddit #16644013

grease_monkey@reddit

Yeah but if he knew which he needed he wouldn't need to feel them. If he was measuring crank shaft and connecting rods, he'd have a number, not a guy feeling on what size.
View on Reddit #16643971

CanoegunGoeff@reddit

This is probably exactly what OP here is doing lol
View on Reddit #16654313

Hampton069@reddit

This is the most honest opinion on this thread. Not trying to be rude at all agreeing but shit after that many failures it has to be a build issue.
View on Reddit #16640326

RojerLockless@reddit

I agree
View on Reddit #16640783

randouser8765309@reddit

I had a boss one time who had his diesel dually tuned. He refused to replace the clutch in it and blew through about 5 of them before he sold the truck. His little man syndrome aside, I never could understand why he didn’t just get a better clutch. Certainly would have been cheaper in the long run.
View on Reddit #16641079

UbootCaptain101x@reddit

I’m rebuilding the engine for my ‘99 Civic right now and one of the main parts I’m putting back into the car is a better/higher rated clutch. The car only has a couple bolt on parts in it right now because it’s just a relatively stock engine in I threw in it so it could move under its own power. Before I had pulled its original engine with all the work and parts I’d put into it out to rebuild and refresh it, the car was slipping through the clutch BAD. When I’d gone through the motor a few years back chasing oil leaks and bad seals and replacing the worn out transmission with a new one from synchro tech I had also put in a brand new stock clutch because I knew it wasn’t making a whole lot more power than stock because it’s still just N/A and I hadn’t really done much part wise internally but even then it was slipping through the clutch especially at higher rpm’s and loads. You could really start to feel the car fall flat on its face once the clutch got hot which happened after 1 pull. The car only has an after market header, exhaust, bigger throttle body, cool air intake, external ignition coil, after market distributor and rotor, full aluminum radiator, synchro-tech transmission. 0.50 over Pistons, rods, bigger valves, bigger injectors, aftermarket ecu, wideband you know mainly bolt ons stuff.
View on Reddit #16854479

randouser8765309@reddit

Did you tune the car for the bolt ons? The intake and exhaust are going to flow differently than stock, also the injectors flow differently and thus the commanded fuel to reach lambda. If not I’d be willing to bet the fuel maps are off. And there’s probably a little more power to be pulled from the engine with a good tune as well. This in and of itself doesn’t have anything to do with slipping clutches. Just thought I’d ask.
View on Reddit #16854480

UbootCaptain101x@reddit

Oh for sure, it was able to start and run but JUST barely I had to immediately have it tuned. I am using the Hondata S-300 ecu, I didn’t actually know that about the Wideband. My older brother told me to order it and install it when I was getting everything together years back and so I did.
View on Reddit #16865104

randouser8765309@reddit

Depends on the ecu and if it supports it. Most factory ecu’s use narrow band and use short and long term fuel trims to make minor adjustments to add or take away a little fuel to hit target afr’s. If the MAP/MAF tables are done right, the ecu shouldn’t need to adjust the fuel trims much at all. The wide band is used for real time readings when tuning.
View on Reddit #16887524

UbootCaptain101x@reddit

That’s what my understanding of it was for, was to tell whether you were running right, too lean or too rich. My brother is much more into the technical side of things where as I like to rebuild and restore. I can do a lot but for what I can’t do I have a knowledge well that is very deep and vast at my disposal that I make regular use of. The rings on my first engine (one being rebuilt) had finally worn they weren’t smoking very visibly but on start up you could see blue/grey smoke until it warmed up and the rings seated. When I pulled it there were some strange heat spots on the flywheel I hadn’t seen before so I showed my brother Richard and he was the one who said those marks were from the clutch slipping from it not being able to fully hold back the engines power. The engine in it now came out of a dirt track turbo car that was decently built internally as well but the chassis was totaled beyond dirt track use so he let me have it for my civic while my Tacoma was in the shop for 3 months.
View on Reddit #16888400

overthere1143@reddit

We once did a job for a colleague who's son had a tuned diesel Seat Ibiza. None of us at the shop think that working for ricers is worth the trouble but we did this clutch replacement out of courtesy for his father. We recommended swapping for a racing clutch but the guy wouldn't shell the money, so we ordered the S version of the clutch that came in the car. We tried it out and all was well. Three days later the guy comes back claiming we sold him a bad clutch because it was slipping. We take the car apart and the flywheel had heat marks all over. We went to his socials and found a video of him thrashing the car in illegal races, doing burnouts non-stop, with one spectator saying it smelled of clutch.
View on Reddit #16647149

woomdawg@reddit

I used to love catching customers being idiots on social and trying to blame us or the manufacturer lol. I have seen my share of brand-new WRXs and STIs sent home in boxes.
View on Reddit #16690941

rpitcher33@reddit

We built a Grand National for a customer and installed a data logger in with his digital dash. Brand new fresh engine with a big turbo. Told him the break in procedure and that we would need to re-torque the heads after 10 or so heat cycles along with an oil change at 100, 500, and 1000 miles and he was prefectly fine with it. We offered to keep it and do it but he wanted to drive it. Fine. Whatever. Be easy on it. Come back in a couple days. Well, he never came back for that re-torque because he thought it was a waste of time and money. Found videos of him in Facebook doing burnouts, donuts, etc. THE DAY HE PICKED IT UP. Came back to us on a tow truck not two weeks later. Spun a bearing and threw a rod. Engine had ~500 miles on it. Never got re-torqued. Didn't have any oil changes. Data log showed 220°+ Temps and 6500rpm for several minutes at a time. Oil was burnt and the filter had more glitter than a strippers changing room. Tried blaming us until the boss plugged his laptop into the hidden USB port in the glove box. Some people just shouldn't have nice shit.
View on Reddit #16841657

overthere1143@reddit

Having money to afford something never meant having the good sense to use it properly. Arrogance is one of those defects I have a very hard time dealing with. I have family that sometimes asks if we can fix something in a car, then proceeds to tell me what the procedure should be, which never makes sense. The conversation ends with "if you know what the problem is and know how to fix it then we've nothing to offer you". Never fight a battle you can't gain anything with.
View on Reddit #16842470

No-Heron5607@reddit

That’s the thing, wrx’s are great cars, but most of them have been trashed by boy racers, which makes it hard to find one that is unmolested and well maintained. It’s a shame
View on Reddit #16707830

Controversialtosser@reddit

All the 90s Hondas fell victim to the same fate.
View on Reddit #16728860

Big-Brown-Goose@reddit

As did most of the Evos and Mazdaspeed 3s, it seems when I was looking for them
View on Reddit #16784524

ILoveMoistTowelettes@reddit

I know of one 90’s Honda sitting in a woods by me that I know wasn’t beaten to death, but now it’s just gonna be treated to a slow death. It a Euro spec too here in the US. Which I don’t know shit about euro spec Hondas, but I thought it was kinda cool to see here
View on Reddit #16735469

que_la_fuck@reddit

We got a guy who kept blow Automatics in his 4Runner. The first was replaced under warranty, but after the 2nd failed we decided to investigate since those transmissions rarely fail, it was lifted with bald ass A/T tires and mud everywhere. We found Facebook videos of him beating the shit out of it right after we put the first one in. Grandma paid for the 2nd transmission
View on Reddit #16691861

overthere1143@reddit

I wrote on the clutch's invoice that due to the engine being modified out of factory specs, the OEM clutch fitted would have no warranty. Served him right.
View on Reddit #16773399

ReaperEDX@reddit

Lemme just preincriminate myself before I claim compensation...
View on Reddit #16683241

_BLACKHAWKS_88@reddit

lmao.
View on Reddit #16657210

13Vex@reddit

Probably out of spite because of his little man syndrome
View on Reddit #16641210

sand2sound@reddit

The little clutch can get it done!
View on Reddit #16642252

dano415@reddit

It can, but without the abuse.
View on Reddit #16748790

jimi762@reddit

The little clutch who can't
View on Reddit #16642327

sand2sound@reddit

Nuh-uh. If you know how to shift it right it can be just as good as a big one. I hear some drivetrains even prefer a smaller clutch.
View on Reddit #16642918

IMMILDEW@reddit

The motion in the strokin’, as they say.
View on Reddit #16643298

sand2sound@reddit

Idle like a V8, not rev like a Yamaha. It's really all about torque.
View on Reddit #16710177

shawner136@reddit

Youre clutch is perfect baby dont worry. The big ones hurt my leg anyways
View on Reddit #16676814

jorick92@reddit

Clutchn't
View on Reddit #16647119

Buffal0_Meat@reddit

Its the motion of the clutch that matters!
View on Reddit #16663680

New-Understanding930@reddit

I mean, real road racing clutches are about 5” diameter and work like a switch.
View on Reddit #16663245

boredtotears56@reddit

I had a buddy who would eat through torqueflights, like every thousand miles. But he was running at least 1,100hp, was heavy on the NOS, and treated every mile by the quarter, so I think that’s to be expected.
View on Reddit #16665222

willfett169@reddit

Would the chassis also twist with the torque in his black dodge challenger
View on Reddit #16665903

GT989@reddit

Solid reference 🤣
View on Reddit #16674934

boredtotears56@reddit

Probably. Look up Dave Watts Widowmaker. Dude was a legend, sorely missed.
View on Reddit #16668517

mahSachel@reddit

It’s either the guy with the torque wrench or the parts going into it. If you’re using fleabay bearings or similar make sure and build with good components. Or find an engine builder to “help” id imagine your machine shop loves to see you come in. Deck that block and check that rotating assembly something is obviously bad off.
View on Reddit #16680753

rocky_piper@reddit

This is one of those would you hire yourself question. If you paid a guy to build you an engine and he toasted 2 of them why the hell would you let him build number 3.
View on Reddit #16663883

wrenchr@reddit

Many years ago I was at the track and a couple of my friends were discussing another racer. The comment was made that he paid $15,000 for each engine and he blows up the engine every race. I made the comment I could build an engine guaranteed to blow up for only $10,000.
View on Reddit #16705342

riverrockar@reddit

Lol, that's funny.
View on Reddit #16765620

Wonderful_Roof1739@reddit

My brother is on his 3rd car and 2nd motorcycle with blown engines or transmissions and wonders why his cars never last. Meanwhile, I’ve owned 40+ over the years and only twice had an issue - once when my missed shift overreved a high performance engine I built and bent a rod (and shattered 3rd gear). The second was a slightly slipping torque converter in an F250 6.0 that I built up since the stock trans couldn’t hold the power I was making - race trans fixed that. Both were 100% me due to pushing the line.
View on Reddit #16690851

Different_Head_9587@reddit

Guys, if this is several times then give up. There is probably some dirt in the oil galleries and you will never get all of it out. This will just happen again and again. Been there and even if you hot tank it and flush it. There will still be something
View on Reddit #16679286

OZZMAN8@reddit

It takes a lot of money to be this bad of a mechanic.
View on Reddit #16810785

G_DuBs@reddit

I sell computer parts. People will come in and be like “yeah these hard drives suck, I’ve been through like 4 of them”. Like no buddy. Those don’t break in that way, that often lol.
View on Reddit #16761758

fingerbanglover@reddit

Wonder if he's tried oil...
View on Reddit #16752082

Weird-Individual2155@reddit

Tuning may have something to do with it. This is from pre-ignition. High compression motors are more prone to pre-ignition. Of course over advanced timing will do the same thing.
View on Reddit #16718504

Squiggy-Locust@reddit

Correct me if I'm wrong, but, 187 miles, and less than 25Ds after the last one, is definitely not long enough to break in an engine. Which means, he's probably attempting to tune an engine that isn't broken in. And definitely needs to choose a better oil. I just wish I had 5 engines worth of money laying around...
View on Reddit #16696692

BaMB00Z@reddit

With 5 cases I think it's the only one.
View on Reddit #16688883

JAHdropper1@reddit

They plead the fifth
View on Reddit #16687475

ILove2Bacon@reddit

Unless it's a Subaru.
View on Reddit #16685969

Oilleak1011@reddit

The point is OP dont give up but seriously re evaluate what you are doing. You should have been doing this 2 engines ago
View on Reddit #16685544

kmeister5@reddit

That’s what I came here to say. Who is letting them buy and replace these engines?
View on Reddit #16667302

epsteinpetmidgit@reddit

Yes, pay somebody else to do it.
View on Reddit #16661901

Deadmenkil@reddit

Exactly. You wrote word for word what I was thinking as well.
View on Reddit #16649350

pistonsoffury@reddit

Perhaps he should take up bodywork instead. We all have things we're good at - clearly engine building is not his.
View on Reddit #16643721

ThaMan12@reddit

Stop building them and take it to a shop. Clearly you haven’t learned your lesson after #4.
View on Reddit #16896502

nforrest@reddit

Maybe rebuilding engines isn't for you?
View on Reddit #16879649

ajtaggart@reddit

Are you the one building this car or just tuning it? Either way, unless you have money to burn consider getting someone else to build/tune it
View on Reddit #16875900

asscheeseterps710@reddit

You’re a failure please stop
View on Reddit #16873868

OrganicPomegranate49@reddit

Clearly your "we" doesn't know what you're doing and should probably stop
View on Reddit #16872037

Pretty-Anteater1164@reddit

Bro…I woulda gave up after the second one.
View on Reddit #16858784

quartz-crisis@reddit

Weren’t you just blowing up the 4th one last month?
View on Reddit #16639491

ItsTheCougs@reddit

Just looked at OP’s post history, #4 got dropped in the car 25 days ago.
View on Reddit #16640394

einTier@reddit

Wow. And the Mazda B engine is fucking *stout*. Ive watched them take serious abuse. Ive subjected them to serious abuse. I broke a rod in one once while we were racing. Punched a hole in it the size of my fist. We couldn’t send the car out leaking oil, so we drained it and ran it with no oil so it could finish the race. Which it did. Seized up solid. When our mechanic got it back home he decided to try to start it. It started and ran. Not well, mind you, but it ran. Come to find out we had literally melted all the main bearings.
View on Reddit #16644197

shupack@reddit

> Siezed up solid..... started and ran..... How's that work? Siezed from heat expansion? I always assumed siezed was melted metal jamming stuff together.
View on Reddit #16665924

TagStew@reddit

Seized is anything that prevents the engine from turning. You can seize an engine with coolant by hydro locking an engine can be seized from a locked up starter if the gear doesn’t blow out. A lot of antique barn or field finds have seized engines from rust that can be cleaned up or broken free (had that on a 1941 Chevy online 6) you can also seize an engine by leaving a large pink handle flat head in the oil pan so the handle jams the cranks shaft 😅 seized does not necessarily mean it can’t run again.
View on Reddit #16775680

Kyberr@reddit

That last example was oddly specific, now we know what happened several years ago lol
View on Reddit #16786717

TagStew@reddit

😁
View on Reddit #16786777

Oddlyknots@reddit

Fuck yeah 😂
View on Reddit #16857655

matt-the-racer@reddit

Yeah I've had this a couple of times, gets so hot it jams up and stalls out the engine at low revs, won't restart, but once cooled down a bit and the metal contracts it breaks the friction "welded" parts free and will often run surprisingly well, just not for long!
View on Reddit #16714520

Frequent_Opportunist@reddit

The metal expands when it's hot. When it cools down it loosens up again.
View on Reddit #16702939

einTier@reddit

I don’t know. I think the heat expansion was such that there was no clearance for parts to move. The bearings also melted and fused to things. But I think once the engine cooled, there was clearance to move again and the starter was strong enough to break apart the lightly welded together parts.
View on Reddit #16666349

Sorry_Site_3739@reddit

I drove mine on 0.5 litre of oil for 6 months, still runs pretty okay.
View on Reddit #16650762

throwaccinthetrash@reddit

By pretty ok I'm imagining Cousin Eddie's RV pulling up to the Griswold house lol.
View on Reddit #16676110

Sorry_Site_3739@reddit

No, it still runs great a few weeks later. No sounds or abnormalities so far.
View on Reddit #16676350

throwaccinthetrash@reddit

Some engines are just built different lol. My last Ford 4.0 V6 ate a couple sparkplugs over it's life and I never knew either time until I pulled the plug to see why I had a misfire. Figure maybe the pieces just blew straight out the exhaust valve because I never found any debris in the oil and never gave me a reason to pull the head. Ran great both times after putting in a new plug.
View on Reddit #16765231

Bubbaluke@reddit

My first car was a b2600, I didn't know you had to change the oil. I had that truck for like 18 months.
View on Reddit #16731442

cheapbeerwarrio@reddit

Idk man to me it sounds like it might be time swap for a cheap b series or k series Honda motor. Op if you are reading this, don't believe these Miata circle jerkers, you prolly got an engine from a junkyard with 100k miles than advertised. Look for a different source for your engines. since you can afford and are figuring all this shit out your self, stick to your persistence, and don't let these bottom of the barrel Miata circle jerkers commentators push you around lol
View on Reddit #16671934

ardric@reddit

You wanna explain how you'd swap a Honda b-series motor into a RWD platform like a Miata? Have you even *seen* one before? The crank rotates in the opposite direction.
View on Reddit #16694231

cheapbeerwarrio@reddit

Lmfaoo damn you got me there you right
View on Reddit #16738832

FilmAndChill@reddit

I've blown 4 Miata motors, 2 clutches, a head, and a transmission in 5 years. Never forget that they're made by Ford... It's not just him. I've done everything in my power to make that car work and it constantly gives me issues. Miata's are not reliable when they're driven hard.
View on Reddit #16655584

IsPooping@reddit

If everywhere you go smells like shit, it's time to check your shoes
View on Reddit #16660584

FilmAndChill@reddit

If it was cope it would have been obvious a lot longer ago. I have a civic that I drive every day that's a full 10 years older than the Miata with literally zero issues. All I've ever had to do is change the clutch in 100k HARD miles. I am not nice to this thing at all. I even bought a 45k mile JDM block for it, installed fresh seals all the way around, refreshed the water pump, timing belt, and decided against opening up the bottom end (first motor rebuild admittedly resulted in compression loss at the rings, but that's how you learn) Not a leak, not a drop of burned oil, oil change every 5k, fresh coolant etc. 10k miles later, I decided to do a burnout and notice it won't spin the wheels. Who's that knocking? Ford. It's ford knocking. For a long time I beat myself up thinking I just didn't know what I was doing, but no. I can guarantee that skill is not the issue. Fuck Ford. This thing is getting a k series.
View on Reddit #16662275

NopeNeg@reddit

How have you gone through so many Mazda parts and still think any of them are Ford?
View on Reddit #16669985

FilmAndChill@reddit

Cause Ford owned Mazda then? It's the same motor as the mk5 base model Ford escort. Ford literally made the motor and gave Mazda the blueprint. Although I've seen plenty of miata's that run for 500k miles, I've also seen plenty that have single handedly gone through 3 or 4 bottom ends without power mods by people that are a lot smarter than me. I wouldn't ever recommend this car to someone as a reliable daily. You definitely will have to work on it at some point.
View on Reddit #16677754

Pschobbert@reddit

A Mazda engine in a Beetle?
View on Reddit #16669555

cornlip@reddit

I drove home on a D15B7 with two holes in the block (took a drink in a deep puddle). It seized in the driveway. Next day it started right up. No coolant or oil in it. I revved it until it died and swapped it a week later. The shame trail from where it happened all the way to my driveway was there for months.
View on Reddit #16665639

Luxedar@reddit

Wait this was on a Mazda B engine? HOW???
View on Reddit #16648429

EvolvingEachDay@reddit

5 Mazda B engines…
View on Reddit #16654479

Zappiticas@reddit

Lol I made almost 300hp on one of those for almost 2 years before it gave up. Completely unopened engine with a BEGI turbo kit.
View on Reddit #16654158

ClosedL00p@reddit

“*aaaaaaaand it’s gone*”
View on Reddit #16644337

itachi8oh1@reddit

I hope you’re quoting one of my favorite South Park episodes right now hahaha.
View on Reddit #16761986

ArcFire15@reddit

I need whatever job OP has to keep throwing engines in his every month lol
View on Reddit #16647134

Njon32@reddit

I had a coworker, he was a lube tech. He kept buying junkyard JDM engines from Japan to put in his civic. I think he was on engine #3 last I knew. This was before 2020, but I am guessing he lived with his parents and didn't have much in the way of other expenses. Sometimes it's not the job, it's the lack of bills.
View on Reddit #16723902

Adventurous_Post_705@reddit

Looking at history he may be lying, 30 days ago he said he was dropping in #5?
View on Reddit #16745004

Rachael1188@reddit

The fuck bro
View on Reddit #16701243

IronGigant@reddit

Jesus H Christ.
View on Reddit #16643627

c_bizkit15@reddit

No it’s Jesus B Christ in this instance.
View on Reddit #16662845

-TrafficConeRescue-@reddit

Bro I thought the same thing. HES BACK😂
View on Reddit #16735014

ObeseBMI33@reddit

Op could be making money on a corner instead of losing it in their garage
View on Reddit #16661667

Gd3spoon@reddit

Kia?
View on Reddit #16855034

citizensnips134@reddit

Start with a harbor freight engine or something. Tune that so when it explodes, it’s no big deal.
View on Reddit #16839603

ReserveMaleficent583@reddit

Yes
View on Reddit #16837710

hatchetlywikked@reddit

I would be pointing fingers at whoever is tuning the setup...
View on Reddit #16830591

iownjew@reddit

Are you measuring anything when you put it together? 5 times is a lot of times. Measurements matter in engine building.
View on Reddit #16825826

micah490@reddit

What clearances are you running??
View on Reddit #16642082

Nappyheaded@reddit

10% off
View on Reddit #16710081

jimdrum78@reddit

Bravo sir…This comment deserves way more upvotes.
View on Reddit #16818778

fnordfnordfnordfnord@reddit

-1
View on Reddit #16642548

Ilikebigbutts91@reddit

Throw in the towel, sell your tools
View on Reddit #16818645

Mintfresh22@reddit

Have you considered putting oil in them?
View on Reddit #16813579

rhetorial_human@reddit

plastiguage
View on Reddit #16640606

poorboychevelle@reddit

Scrolled waaaay too far to find this. Micrometer is nice but I prefer checking them final with plastigauge
View on Reddit #16642336

rhetorial_human@reddit

it's been the standard for decades.
View on Reddit #16642647

Feet_of_Frodo@reddit

Plastigage hasn't been "the standard" at all. Before anyone starts coming for me, understand that I know it is an **acceptable** method of rough measuring bearing clearances, but it is by no means "the standard". Hole gauges and a calibrated set of micrometers checked with a calibration block prior to use are "the standard". It's also not lost on me that a nice set of outside micrometers and hole gauges are super expensive but they are in fact the proper method of checking clearances. I would venture to say any professional engine assembler worth a shit would agree and they certainly wouldn't use plastigage on an engine they are charging someone for. Plastigage is only suitable for rough measurements when you don't have the proper tools. In other words, it will get you close but not accurate measurements.
View on Reddit #16647620

Le-Charles@reddit

I can go to the 3 FSMs I own and find procedures using plastigauge in all of them. If it's in an FSM, it's standard.
View on Reddit #16786004

Feet_of_Frodo@reddit

No, that's just an "acceptable" method. There's no reality where plastigage is more accurate than precision measuring tools.
View on Reddit #16810736

woomdawg@reddit

This is the way. They do not build race engines with plastigauge. lol
View on Reddit #16691211

woomdawg@reddit

The tools can be available and affordable. [Fowler is a very reputable manufacturer of measurement tools.](https://www.amazon.com/Fowler-72-646-300-Cylinder-Dial-Gauge/dp/B000J4K016/ref=sr_1_5?crid=28MESKN5V2RKD&keywords=bore+gauge+set&qid=1703635981&sprefix=bore+gauge%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-5&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.17d9e15d-4e43-4581-b373-0e5c1a776d5d)
View on Reddit #16691450

rhetorial_human@reddit

like you said, for us shade tree mechanics.... it's what we got.
View on Reddit #16653325

Threkin@reddit

Shade tree mechanics can't afford Plastigage, that's for the rich folks with tarps on the sides of their carport.
View on Reddit #16671385

Windows95Uhh@reddit

This, bump to the top
View on Reddit #16716823

thebeigerainbow@reddit

I've never done anything that required plastigauge and this is my first time hearing about it. That's such a cool concept!
View on Reddit #16669687

HotRodHomebody@reddit

And verify oil pressure.
View on Reddit #16663332

blackbeardaegis@reddit

So are you just throwing all the boost at it with the blowoff wired shit or how the hell are you doing this? This feels like a special talent at this point.
View on Reddit #16796312

ramair02@reddit

LS Swap
View on Reddit #16795973

pjgreenwald@reddit

Im just gonna throw this out there, maybe you dont actually know how to work on cars?
View on Reddit #16787151

chuck-u-farley-@reddit

Look at the heat signature on that journal, that tells you everything you need to know
View on Reddit #16639793

tokyo_engineer_dad@reddit

I haven’t built an engine before, but the scoring on the journals, does that mean there’s not enough room for oil and the crankshaft was scraping against the journals of the block? Like the block wasn’t properly machined? I’m asking because I’m going to be buying a 4g63t soon and I want to make sure the machine shop I have build it knows what they’re doing.
View on Reddit #16641613

Least-Ear3373@reddit

Yes, take your Reddit advice to the shop that’s gonna go over great
View on Reddit #16785347

HemingWaysBeard42@reddit

If you’re getting a 4g63t you might as well go through Buschur. That way you know it’ll be done right.
View on Reddit #16645321

kingnewswiththetruth@reddit

I'd recommend Boostin.,..
View on Reddit #16735668

chuck-u-farley-@reddit

You Definately want to Make sure you have the correct oil clearances between your bearings and crank journal…… not enough clearance and you experience oil starvation ….. Too much clearance and you won’t have sufficient oil pressure …. Most reputable machine shops will take care of what’s needed but it’s always a good idea to double check
View on Reddit #16641773

christianhelps@reddit

As someone that sticks to just home maintenance and not engine work, this comment and the post itself really clarified for me why those clearances are important. Thanks
View on Reddit #16735095

Benji_4@reddit

If you ever watch stuff like powernation and wonder why they check clearances all the time, this is why.
View on Reddit #16725684

ApocalypsePenis@reddit

Damn for such a question your going to have a world of fun in the 4g verse lol
View on Reddit #16678764

tokyo_engineer_dad@reddit

Because if I’m such a newbie it’s going to go terribly? Lol. I plan on being as meticulous as I can. I’m planning on using a 6 bolt block and a 7 bolt head with a 16G turbo from an Evo 3. My goals are only to hit about 300 awhp on E85. I don’t plan on going further than that since it’s primarily going to be a street car.
View on Reddit #16695993

bunby_heli@reddit

Don’t take it to OP.
View on Reddit #16642616

Nekrostatic@reddit

Hey, come on. He's bound to get it right on the sixth try!
View on Reddit #16643176

DeltaOneFive@reddit

9th times the charm
View on Reddit #16644915

Outside-Drag-3031@reddit

Surely the 17th try will go better!
View on Reddit #16664343

ratrodder49@reddit

Just 32 more attempts and he’ll get it right!
View on Reddit #16666370

Individual_Lies@reddit

50's a nice round number.
View on Reddit #16668917

13Vex@reddit

“I fear the man who has blown up one engine 10,000 times”
View on Reddit #16680300

MoldyMoney@reddit

Shit, even ISIS fears that man
View on Reddit #16681868

Dr_WHOOO@reddit

4g63? (Stares in Eclipse)
View on Reddit #16671700

spongebob_meth@reddit

It could be many things. Lack of oil clearance. Lack of oil flow. Foreign material causing the bearing to spin and lose oil. Etc. Just follow general engine assembly procedures and you're fine Since you're working on a 4g63, look up Jafromobile on YouTube. He has several 4g63 assembly videos and shows all the critical measurements you need to check, and how to check the work of your machine shop. Dude is super anal and does everything by the book.
View on Reddit #16669860

throwawayshirt@reddit

Upvote the Cheech and Chong username
View on Reddit #16727415

prosepina_@reddit

Yeah ouch. I’m not even an engine tech.
View on Reddit #16694459

geoff1036@reddit

Jesus he's annealing it from the inside out
View on Reddit #16641026

chuck-u-farley-@reddit

Mission accomplished!
View on Reddit #16641180

geoff1036@reddit

I guess you could call shattering into a million pieces "reducing the stress" lol. Or explosively releasing the stress.
View on Reddit #16641232

chuck-u-farley-@reddit

And it only took him 5 times…
View on Reddit #16641298

DntH8IncrsDaMrdrR8@reddit

Are you using the plastigage or whatnot to measure what size rod bearings you actually need? Or are you just throwing the same size in without measuring? No offense but you gotta look at yourself and figure where you're going wrong every time. Five engines is fucking unheard of my man.
View on Reddit #16778746

ManicRobotWizard@reddit

Are you sure you’re putting everything together…sober?
View on Reddit #16777841

Jonofmac@reddit

"we were auto tuning with tuner studio" Think we found the start of problems. I tune cars, mainly my own and friends but I have tuned lots of projects for people I don't know. Autotune is nothing more than applying STFTs back into your fuel table. Can it work? Sure, If you know how you use it. It is NOT a replacement for a tuner. If I had a nickel for the amount of janky fuel maps I've seen as a result of "autotune"... Put down the laptop. I am not trying to be mean, but why at engine #5 do you think you're capable of tuning an engine? Something is clearly going on if this one lasted 250 miles. Seek professional help for tuning.
View on Reddit #16776965

Complex_Offer_145@reddit

Are you building these motors yourself?
View on Reddit #16776020

Early_Elk_6593@reddit

Yes. I mean, not to be harsh but engine building isn’t for everyone.
View on Reddit #16775059

LiL_Paperback@reddit

You should probably take it to a mechanic, there is something serious wrong with something you're doing and it's probably cheaper for them to do it over you at this point before you go through another 5 engines
View on Reddit #16770720

jp41st@reddit

Stop commenting. This guy deserves it. Imagine blowing 6 engines in a row, racing or not, and then jumping on Reddit and blaming everyone else.
View on Reddit #16765796

ClearFrame6334@reddit

Maybe he’s reusing the crankshaft ?
View on Reddit #16765671

magicmoneymushroom@reddit

and people still get mad at me when I say that 80-90s Miata motors have a equal build with the renesis’s quality😭 I always see em burning tire and end up seeing more blue smoke then white 🤣
View on Reddit #16764784

baileybanks07@reddit

in the words of my dad who raced cars for a long long long time, “they’re fixing the broken part but not the cause” he didnt tell me what the cause could be just that its not being fixed
View on Reddit #16762043

MuhThugga@reddit

You're not verifying your bearing clearances.
View on Reddit #16639974

idksomethingjfk@reddit

“What even is plastigauge?” OP probably
View on Reddit #16644011

Neither_Appeal_8470@reddit

Maybe let’s help a brother out here. Can the crank be saved? If so he should put some correct bearings in it and plastiguage it. Honestly I think something else is wrong. I think he’s got a blocked oil passage or something
View on Reddit #16644995

Greasy28@reddit

Realistically, he should've been looking for help 3 engines ago.
View on Reddit #16645328

TheRipePunani@reddit

I would've been panicking after the 1st failed build...but going through 5 and just plowing through them is just insane. Literally insane.
View on Reddit #16674082

ExileOnMainStreet@reddit

IDK how I even ended up in this sub, but insanity has been going around today. There's a guy over in the amateur radio sub right now talking about terrorists implanting a transmitter in his ear bones and he's looking for a radio operator to help confirm it. I went back through his account and he's for sure a paranoid schizophrenic, but I don't know what the hell anyone could do about that.
View on Reddit #16684623

aplesauce@reddit

LMAO I'm glad I'm not the only one who lurks in that sub too. Man is N U T S
View on Reddit #16761838

-Goatzilla-@reddit

Have I ever told you the definition of insanity? It's doing the exact same thing over and over and over again and expecting a different outcome each time.
View on Reddit #16708829

50mg-of-fuckit@reddit

Seriously, like he just thinks thats normal? Lmao, if something fails, you need to find what went wrong, cant find it, in these pics? Take it to a pro lol.
View on Reddit #16697427

WagoogusJR@reddit

Crank is fucked. Look at the heat affected zone
View on Reddit #16674597

Neither_Appeal_8470@reddit

I defer to you guys with some experience on crank wear. What would happen if he put it back together and put correct bearings in it? Will it destroy itself again or just be unreliable beyond 70,000 miles or something
View on Reddit #16676973

mahSachel@reddit

Actually id bet that’s the same crank from engine 3 and 4 And it’s been heat cycled so many times it’s super sketch that entire rotating assembly and at this point, I’d say the block too. All of it has to go in the trash and start fresh.
View on Reddit #16681367

WagoogusJR@reddit

Cast iron/steel gets brittle when heated. The vibrations of the motor may cause it to develop hairline cracks that could end in the crank shattering
View on Reddit #16677554

idksomethingjfk@reddit

Maybe, but this his 5th motor, 4th was just a couple of weeks ago, ima go ahead and say no advice we could really give this guy through Reddit is going to help.
View on Reddit #16645162

dat_GEM_lyf@reddit

At this point I don’t even know if our lord and savior could even help them
View on Reddit #16656285

Mr_Appalachia@reddit

Praise Dale
View on Reddit #16657570

crappercreeper@reddit

Too much money, not enough knolwedge.
View on Reddit #16656907

GiftQuick5794@reddit

Isn’t that what spaghetti and angel hair noodles are for?
View on Reddit #16680183

spongebob_meth@reddit

Plastigauge is just a sanity check and shouldn't be used as a primary measurement device. You need micrometers.
View on Reddit #16669922

ShocK13@reddit

Plastigage is shit too tbh. I verified it by using a mitutoyo bore gauge and my plasti readings vs actual vote gauge readings differed by .001”. Which on main bearing tolerances is… a lot.
View on Reddit #16645117

lazarinewyvren@reddit

Tbf, plastigage does precisely what it was intended to do. Let you know if you have a bearing to journal size mismatch. Like if you buy a 10/10 crank, but the seller didn't know it was so you slap it together with the wrong bearings you're gonna notice that it squished not at all or way too much.
View on Reddit #16655027

ShocK13@reddit

It does have its use, but people using it as an actual measurement is a bad idea. And there’s a lot of people doing that haha.
View on Reddit #16658928

Weekly_Bug_4847@reddit

Not a precision measurement, but know more than a few people that think it is too.
View on Reddit #16662620

Special_EDy@reddit

Plastigauge is perfect. You use a micrometer to machine the engine and select bearings. You use Plastigauge as the final step to verify your sanity and double check you didn't screw up. *AFTER* the bottom end is assembled, you go back and check each bearing one at a time with Plastigauge to get some piece of mind.
View on Reddit #16667924

Weekly_Bug_4847@reddit

Exactly, but it shouldn’t be used in place of a micrometer, which was what I was getting at
View on Reddit #16669759

UltraViolentNdYAG@reddit

It's feelgoodgauge made of plastic. I've got more than none and less than 0.01"... lol
View on Reddit #16664716

floridamidsotic@reddit

user error
View on Reddit #16761132

TankerKing2019@reddit

Maybe have a qualified engine builder do the complete build, install, break in & tune?
View on Reddit #16759747

mockylock@reddit

There are too many things that could be wrong. I had this happen with a pinched oil pickup gasket before. If the crank has been turned too many times or has never been turned, it will cause issues as well. If your bearings are going that fast you've got clearances off or oil problems, IMHO. I'd also find another tuner.
View on Reddit #16759448

imarobot517@reddit

5 engines??? God Damm who ever is putting them in is messing something up
View on Reddit #16758672

Front-Space-6282@reddit

Are you installing new bearings with a tighter tolerance than OEM spec? The rainbowing effect on the rod caps shows they are getting HOT and that only happens if the bearing tolerances are too tight (causing oil starvation) OR if you are starving the motor of oil in other ways, for example no oil pan baffle.) What is your oil pressure reading through the range? Is it possible you are using the stock oil pump with the cheap cintered steel gears instead of the upgraded forged internals? If you are pushing high rpms or lots of boost, the stock B series cranks are horribly weak and cause a harmonic imbalance that destroys the oil pumps in a very short period of time.
View on Reddit #16758387

Jealous_Pick_7009@reddit

Sounds like you need a new tuner. Or a better engine builder.. or a driver mod maybe
View on Reddit #16758277

Drivesgirlcars@reddit

No you shouldn't. You're definitely doing something wrong though, and you need to figure that out. Unless you're using the same machine shop and they're doing something wrong, then maybe you need to speak to them
View on Reddit #16755617

Heghig@reddit

bro 187 miles what the fuck are you doing to these poor engines
View on Reddit #16754095

Tigerdad82@reddit

What's the clearance measurement between bearings to crank? Oil pressure during dyno runs? Ignition timing? When was the last time the crank was checked for out of round? Crank bent? Have you used plasti gauge to check clearance? What's your compression?
View on Reddit #16751580

lurkario@reddit

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me. Fool me three times wtf am I doing? Fool me four times someone stop me. Fool me five times clearly I will never learn”
View on Reddit #16685787

BigCockCandyMountain@reddit

Even with access to a dictionary he is unable to learn the meaning of the word defeat!
View on Reddit #16750283

gospdrcr000@reddit

You obviously are missing the nuances of making engines well
View on Reddit #16748942

Likesdic@reddit

Don’t leave the hoppy. Obviously this is something you want to do. Obviously you’re not a quitter, I mean #6 ? Maybe a lot yourself more time with the next build. Run it through your mind once / twice / three times before making the next move and I’ll bet you you’ll see success.. I’ll be really interested to hear how it goes! Best of luck!
View on Reddit #16745026

MisterEinc@reddit

Once is an anomaly. Two is a coincidence. There's a pattern...
View on Reddit #16741348

RareDog5640@reddit

It may be time for you to buy an electric car.
View on Reddit #16738419

Duke_Built@reddit

And this is why you pay an actually engine builder once instead of doing it yourself 5 times. Can’t fix stupid with money.
View on Reddit #16735486

MalignantLugnut@reddit

Stop buying engines from Temu.
View on Reddit #16734318

omnipotent87@reddit

Are you using plastigauge on the bearings. If I were to guess you have a zero clearance fit on the bearings. This would allow for great oil pressure but no lubrication.
View on Reddit #16733724

fartsfromhermouth@reddit

You can pay people that know what they are doing to do this
View on Reddit #16733146

MEDAKk-ttv-btw@reddit

Maybe find another hobby
View on Reddit #16731698

ZestycloseGarage5122@reddit

Sounds like you need an LS brother
View on Reddit #16728479

Creative-Dust5701@reddit

time to fire your “engine tuning” shop, you cant use the standard engine clearances for a daily driver as metals expand at different rates per degree of temperature increase. so a performance build engine is going to be a lot different from a standard engine in bearing sizes etc
View on Reddit #16726830

ionaka@reddit

Are those 187 miles from drag strip?
View on Reddit #16726055

Nyrhinen1@reddit

I feel there’s some crucial information we are missing here.
View on Reddit #16725675

199mx5@reddit

If you’re anywhere in CO, I’d be happy to build you one. I moved up here from FL but I made a pretty decent name for myself in the miata community down there with tuning and engine building. I currently have a 1.8 running 35psi on an EFR turbo.
View on Reddit #16722937

usmcbandit@reddit

I feel like if this is your 5th engine in such a short timeframe, the issue might be between the steering wheel and drivers seat.
View on Reddit #16722481

OpeningParamedic8592@reddit

It really depends on what happened each time. Were there 5 failures, all the same problem? The post mortem is important when troubleshooting these type of problems. If you’re shattering bearings 5 times, then something is wrong. Who is building the motors? Are you using the same block each time? There are a ton of variables.
View on Reddit #16722426

AdrianInLimbo@reddit

For all you spent on those 5 engines, you could have paid someone with a clue to install one engine.
View on Reddit #16721552

AdWilling2058@reddit

Someone isn't as good as a mechanic as they think they are
View on Reddit #16721330

uniquelyavailable@reddit

*goddamn learn how to build an engine first*
View on Reddit #16720354

kingcobrav9@reddit

Hey man do you own a micrometer? Or do you just read sizes of parts online and order them? How many miles did the other 4 engines have? What made you think that after #2 a third was a good plan?
View on Reddit #16640335

A10110101Z@reddit

What made you think after 4… a 5th?
View on Reddit #16719111

allimoc@reddit

Did you put oil on the bearings when you installed them? Those grooves look dry as a bone?
View on Reddit #16718048

elgatodelux@reddit

I once helped a guy install a second rebuilt engine in a truck. As we were doing so I got the story. Truck sat for 4 tears, but ran when parked. He fired it up and it ran for about 20 minutes before it blew. New engine only made it about 15... I asked him how he drained all the old fuel, he hadn't. He had blown 2 engines trying to run them on ancient gas. We drained the tank and filled with fresh... no issues
View on Reddit #16717336

RolesG@reddit

How does that even happen. I didn't know you could be that bad at building engines
View on Reddit #16717036

Windows95Uhh@reddit

How f*** do you go through five motors, you're clearly not doing something right. Do you even own a micrometer? Have you heard of plastigauge? Mazda makes an incredibly stout motor, this is borderline impressive.
View on Reddit #16716958

13Vex@reddit

I honestly can’t think of what to say to you man. 5 engines?
View on Reddit #16641415

ThisOtherAnonAccount@reddit

The word STOP comes to mind.
View on Reddit #16716530

Mechanik_J@reddit

Somebody isn't measuring clearances correctly. Could also be a build or machining issue.
View on Reddit #16715503

emonj98@reddit

Not tryna call you out but by now it’s something you’re doing. Just gotta figure out what
View on Reddit #16715360

Excellent-Station-32@reddit

😬
View on Reddit #16710588

medievalpossum@reddit

What engine are you doing this to?
View on Reddit #16710024

Dalriaden@reddit

Well science dictates the problem is OP at this point.
View on Reddit #16709829

IndianaJBone@reddit

Yeah. Give up. You are not meant for this world.
View on Reddit #16708892

Pretty_Jackfruit8551@reddit

CLEARANCE. best of luck
View on Reddit #16706995

External-Junket-7013@reddit

If you are running boost check everything that controls it also the fuel system might be a culprit.
View on Reddit #16706750

mechshark@reddit

I wonder what you guys are doing if you’ve broken 5 engines in a relatively short time lol
View on Reddit #16706264

redrobin1257@reddit

There seems to be a common denominator here; That denominator being you. Maybe do some more research before building number 6?
View on Reddit #16705030

J_therocjohnson@reddit

Ever used assembly lube?
View on Reddit #16704103

czechoslovian@reddit

Buy a new torque wrench probably.
View on Reddit #16703887

Frequent_Opportunist@reddit

You're doing something wrong man. Get new help for the build and change your tuning strategies.
View on Reddit #16702985

Appropriate_Gur5624@reddit

Bro have you tried oil 😭😭
View on Reddit #16702886

74ford744@reddit

Improper assembly
View on Reddit #16702768

kelsobryant@reddit

You gotta put oil in it my guy
View on Reddit #16702291

RabidJake@reddit

Don't worry, 10th times the charm lmao.
View on Reddit #16702135

SomethingClever42068@reddit

Put some 50 weight in her and fuckin send it
View on Reddit #16702095

ArgonautHeracles216@reddit

You are fucking retarded and if you have not learned your lesson by now, just give up. There is one common denominator with all of those engines, and it's not just the car it's been put in.
View on Reddit #16701311

TrEVILlyan95@reddit

Chinese parts???
View on Reddit #16701268

Someabe@reddit

You need to find someone who knows what they're doing. Not being rude but it is a waste of your time and money to continue doing the same thing and expecting different results
View on Reddit #16700179

w-v-w-v@reddit

I feel like you maybe should've asked this after engine 1 or 2.
View on Reddit #16700005

KamiKrazyCanadian@reddit

You are the problem
View on Reddit #16699536

Ohnos2@reddit

insanity is doing the same thing multiple times and expecting different results. you should have given up 4 motors ago :/
View on Reddit #16699116

Jacobcbab@reddit

You're the problem.
View on Reddit #16698985

NotMuller@reddit

You might want to prime the oil system.
View on Reddit #16698824

Dependent-Edge-5713@reddit

I too wish I had f*** you money
View on Reddit #16698803

Kar1kar1@reddit

You should contact ca bear design and development. They will definitely get you going again.
View on Reddit #16698708

ostensibly_hurt@reddit

I’d really stop after 3 lol, if I was in love, I’d do 4
View on Reddit #16698560

ThisCryptographer311@reddit

“Very mild tune”… *5th engine. You should try an Accord for a little while. 😂
View on Reddit #16698324

xXxBig_PoppaxXx@reddit

you must be forgetting like one tiny thing, get a second or third pair of eyes on it
View on Reddit #16673084

just-another1984@reddit

Bearing clearance and (I will bet) silly timing are the causes.
View on Reddit #16697947

just-another1984@reddit

What's your bearing clearance spec? How did you measure? What kind of timing are we talking about? Are you replacing the crank or machining the crank each failure?
View on Reddit #16697649

50mg-of-fuckit@reddit

Yes, take it to a professional....
View on Reddit #16697474

anthro4ME@reddit

You're not as capable and knowledgeable as you think you are.
View on Reddit #16697036

SiennaYeena@reddit

You ever start to think that maybe engine work just isn't for you? 💀
View on Reddit #16696466

EsElBastardo@reddit

Random outside the box question. Is this a turbo car and are you throwing the same turbo/lines etc on it? Also, do you have an external oil cooler? Kind of wonder if you have little bits of death that you are carrying from one engine to the next in reused parts.
View on Reddit #16645518

tokyo_engineer_dad@reddit

Don’t forget the catch can!
View on Reddit #16696295

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Hmmmm.
View on Reddit #16652405

incredibly_baste@reddit

Wowwww this is it. You blew a motor, sent a ton of metal shavings into your oil lines and it's still all there. Please stop ruining these motors. The NA attracts so many idiots. Go fuck up a honda
View on Reddit #16653088

Icy_Comparison148@reddit

Theres no reason to be a dick to this kid. It's excessive but it's just a fucking engine and he's having a hard time. I dont know the whole history here, but shit, if you are into cars and no one else in your family and friend group has an interest, it can be pretty lonely.
View on Reddit #16658819

incredibly_baste@reddit

I can think of 4 reasons lol
View on Reddit #16665568

thebeigerainbow@reddit

I don't think we should be dicks to him, but this is pretty funny
View on Reddit #16669779

Waltersobchak1911@reddit

5, actually
View on Reddit #16669337

wrb06wrx@reddit

You leave hondas out this we have enough people giving them a bad name already... Someone said it earlier in this thread the guy has fucked up more than a couple times but he keeps coming back and trying, there's something to be said about that. We all sucked at whatever we do in the beginning but if you keep at it and find a good mentor you'll eventually get better at it. OP has the drive, just not the knowledge yet and we were all that guy at one point better to try to help build him up than beat him down. I understand as I'm a gray beard that gets to laugh at rookie mistakes but I earned my stripes as most of the other gray beards have.
View on Reddit #16660914

R_radical@reddit

I'm just glad he picked Honda instead of subaru
View on Reddit #16664166

n7275@reddit

u/AlejoMSP
View on Reddit #16645519

the_one_99_@reddit

Looks like there’s been quit a bit of heat an and a lot of scoring on the crank and you only done 187 miles did you rebuild it yourself what’s the story.
View on Reddit #16696209

Gronk-Bonehead@reddit

buy german 🤷‍♂️
View on Reddit #16696152

Competitive-War3991@reddit

Usually people learn after 1 or two mistakes
View on Reddit #16695155

Jonesmak@reddit

Yes. This is a you problem if you on five
View on Reddit #16694837

imboredoftryingnow@reddit

You should just give up driving
View on Reddit #16694433

6inarowmakesitgo@reddit

God damn man, learn how to use a plastigauge.
View on Reddit #16694051

JaviSATX@reddit

My first thought was “is this a Speed 3 engine?” Turns out I wasn’t terribly far off. Fuckin Mazdas.
View on Reddit #16692866

wybnormal@reddit

Either you are doing something wrong OR you need to check the block and crank closely. So here’s a question. Was the block line bored and honed? It looks like the caps are out of order or something is twisted. Were the rod caps bored and honed and checked one wasn’t twisted? You can sometimes catch the twist with plastigauge if you are looking for it. Many just assume it’s all straight and don’t check. You can check the journals but this doesn’t sound like a size mismatch tho I did catch a crank with 1 journal at .020 vs the rest at .010. No idea how the shop did that trick. But shit happens
View on Reddit #16692318

yourmomsblackdildo@reddit

Man, you need to go learn the basics before you start on this. That engine never broke in, it was wrong before you even ran it. Gotta learn how to crawl before you can run a marathon. And proper engine building is a supermarathon.
View on Reddit #16691698

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

For my mental health I will be unsubbing from this post. I didn’t come here asking to be bashed but to understand what could’ve happened. It all went from that to some people recommending I find a different hobby. No thanks. If it takes me 50 yrs. This will get done and done by me. Thank you all for those showing support. I appreciate you. I will leave the post up as a show of appreciation for the majority in this group. So, do not ask me questions as they will not be answered by me.
View on Reddit #16652786

rebeldefector@reddit

“Stop working on your own stuff because blah blah blah” I wouldn’t listen
View on Reddit #16691319

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Neither am I. lol. I would’ve stopped ten years ago. My wife has been telling me this since day one. Actually, she’s been supportive. She knows how hard I’ve worked on this car and for this to happen. So sad. But I will be back.
View on Reddit #16691527

Familiar_Palpitation@reddit

Fuck the haters man! Keep your head up and get this car back on the road. Reddit is filled with "experts" that like to sit behind a computer and tell other people how to do stuff they've never done themselves.
View on Reddit #16655359

incredibly_baste@reddit

You deserve to be bashed
View on Reddit #16653277

skooma_consuma@reddit

Are you monitoring oil pressure?
View on Reddit #16646397

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Yes sir. Both on ECU and mechanical gauge. Neve lost oil pressure.
View on Reddit #16652391

ConfusedClicking@reddit

But you said in other replies that it never had good oil pressure?
View on Reddit #16659835

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

At idle. It would idle when got at 10-15psi. Then when it died it idle at 3-5psi from what we saw on the logs. I believe I ran it without oil from the oil leak. I’m not blaming the builder. The parts. The engines. I’m just curious what could’ve pulverized a bearing like that. I’ve never seen that
View on Reddit #16659992

channellock@reddit

I had "good" oil pressure when my motors let go too (rod bearing failures, btw). The readings are only as good as the location of the sensor and the accuracy of its measurement. I don't rely on them any more fwiw, they make for an interesting data point, but not enough truth to save a failing motor.
View on Reddit #16668889

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

I use it for “am I running low on oil” lol. But I totally get you. You can have amazing oil pressure and one passage blocked and it is done.
View on Reddit #16669599

rebeldefector@reddit

Yep I’ve lost a cam that way before No lack of “oil pressure”, but it wasn’t getting to the head due to blockage
View on Reddit #16690690

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

No. This was a freak accident. That’s how I’m writing this out. And I need to use plastigauge. lol. Never trust anyone. I should know. I’m in cybersecurity.
View on Reddit #16691284

ConfusedClicking@reddit

You believe *all* the oil leaked out and you didn't notice?
View on Reddit #16660033

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

No. I did loose maybe like a quart. No more than that. That’s all I know. Maybe that killed it. Maybe not. Just going back to square one. Already ordered the new rods. Just need to see if I can resize the crank.
View on Reddit #16660105

JesseD320@reddit

It may sound crazy but check all your fuel flow, the same thing happens each time. Something else outside of the engine itself is the issue
View on Reddit #16691212

h88_g88@reddit

This is a fitment issue get your parts dialed up and check your aux systems
View on Reddit #16640544

HypnoSmoke@reddit

Your username amuses me, Heightyeight_Geightyeight
View on Reddit #16642162

rebeldefector@reddit

I don’t get it
View on Reddit #16691019

woomdawg@reddit

I see a lot of people saying you should start IMO no you shouldn't, you just need to figure out where you are going wrong. Are you building these engines? To me it looks like the clearances were tight. Did you break it in properly did you use assembly lube, or at least lube all bearing surfaces before installing? Did you check the clearances of all the bearings? Do you understand the measurements involved in checking clearances? If any of the parts came from getting machine work done did you clean them and get all the metal shavings out? Did you properly torque everything? Where did your other engines fail? Get a manual for the engine you are building and follow it to the letter, not YouTube. Youtube can be a great tool or really bad info.
View on Reddit #16690786

WonderWirm@reddit

That journal is cooked. Did not have correct clearance.
View on Reddit #16639577

RocanMotor@reddit

Exactly my thoughts. Or clogged oil passageway.
View on Reddit #16641306

UltraViolentNdYAG@reddit

Or last builds(4) metal making a comeback.
View on Reddit #16665291

obliviousJeff@reddit

Could just be a shitty torque wrench. He thinks he's doing it right, but the wrench is over by a huge amount.
View on Reddit #16686617

UltraViolentNdYAG@reddit

You have to wonder if OP has an oil pressure gauge on that? One in the right place like After the filter at the mains. Modern engines are controlled internal leaks above and beyond mains, rods, top end. Now they squirt pistons, valve springs, cam lobs, chains, and top it off with four VVTi! That's a volume of oil!
View on Reddit #16688969

voxelnoose@reddit

It looks like there wasn't even bearing in it
View on Reddit #16641458

External_Hunt4536@reddit

What car/engine?
View on Reddit #16688085

Yarrow83@reddit

It looks like failure from lack of bearing lubrication; the crank journald are smooth and have redeposition of carbon+bluing on the crankshaft throws anf the chips in your pan. You may have sized your bearings wrong (too thick) intalled them in the wrong orientation, or overtightened the rod bolts= all which can prevent oil flow. After 2 motors, you should walk away to another block and crank/start over or have one built.
View on Reddit #16684839

Dirtweed79@reddit

Yep, those are car words no doubt. I should know I'm a vehicle linguistics expert.
View on Reddit #16687112

juska801@reddit

Man I'm not seeing any signs that there have been bearings on there. Did you take the bearings out for photos?
View on Reddit #16640692

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

The bearing is pulverized on piston 4. No. I did not remove the bearings. When I got the motor back from the machine shop I assembled myself. All I did was add assembly oil and torque them to arp specs.
View on Reddit #16652162

BoliverTShagnasty@reddit

Have you verified your torque wrench(es)/gotten it/them rebuilt? Do you KNOW your torque settings are correct? I have two wrenches that I’ve marked to note how many ft-lbs they are off from their markings versus new digital calibrated gauges. Will get them rebuilt eventually.
View on Reddit #16658847

obliviousJeff@reddit

Yo OP THIS COMMENT IS WHAT YOU NEED TO LOOK AT.
View on Reddit #16686672

Dzov@reddit

Did the shop partially build your engine? Maybe take it apart and check things yourself next time.
View on Reddit #16665051

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

No. It’s complicated. But I have the specs sheet.
View on Reddit #16665321

Familiar_Palpitation@reddit

Look for a different shop if all of these failures are from the same shop. Someone is doing something wrong, and if the machine shop is supplying and installing the crank/rod bearings they aren't doing it right. It isn't a bad idea to double check the work of any machine shop.
View on Reddit #16654763

Short-Bow@reddit

This. This is what I noticed too. There’s no way this had bearings in it. They wouldn’t all be gone and there would be way more metal if they all just got destroyed.
View on Reddit #16643513

grease_monkey@reddit

Figured you were the Miata guy. Maybe it's time? You're clearly missing something and if you don't have anyone helping you that has any ideas what's going wrong, I don't know how you're going to start doing something different.
View on Reddit #16643889

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

I have three Miata’s. This one for some reason is cursed. Both others run fine.
View on Reddit #16685742

grease_monkey@reddit

Right but you are doing something wrong. Machines don't have personalities or whatever. No engine builder has 5 failures and says "wow this engine sure is quirky"
View on Reddit #16685743

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

I’m a shitty mechanic. What can I say?
View on Reddit #16686361

superpj@reddit

Man. I wish I could give you a hug. I broke a head bolt off flush with the block as I was finally putting it back together from replacing the crank shaft and that was replaced just after doing piston rings and seals because the turbo setting was wrong… yay.
View on Reddit #16685660

Catsmak1963@reddit

What went wrong each time? That’s the answer. If you don’t know, or your engine builder doesn’t know then yes, give up on the engine builder at least. If you’re having someone else do work and they can’t tell you what happened then quit them. If they do know then you can find a fix…
View on Reddit #16685631

Koopersdad@reddit

Yes, until you figure out what you’re doing wrong. 5 engines and one common denominator….you.
View on Reddit #16685011

Miserable_Conflict46@reddit

If you wanna be an engine builder, take this motor and get help so you can learn, an engine builder will quickly tell you what went wrong. If you’re just tryna do it, to do it maybe not, best of luck! :)
View on Reddit #16683396

Anxious-Charge-6482@reddit

I wouldn’t give up, but hold yourself accountable and take ownership. If it didn’t even last 200 miles, I’m betting something was more than likely overlooked or installed improperly. Motors don’t blow up for no reason.
View on Reddit #16682320

acidabacus@reddit

You aren’t setting your clearances right, go to a GOOD machine shop and have them set up your rod & main bearing clearances, you’ll probably have to go undersize and have the crank turned.
View on Reddit #16682015

Consistent_Ad5384@reddit

I would say invest in a better engine , just cause the cars a project car don’t mean you can’t put $20,000 into one engine rather then 5 cheap ones that add up to $20,000
View on Reddit #16681276

AFoxGuy@reddit

L E M O N L A W (USA).
View on Reddit #16657286

Nobodyknowsmynewname@reddit

Doesn’t apply when OP is the engine builder.
View on Reddit #16680982

NorfolkAndWaye@reddit

You need to post your bearing clearances and how you measured them, as well as if you used stock or aftermarket rod bolts etc. This is a classic "bearing bore too small/bearing journal too tight" failure. What was the bearing clearance here?
View on Reddit #16680562

XivTillIDie@reddit

Engine?
View on Reddit #16680071

carguy82j@reddit

Yes, unless you have tons of money to burn. Put a good used engine in that thing and just leave it stock unless you can pay a professional. 5 engines is a lot.
View on Reddit #16679605

bigglesticks@reddit

Are you using a fucking impact to tighten the mains and rods? Did you use plasti-gauge at any point?
View on Reddit #16679293

Advanced_Evening2379@reddit

5 ? Who are you Henry ford?
View on Reddit #16679260

mrxexon@reddit

You're going to love electric cars...
View on Reddit #16678832

Less_Atmosphere5821@reddit

I'm not familiar with Mazda, and without telling you the same thing everyone else is of it not being built right, I just want to ask a question. Is this car turboed?
View on Reddit #16678417

tadpole256@reddit

These problems don’t happen with electric vehicles
View on Reddit #16678096

fuzybear@reddit

Yes
View on Reddit #16677681

AKJangly@reddit

Bro... Why are you throwing parts at an issue that's clearly due to clearance? Get a machine shop to measure and correct anything wrong. Bent crank? Journals out of round? Improperly specced bearings? Hell... Bent bellhousing? Imbalanced flywheel? Harmonic balancer failure? Any of those things can cause this to happen. Have you checked all of those things or are you just shelling money into it? If it was me, I'd be telling you to kick rocks.
View on Reddit #16677257

Lone_Wanderer93@reddit

Yes.
View on Reddit #16676662

retawgnob@reddit

Google Dial Bore Gauge. Then "engine blueprint". Next measure. When in doubt call the manufacturer.
View on Reddit #16676258

dandy443@reddit

ARP rod bolts. Did you have a machine shop round out the rods? It’s part of the instructions though on most engines it’s not a real problem.
View on Reddit #16675941

Earth_Normal@reddit

What parts are you reusing?
View on Reddit #16645594

SonOfJiyu@reddit

just the oil cooler...
View on Reddit #16646959

Earth_Normal@reddit

That cooler could be introducing metal debris to you engine.
View on Reddit #16673815

SonOfJiyu@reddit

Yeah OP probably did something along those lines lol.
View on Reddit #16675736

quantumfunk@reddit

Nobody can call you a quitter. Keep blowin those engines, I bet you could go viral off it and make enough money to support your awesome mechanical skills.
View on Reddit #16675423

HogShowman1911@reddit

Depends, is it builder error, part error or what. Maybe try having someone else rebuild it and see what happens unless you would rather put in a different t motor.
View on Reddit #16674519

stonekid33@reddit

You can give up, or you can take what you did wrong and try again. Practice makes perfect.
View on Reddit #16673713

BGPAstronaut@reddit

I’m just impressed you got all that down the drain
View on Reddit #16673419

Decontrol7782@reddit

P and h bearing mix up? Haha
View on Reddit #16673311

SpookyCookie95@reddit

Bro YOU are the common denominator here.
View on Reddit #16673094

Slight-Following-728@reddit

Sounds like something in your assembly process is wrong. I don't think you know what you're doing and you need to leave the engine building to an actual professional.
View on Reddit #16673033

-Ev1l@reddit

… Man I hate to say it but she wasn’t built right. As others have said, plastigague is cheap. If you still feel like it, then give it another shot. Or maybe try switching engine families. Idk bro sorry for your loss. I’m building a 350sbc ground up right now and hoping I don’t have the same problems.
View on Reddit #16672795

Standard_Zucchini_46@reddit

I don't know the back story on how you now have 5 destroyed engines and frankly I'm not that curious to find out. However, 5 ... 5 ....5 fucking engines ! C'mon man someone obviously doesn't know wtf they're doing.
View on Reddit #16670204

Icy-Relationship@reddit

He did it just like you tube showed him tho...
View on Reddit #16672247

Phillyphan08@reddit

Are you building these? If so put the tools down
View on Reddit #16672236

Icy-Relationship@reddit

Obviously
View on Reddit #16672154

DLS4BZ@reddit

Imagine having that much money to piss away
View on Reddit #16671812

CozyKeyboards@reddit

First of all, OP, i think its awesome that you have built 4 motors that have blown up and are still trying to figure it out. please dont give up because everyone in this comments sections is an asshole and condescending. I would bet that a lot of famous tuners and engine builders have blown up dozens of engines in their careers. also, if i am correct these are 1.6 or 1.8L miata motors, which are CHEAP. blow these ones up and then when you work on a high end motor, youll know what youre doing. keep up the good work and keep failung until you get it right
View on Reddit #16671612

flwrpwrgrnhs@reddit

You’ve got oiling issues dude. Or you’re putting your motor together super dirty. I’ve built a few motors, never had a bearing failure like that.
View on Reddit #16671579

TheRealDestrux@reddit

Looks like to me the bearing clearances aren’t being checked. Plastigauge is cheap my friend, an engine is not.
View on Reddit #16670541

FlatbedtruckinCA@reddit

ive been trying to reach you about your cars extended warranty..
View on Reddit #16670470

neohlove@reddit

Additionally to whatever else is going on, 187 miles is not enough of a break in period
View on Reddit #16670228

collision4340@reddit

I successfully built my forged BP motor and it was my first time inside an engine. I did probably 10x as much reading on the subject than I did actually building it Learn your limitations. There are some things we just don't have the expertise or years of experience for. Pay an expert to machine and check the block/crank/bores. They will tell you where your tolerances are at, then you buy the required parts and they will check again. Buy acetone and clean the everliving fuck out of everything with lintfree cloths. During assembly check everything as best you can. Plastigauge the mains and rods. Feeler gauges for your piston rings and thrust play. Spend a good chunk of money on a torque wrench. Use assembly lube. After torquing the mains and again after each piston turn the crank, feel for any binding. Write an inventory and lay ALL your parts out on the workbench so you don't miss anything. This includes oil and coolant. First start, pull the injector fuse so you don't actually run. Keep cranking the engine for a full minute to build pressure. Read your oil gauge if you have a real one. Check for leaks. Replace fuse and start fast idle. Immediately and continually check for leaks until up to temp then drain the oil and inspect. Let everything cool down. Put in fresh Dino oil and filter, take it for a drive under moderate load. Bring it home, drain the oil, inspect and replace. Now go beat on it. Rings have broken in. Next change at 500km and then regular intervals. And for the love of everything holy, remove the plugs and clean all your oil passages, including oil cooler if you have it.
View on Reddit #16650616

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

All of this was done. I’ve been doing this for ever. I had a shop blue print it. Me and a friend had come to the conclusion that an oil leak I had may have resulted in this after seeing logs. Oil pressure just was never good. I should’ve stopped there. But live and learn.
View on Reddit #16651952

channellock@reddit

I posted this above, but I'll say it again here in case its lost amongst the noise: check your oil filter configuration: lines, fittings, and adapters. If they are smaller than the passages in and out of your engine, then the oil is being restricted and starving your bottom-end. I lost a few versions of my engines from this mistake and it took a long time to figure out. My oil system on my current engine has passages that are atleast as large as the passages in the engine, which means much larger adapters and fittings than you might expect. Good luck!
View on Reddit #16668696

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

I had an oil cooler and relocated filter. We going back to basics and doing it the way Mazda did it. So those two variables will be out the window. Hopefully my oil pump survived. If not trashed and getting another one. :(
View on Reddit #16669542

Neat-Internet9682@reddit

Maybe get a professional to build and tune the engine
View on Reddit #16639968

kilobrew@reddit

I’m 70 miles into my first build ever. I entered the project saying “try to do every job on the car at least once yourself” I’ve done everything from rebuild bushings to powder coating…. That did not apply at assembling and tuning the engine. F’ that. I’m not playing with those tolerances. I’ll easily Pay someone to do that. So nice to say I don’t have any problems yet. Maybe OP should take note of that mantra….
View on Reddit #16642121

Ih8Hondas@reddit

Meanwhile I'm over here not at all worried about rebuilding an engine. Been rebuilding motocross engines and shitty Briggs and Stratton types since I was a kid. Automotive multicylinders are definitely different with journal bearings and junk, but nothing crazy. First multicylinder rebuild and mod was a 12 valve Cummins. Starting it and breaking in the cam was terrifying because of that sum of money at the time was absolutely massive to me, but everything went off without a hitch and that truck was more fun than any vehicle that big and heavy had any right to be. Fuck transmissions and diffs though.
View on Reddit #16645087

Sid15666@reddit

I always set pinion preload by feel on GM differentials.
View on Reddit #16669525

uglypudgemain@reddit

Me too brother. I'll do every BUT my engine. They are proffesions at that for a reason
View on Reddit #16644684

streetgrab@reddit

It appears that you are not assembling the engines correctly lol
View on Reddit #16669417

hesslerk@reddit

Yeh, sorry to say. I built an engine with no experience and it ran like a champ. You're doing something wrong here.
View on Reddit #16668985

Nachojr_@reddit

I dont know much about cars, but 5 engines seems too expensive to be worth it. Maybe hang it up for a while...
View on Reddit #16668824

ryanb1994@reddit

Obviously a bearing or clearance issue. Are you using proper sized bearings for the connecting rods? Also haven’t seen it mentioned here but ARP bolts have greater clamping force and can cause distortion of the connecting rod bores. ARP recommends boring connecting rods after hardware is torqued on some applications.
View on Reddit #16668376

channellock@reddit

Heres something for you to check: I see that you may have a **remote oil filter setup**. Go back and look at allllll of your plumbing for it (fittings, manifolds, hoses, all of it) and ensure that every passage is at least as large as the oil passages in the engine. If they are smaller (e.g. the adapter fittings on the manifold), then you may be significantly restricting oil flow to your engine. Speaking from experience here, I've lost a few versions of my engine with this mistake and it took me a lot of expensive trial & error to figure it out. Good luck!
View on Reddit #16668297

Oh_hey_a_TAA@reddit

Before jumping to conclusions, how did the first 4 die? Also, did you jump into autotune without any sort of baseline VE map?
View on Reddit #16639334

Amani576@reddit

If he's toasting his bottom end then this is indicative of something other than tune.
View on Reddit #16667576

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

One. Oil pressure sensor broke the line and all oil. And out Two spin bearing Three cracked camshaft. My fault. Didn’t tighten the caps 4 reused a heated rod and spun that bearing. 5th oil leak I didn’t catch on time. Maybe I should just kill kuself.
View on Reddit #16644229

thescrapplekid@reddit

Hey man. They're just engines. Please don't hurt yourself. Shit happens and as Jake says "sucking at something is the first step to being kind of good at something "
View on Reddit #16645306

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

I mean. From the comments in this post it seems the issue is me. So what’s the point? I’m depressed as fuck and came here looking for some insight as to what happened and all I hear is “yo. You sick. Give up on life. Move away from the only hobby keeping you sane”
View on Reddit #16652443

20071998@reddit

Actually nobody said that, but it seems excessive to blow 5 engines before starting to ask questions. Also I doubt blowing 5 engines by yourself will help with depression, and that's from a depressed mechanic to another.
View on Reddit #16653653

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

It’s not like I blew 5 engines in 5 months. I’ve owned this miata for 11 years.
View on Reddit #16659811

20071998@reddit

It's not like I look at people's profiles to know that, but that seems a very redditor thing to do by looking at the answers. Anyway, I could try to help but you must be willing, and of course with the way this was worded, it looked like you blew 5 engines back to back. Give us something to work with, from what I see in the pics, there seems to be extreme overheating and what would be missing rod bearings. This doesn't just happen like that, it must've made horrible sounds before.
View on Reddit #16661835

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

That’s the thing. It didn’t make horrible noises. It literally started I coasted to curb. That was it. I was doing like 100 mph
View on Reddit #16661962

20071998@reddit

Ok, so we'll just ignore what happened and we focus on what you have on hand. As far as I can see, the crank has been extremely hot, I don't know if I would bother machining it when maybe you can source a crank somewhere. Same for the rods, might as well replace all four just in case. After that, all that comes to mind is either oiling issues (clogged crank passages, weak pump, clogged screen, etc) or just super tight tolerances that didn't work with what you have. I would look at the wear on all bearings, maybe post and report back without mentioning any of the past engines backstory, pics of the journals and the bearings, and someone more knowledgeable than me will help.
View on Reddit #16662403

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Oh yea. Never making the mistake of being honest about my past ever again.
View on Reddit #16665093

20071998@reddit

I mean. Sorry? I just say that so people don't get "distracted". I have this issue how do I fix it, anything else will most probably not matter, specially if it's not the same engine as this one.
View on Reddit #16666737

im-not-a-fakebot@reddit

Look start with the basics. Check your tolerances and torque specs. It could be that the oil pump and channels aren’t able to move oil fast enough at those engine loads and constant abuse. I’m unfamiliar with the engine and system, but lookup your oil system specifications. Check your flow rates and performance benchmarks. What’s happening at least in this pic is that your bearings got too hot, that could either be poor tolerances or oil starvation. Make sure your camshaft(s) and crankshaft are balanced. Is your cam gear or belt driven? Make sure the tolerances for the gears are good or that you have the proper tension on the belts/chains. Check your oil pump backlashes and bearing. There are so many fine tolerances and strict specifications that come with engine internals. The best advice I can give you is double check, triple check, and quadruple check everything. From tolerances to torque specs, to even the type of oil and filter it should be using. Hell your problem could be the oil filter not allowing enough flow. There’s no telling. Just walk through it step by step
View on Reddit #16663161

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Thanks. I won’t provide any further updates on this post as it has become a bashing meat fest. I appreciate you and may reach privately, if you allow me, with questions in the future. I’ve learned my lesson. I thought this group was a bit different. That’s all.
View on Reddit #16665195

-Pruples-@reddit

>That’s the thing. It didn’t make horrible noises. It literally started I coasted to curb. That was it. I was doing like 100 mph It could be a variety of things that caused the actual failure each time; but if you're racing you're going to be going through engines more than most people. In racing 5 engines in 11 years is nothing. Obviously there are things you can do to increase longevity, but they're all going to come at a cost. If you bring down the rev limiter, turn down the boost, if you're running boost, etc etc etc it all makes it easier on the engine but costs power. Or replace the rotating assembly with lighter rods/etc to reduce the forces involved costs money. Finding that balance where you are pushing as hard as you can without blowing it up is difficult. Even something as simple as running 5w-30 instead of 10w-30 (or w/e your engine needs - it may not be whatever's called for stock, as you're pushing it harder than stock) can make the difference good or bad. You're probably better off on an engine based sub or even separate forum rather than here.
View on Reddit #16663648

Joiner2008@reddit

Hey man. You want good advice that will get you through this without having someone else build it? You haven't once posted on r/enginebuilding. Nothing but great advice and help over there bud.
View on Reddit #16654740

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

lol. Project car best advice :”give up on project” Thanks man. I just posted over there. I guess slipknot is right. People = Shit.
View on Reddit #16659716

thescrapplekid@reddit

Look I'm not great at engine internals, woodworking, or baking. There's going to be something you're good at. Plus when you find that out you can just trade with someone who's a master at engine jobs and not at what you're good at
View on Reddit #16657368

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Okay.
View on Reddit #16659545

lunchpadmcfat@reddit

Don’t be so dramatic. People fuck up. We’ve all fucked up here before. But we don’t do it 5 times before wondering if we might need to reconsider what we’re doing. You make a mistake, learn from it and try to do better next time. Being done with a job doesn’t mean anything. Doing something right means it’s actually done. Do it right the first time, check yourself the entire time and stop being a little bitch.
View on Reddit #16644926

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Okay.
View on Reddit #16652473

AntonioMrk7@reddit

Honestly I have to applaud your resolve. I took a look at your post history and it seems like you’re pretty dedicated to building this car up. Even learning to print your parts out. You need to be more diligent, these are mistakes that could’ve been avoided. Not gonna say stop building engines, but you need to go about it differently. Make a list of things to monitor after you finish. Check all clearances, torque specs, everything before hand. The smallest mistake is always gonna blow up in your face, think about the amount of energy inside an engine when it’s running.
View on Reddit #16646673

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

I’ll get I right one day.
View on Reddit #16652382

Yondering43@reddit

Or instead of killing yourself maybe you should take the time to learn how to build engines, and how to pay attention to detail? You obviously have trouble with both.
View on Reddit #16648801

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Nah. Ending my life will be cheaper in the long run. Am I right? Stop telling Reddit I’m killing myself. I am not. lol.
View on Reddit #16652317

RunningSouthOnLSD@reddit

Hey you messed something up for the 5th time and are still coming back here looking for help on what you did wrong. That is admirable, I guarantee you most of the guys in here doggin you for it wouldn’t have the balls if it was them in your situation. Clearly you have the motivation and some foundational skills to do this kind of work, but IMO it’s definitely time to take a step back and walk through it much more methodically or take it to a professional. Like I said, it takes a big man to admit his mistakes and ask for help. Don’t let people here get you down, and definitely don’t kill yourself. It fuckin sucks blowing up another engine, but your life is worth much more than that.
View on Reddit #16647609

Yondering43@reddit

No, most people here wouldn’t be making the same mistakes repeatedly and then asking the internet for sympathy. And he obviously does NOT have the foundational skills to do this stuff; the mistakes he described are the result of pretty basic stuff that any decent repair manual can show how to do correctly.
View on Reddit #16648866

RunningSouthOnLSD@reddit

I mean you’ve gotta have some kind of know how to rip an engine apart and put it back together. Putting it back together *properly* is a different story for him it seems. I’m not going to speculate on what he does or doesn’t know, and what led him to make the choices that brought him to this point multiple times, but I maintain that it takes a big man to keep coming back looking for answers when you know you’ve fucked up ESPECIALLY multiple times. Personally I would have been straight to an engine builder after the first catastrophic failure, but that’s me. If he’s got the resources to work through this as many times as he already has, I’m guessing he will continue until he gets it right. I find that to be admirable.
View on Reddit #16650403

synkal@reddit

Hey man, I know everyone is being harsh on you, including yourself. But don't harm yourself. Life is like that, maybe slow down a bit and be more methodical next time. Sorry for the engine.
View on Reddit #16644584

MrWindu@reddit

This is the way
View on Reddit #16648494

Neither_Appeal_8470@reddit

Definitely this is speed and lack of attention to detail. Sloooooooowwwww down. Way way down. Be methodical.
View on Reddit #16645043

Beachdaddybravo@reddit

Pay someone reputable to do the job. No offense, but everyone has things they’re good at and things they’re bad at. Just accept it and pay a professional rather than waste more of your money blowing up engines. There’s no shame in admitting you don’t have the knowledge to do something. Plus, you’ll have someone else to be accountable for any screwups.
View on Reddit #16644631

FBIGrandpa@reddit

“Oil leak I didn’t catch on time” has to be one of the laziest excuses I’ve ever heard. That is quite literally one of the first things you’re looking for when it is running. Perhaps you should take a step back from the big jobs.
View on Reddit #16644230

imadabgod@reddit

Man if I was u I'd go back to the books... so.ething is going terribly wrong wether Jr over tourquing or using cheap China metal and parts idk but something needs to be done to fix current issue maybe throw away and buy a create .....
View on Reddit #16667170

iluvtumadre@reddit

No don’t give up. Just do it right next time.
View on Reddit #16666951

TheeRickestRicks@reddit

Nah, everyone knows it takes 10 engines to get it right. If you wanna save some time you should just buy the next 5 all at once and toss 4 in the trash.
View on Reddit #16666667

Squidhead-rbxgt2@reddit

Right... so. Yeah, if that's the 5th then give up, find a reputable workshop and pay them to get the job done. You clearly are doing something wrong and aren't understanding what. If the engine blows 6th time you'll have somebody to point at with the blame and get a refund.
View on Reddit #16666553

OtherDetective861@reddit

YOU are doing something basically wrong, get over your ego and hire someone who knows what they are doing. You can buy rebuilt, crate engine or hire local shop. At least hire a mechanic to come work with you while rebuilding it again. Quit throwing money away!
View on Reddit #16666532

Pistonenvy2@reddit

so you said you sent the block out to a machine shop, im going to assume you used bearings in accordance to what they machined it to so that should have all played nice, you also said you torqued to ARP specs, im going to also assume you used a torque wrench that got at least somewhat near the spec because the cap appears to be on, you dont mention them being loose either. my first thought when i saw this post was this is an oil issue. the machine shop should have set all of your tolerances themselves so that leaves two possibilities here in my mind. 1. you ran low on oil/had some kind of pump failure, possibly failed to prime the pump and drove on assembly lube? 2. the machine shop fucked you lol so let me ask this next, did you have the same machine shop prepare all of these engines that failed on you? this does not look like a tuning failure to me. ive never seen a rod bearing get pinged to death, i guess its possible if they are the weakpoint but fuck lol looks much more like an oiling/tolerance failure to me. the thing is, if this was a tolerance failure, that shit would have been really hard to turn over by hand, i would hope you would realize something is wrong before you even had it all together, even if you just have the bottom end together with rings and everything, you should be able to turn it over very easily. so barring that, id guess there is something in your oiling system stopping flow somewhere.
View on Reddit #16666508

SmokeDogSix@reddit

What are you building a 6.0 diesel?
View on Reddit #16666357

sonicdh@reddit

Have you considered going electric?
View on Reddit #16666164

ThisWasAValidName@reddit

>Should I just give up? Maybe . . . but, if you don't want to then I suggest seeking out the assistance of someone who *really* knows what they're doing and *shadowing* them as they build something. If I recall correctly, I responded to a previous post of yours by talking about the time I delved into engine rebuilding as well as the time I decided "Eh, let's just pull the pin on this grenade and see what happens"\* \- Like I said then, the engine rebuild went on with the help of some extremely knowledgeable individuals that know that particular engine type inside-and-out like the back of their hands. And while I have no doubt that I *could've* done it by myself, eventually . . . I glad to have had another set, or two, of hands with me, and some people of whom I could ask all kinds of dumbass questions that would, almost certainly, get me laughed out of a place like this rather quickly. ​ \*A good enough metaphor, I think, for someone trying to start an engine that's a complete unknown after doing, maybe, half the checks one should . . .
View on Reddit #16665746

No_Association_3719@reddit

Yes maybe send it out to get built
View on Reddit #16665397

Environmental-Tax344@reddit

The comments are pure comedy ! I have nothing bad to say… so go for the 6th rebuild ? Wow !
View on Reddit #16665071

Outside-Drag-3031@reddit

Sir, as someone who has blown through 2 engines myself (though not nearly from the same problems), that shit has put so much strain on my relationship, both with me/gf and me/GTI. I don't pretend to know your wife/financial situation, but maybe build a safe motor, **with a mechanic's help**, before destroying a sixth.
View on Reddit #16664900

Lumpy_Ad3500@reddit

Try a different builder, and hopefully you didn’t “do just as good” yourself.
View on Reddit #16664683

vader119@reddit

I wouldn’t give up. But I’d definitely reach out to some local mechanics/engine builders and see if you can find someone to help you and learn from. Just make sure you approach the situation as looking to learn and not that you’re a failure or a know it all. If you’re humble and willing to learn. There’s plenty of people out there who would love to help.
View on Reddit #16664626

magnum_hunter@reddit

https://youtu.be/NfuXp8QnWoU?si=dHpEQKzcDiv-bX2h Here Op, for inspiration.
View on Reddit #16664171

darkjediii@reddit

Props for your resilience.
View on Reddit #16663844

Dead-2-Rites@reddit

Is it an EJ? There’s your problem.
View on Reddit #16663325

F00MANSHOE@reddit

Yea
View on Reddit #16662551

Majestic-Pen7878@reddit

I don’t know if you should give up….but definitely regroup. Something about your process isn’t working. Check your ego, do some research
View on Reddit #16662549

Ill_Box_8316@reddit

5th? At this point buy a damn crate motor and call it a day.
View on Reddit #16662483

Complex_Kangaroo1152@reddit

Yes give up
View on Reddit #16662372

van-sucks@reddit

Takes at least 500 miles to break in a motor just be more gentle and patient
View on Reddit #16662302

PsychologicalEdge953@reddit

I don't know what you're doing with these engines. I doubt it would be the tuners fault. To put it into perspective we used to have a guy that shared a shop with our group. I don't know the specifics of what he did to his engine build wise but from what I heard he wasn't putting any money into it and properly building it. When he took it to our tuner he straight up refused to tune his car because he said that the engine was not built properly. The guy insisted he just do a "light tune" just so he could drive it and you can guess what happened. In the drive back (he didn't want to tow it back to the shop). He blew his engine. We all warned him plus the tuner warned him as well. He flipped out and started blaming everyone but himself and we had to get the police involved and kicked him from our shop. So from my experience if you're on your fifth engine yeah maybe just give up. Or figure out what's going on. There's a million things that can cause engine failure and we don't notice half of them. In almost all of our cases we see it coming. Notice something is wrong before the engine goes. Besides a few times where there was a second engine ready and we didn't care.
View on Reddit #16662202

ronniearnold@reddit

Why not learn before you do? Or just pay someone who knows? This seems... silly.
View on Reddit #16661898

HDauthentic@reddit

If one of your exes is crazy, that makes sense. If ALL of your exes are crazy, you might be the problem.
View on Reddit #16660585

FucknAright@reddit

Probably let someone who knows how to build an engine do it.
View on Reddit #16659859

__babz@reddit

3rd time is a charm, thereafter…get professional help.
View on Reddit #16659438

vicaphit@reddit

Are you setting your torque wrench correctly?
View on Reddit #16658719

Azuljustinverday@reddit

If you went through five just pay someone else to do it.
View on Reddit #16658272

marine-tech@reddit

r/enginebuilding
View on Reddit #16658035

TheOzarkWizard@reddit

You ARE cleaning out the oil system properly, right? Right?
View on Reddit #16657945

New-Consideration581@reddit

Build issue, either they over tightened or not enough, but it's a build issue
View on Reddit #16657340

WatIsLasagne@reddit

It's not worth it bruh
View on Reddit #16656584

PinkPoking@reddit

Maybe if you tried putting the sixth one together properly you could get more than 200 miles!
View on Reddit #16656583

a-hippobear@reddit

Are you checking the clearances or just assuming they’re perfect out of the box?
View on Reddit #16655400

1leggeddog@reddit

Looks like you're doing something wrong and need someone to look over your work before you just send it.
View on Reddit #16655068

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

This is the first time something like this happens. Other engines had died for different reasons. It wasn’t always the same.
View on Reddit #16652031

nova75@reddit

Technically it's the fifth time this has happened.
View on Reddit #16654674

EvolvingEachDay@reddit

If this is the fifth engine, this is absolutely a skill issue, even if there’s something mechanical happening, you don’t have the skill to suss it out and should quit before you set fire to more money.
View on Reddit #16654455

_nocebo_@reddit

Eyeballing clearances with a tape measure?
View on Reddit #16648105

Informal_Drawing@reddit

From the other side of the room.
View on Reddit #16651206

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Using imperial. Should’ve stuck to metric….
View on Reddit #16652337

Informal_Drawing@reddit

You crashed the lander into Mars again? That's a bad habit you've got there. lol
View on Reddit #16654332

_nocebo_@reddit

Lol at least you have a good sense of humour about it : )
View on Reddit #16653967

Sle@reddit

/r/EngineBuilding might have some useful pointers.
View on Reddit #16653891

20071998@reddit

Is it me or there's no bearings on these rods?
View on Reddit #16653760

JamesM3E30@reddit

Have you reused any parts connected to the oiling system at any point, like oil cooler, head, pistons, rods etc. If yes, and if you still decice to try, do not reuse any parts. One thing could also be, if you are reusing aftermarket bearings, there could be a batch of bad ones thst you have been putting in.
View on Reddit #16653592

bigdipper125@reddit

I say keep trying. You’re gonna be really good at building this thing after awhile.
View on Reddit #16653488

Busterlimes@reddit

As someone who has never assembled an engine but really wants to, this is the experience I'm looking to avoid.
View on Reddit #16652677

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

For my mental health I will be unsubbing from this post. I didn’t come here asking to be bashed but to understand what could’ve happened. It all went from that to some people recommending I find a different hobby. No thanks. If it takes me 50 yrs. This will get done and done by me. Thank you all for those showing support. I appreciate you. I will leave the post up as a show of appreciation for the majority in this group. So, do not ask me questions as they will not be answered by me.
View on Reddit #16652761

IguasOs@reddit

You should at least stop until you find what you're always forgetting or doing wrong. But at least you seem to not give up and to have resources, it would be a shame to waste those qualities by stopping aha!
View on Reddit #16651508

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Thank you.
View on Reddit #16652489

radness89@reddit

You cannot build an engine. Stick to your job. Some people can’t hack it
View on Reddit #16644944

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Yes, I can and I’ve done. Shit happens. Gotta go back and try again.
View on Reddit #16652456

awaytogetsun@reddit

Surprised nobody has mentioned how the caps are attached? Are they just straight torquing the bolts on or using a stretch gauge? I don't fuck with cars but I know putting Carrillos in a motorcycle is done by stretch with a maximum torque to achieve it
View on Reddit #16650428

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

ARP bolts don’t stretch.
View on Reddit #16651991

awaytogetsun@reddit

All fasteners stretch, not necessarily like yield bolts tho. The stretch of the threads is what causes the torque tension. Stretch gauging rod bolts is the gold standard, even ARP says its the most accurate. Carrillo straight up says don't worry about the torque as long as it's not above the limit
View on Reddit #16652362

MrChemistryCow9@reddit

You forgot to add the oil
View on Reddit #16648909

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Oil just makes everything so messy. I used water. 🙄🙄🙄
View on Reddit #16652288

technicallynotlegal@reddit

Something something definition of insanity.
View on Reddit #16649046

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

I am insane, I guess.
View on Reddit #16652281

bossDocHolliday@reddit

What parts are you reusing from engine to engine? It's possible that if you're reusing parts of the oil system for every new engine that metal shavings are hidden inside and waiting to blow up the next one. If you continue with the car, I'd suggest completely replacing the oil and cooling systems for piece of mind.
View on Reddit #16649433

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

This time around. None.
View on Reddit #16652267

LocalVoiceless@reddit

unfortunately after the 3rd engine its user error
View on Reddit #16649546

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Probably.
View on Reddit #16652258

I426Hemi@reddit

Bearings don't just shatter. Triple check absolutely everything because this is YOU doing something wrong.
View on Reddit #16650196

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

I’m Not blaming anyone else. Just trying to understand this failure. But all I hear from everyone is leave the hobby. Ain’t gonna happen.
View on Reddit #16652249

collision4340@reddit

If you're into throwing money away, can I have some?
View on Reddit #16650282

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

No.
View on Reddit #16652233

goodolerusty@reddit

You need a new hobby
View on Reddit #16640553

baconjerky@reddit

Nah just more money 🤷🏻‍♂️
View on Reddit #16642931

goodolerusty@reddit

Money can’t buy skills which you obviously don’t have. If you want to save some cash admit you are helplessly out of your element and pay a machinist to do it right, like you should have four or five engines ago.
View on Reddit #16643674

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

I did pay someone to blueprint it.
View on Reddit #16652202

baconjerky@reddit

There’s a lot to learn from breaking stuff and doing it wrong. Just costs a bunch in the long run.
View on Reddit #16647263

Particular-Try5584@reddit

What should you do? Stop trying ot do it yourself and get someone who knows what they are doing to help you.
View on Reddit #16640818

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Nah. I didnit once and it worked. I’m sure I can do it again. Took me 2hrs to pull motor.
View on Reddit #16652180

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

I did have a reputable shop build it. The failure happen after the fact.
View on Reddit #16644959

polygon_primitive@reddit

Did the same shop do all the others too? Bc if so, find another shop lol
View on Reddit #16644960

Johnlc29@reddit

If he is determined to build another motor hire, someone qualified to look over his shoulder and watch him build it step by step. If that doesn't help. Give up and try crocheting. It's cheaper
View on Reddit #16641404

SpreadTheTed@reddit

What are you doing to these engines?
View on Reddit #16650413

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

Apparently voodoo.
View on Reddit #16652000

frisky024@reddit

5th engine,!,@?? BRO AT 3 I'm rethink life all together. But 5!?! This man is lost in the sauce
View on Reddit #16650437

AlejoMSP@reddit (OP)

5 in a span of 10 years tho.
View on Reddit #16651980

Ok_Negotiation4465@reddit

My .02 is improper oil clearance in the rod bearing. I need more info though, what did you replace when you rebuilt? 5 engines is insane.
View on Reddit #16650875

Cyuriousity@reddit

Yeah dude just stop, give it to a new shop, ruining this many engines is how prices get jacked.
View on Reddit #16645596

SonOfJiyu@reddit

Thank goodness he's not a Honda guy. One could only imagine what this man would end up doing to a K series...
View on Reddit #16647015

Cyuriousity@reddit

Silvia tax 2.0
View on Reddit #16650862

burkins89@reddit

Time to start using an actual micrometer or some plastigauge at least.
View on Reddit #16650562

a_small_loli@reddit

are you buying the parts from the same place every time? if so are they sketchy? cos if not then idk what to tell you mate, you gotta seriously reevaluate how you build motors
View on Reddit #16650527

Doctah_Whoopass@reddit

You should understand that you are making a, nearly a deliberate at this point, fuckup and reanalyze how you build engines.
View on Reddit #16649723

rdecivesolec@reddit

Try useing better oil. It looks like this one is dead Because of wrong oil
View on Reddit #16649475

Lankey_Craig@reddit

Bro hire a mechanic, 5 you have killed 5 motors.
View on Reddit #16649437

Uh-trey-you@reddit

Yup
View on Reddit #16648507

Dustbuster358@reddit

Well. Are you paying for built engines or doing them yourself? What are you working on? It may be time to set it aside build up funds and pay a professional.gor this stage. But give all the info first. Also, auto tuning? Kinda.sounds hokey.no offense.
View on Reddit #16648182

DakarCarGunGuy@reddit

Wow......you rainbows the rod cap and changed the temper of the crank. Invest in a GOOD set of micrometers and torque wrenches. Even plasti gauge would have saved your ass. Buy a book on building THAT engine. YouTube isn't enough for this
View on Reddit #16648130

therapyfortherapists@reddit

Is your name Christopher Rudnik AKA Ricer Miata by any chance??
View on Reddit #16648030

Ok_Chocolate3253@reddit

As someone who also isn't great at anything bottom end wise because those clearances have to be perfect, I just buy a built short block and go from there. You can get them in stock form or from a builder (depending on what your building of course)
View on Reddit #16647398

Poopscooptroop21@reddit

I think number 6 will be your number.
View on Reddit #16645179

ArcFire15@reddit

Clearly
View on Reddit #16647228

Tac0Band1t0@reddit

Do you always take all the bearings out before removing the pistons?
View on Reddit #16640172

chandleya@reddit

I mean that rod in picture 3 got so hot it changed colors.
View on Reddit #16641778

voxelnoose@reddit

You can see in pic 5 that the crank did too
View on Reddit #16641900

Tac0Band1t0@reddit

Look close at 6, it looks like there is no room for bearings.
View on Reddit #16647109

tlivingd@reddit

Woah!!! Just realized that. I could see maybe the guy assembling this realizing a bearing doesn’t go in there if he’s never done this before or only small engines. but the machine shop not even providing or saying anything about them would be crazy. It doesn’t even look like there is room for a bearing!
View on Reddit #16641064

Badass_1963_falcon@reddit

It would have never made a pull without bearings let a lone 187 miles I believe he said
View on Reddit #16642003

Tac0Band1t0@reddit

I know, right? This thing would knock louder than a diesel without bearings, initial teardown you would have to remove bearings, but there's one picture that looks like the cap was taken off just before the pic taken with no bearing installed.
View on Reddit #16641161

voxelnoose@reddit

Looks like the all the debris is what's left of the bearing
View on Reddit #16641587

tlivingd@reddit

Almost wonder if first time shop made them let’s say .020 undersized then .03 etc And OP kept putting on size in. Skipping plasti gauge step. I’d love to know the oil pressure or 90w-180 is used.
View on Reddit #16641486

Tac0Band1t0@reddit

Your rods look like they've been run without bearings
View on Reddit #16640317

SpaceRaver42@reddit

With the money you've surely spent on so many engines, at this point, just buy a K24, tear it down, rebuild it with top-notch parts, & swap it in. No turbo required as it'll have the same if not more HP/Torque as the Turbo 1.8 would
View on Reddit #16647004

TheCrudMan@reddit

Bro could you stop blowing up Miata engines and save a few for the rest of us 🤣
View on Reddit #16646682

pdxcar@reddit

Measure your bearing clearances. Some people successfully build engines and never check them but they’re lucky, you are not. Plasti-gauge is a really cheap and quick go-no go check for bearing oil clearance. Power nation on YouTube has great engine building videos on how to check bearing clearance.
View on Reddit #16646312

michaelshreds@reddit

Have you been using plastigauge and checking your tolerances ? Because it looks like not.
View on Reddit #16645928

n7275@reddit

Well that sounds expensive.
View on Reddit #16645473

bshr49@reddit

I'm all for trying shit on my own, but sometimes, [a man's got to know his limitations](https://youtu.be/uki4lrLzRaU?si=nX2Nm0ToVXpmcSfT&t=116). Maybe make a checklist of all fittings/connections? Mark ones that you tighten with a paint pen? Check, double check, and triple check clearances and torque on everything before your seal it up? Write everything down so you have a record of what the measurements were each time you check. You need to take a step back, figure out where you're going wrong, and come up with a process that works for you. Maybe break it up into smaller steps and set a goal per day. If you find yourself trying to rush through it, ask yourself how much time and money you've already spent. It'd be well worth it to take a lot more time and care in #6, if you decide to go that route, rather than trash another engine.
View on Reddit #16645337

ohlawdyhecoming@reddit

Fresh Miata engines take a shitload of time to build up oil pressure. I do a fair amount of SpecMiata engine builds, and when the shop installs them and gets them ready to fire for the first time, the very first thing they do is pressurize the oil system with a pre-oiler. Maybe even several times. *Then* they'll start cranking without spark plugs to try to get oil pressure. The pick-up tube is pretty long on these, so the oil has a long way to go before getting to the sensor, which is right by the filter. What was your initial fire-up procedure? Had the crank been ground undersize? If so, were the proper size bearings used? Did they give you paperwork that mentioned if the crank had been machined and what bearings were used?
View on Reddit #16644998

unemotional_mess@reddit

My friend, no one is that unlucky. I don't know what you're doing to bloe up these engines, but maybe it times for some hired help to do #6
View on Reddit #16644904

AnSynTrashPanda@reddit

I gotta be honest dude, If you've had 5 engines blow on you, then I think it's time to replace the common denominator and spare the 6th engine
View on Reddit #16644580

Jooshmeister@reddit

What engine? What application? High RPM? Boosted? Any machining done, oversized bearings, different length rods, pistons, parts? Need more details here
View on Reddit #16643691

blunzngroestl@reddit

It's called a Plastigauge kit, you need to learn how to use it
View on Reddit #16643575

buildyourown@reddit

Did you just not use bearings?
View on Reddit #16643503

Short-Bow@reddit

My brother in Christ where are the bearings…?
View on Reddit #16643462

IMMILDEW@reddit

Looks like a clearance issue, if oil routes were clear and flowing.
View on Reddit #16643425

Mosk1990@reddit

Shit happens........let's you be better ⛄
View on Reddit #16643347

Caustic___@reddit

Maybe dont use auto tune??
View on Reddit #16643329

RPL79@reddit

If you are the one building them you should fire yourself as the lead mechanic
View on Reddit #16643028

kudos1007@reddit

Are you plasti-gaging the bearings and honing them before install? How is your oil pump and flow? Are you using assembly lube or power priming the oil system before the first start?
View on Reddit #16642797

stimpreny@reddit

Why am I not seeing any connecting rod bearings? Anywhere?? Did you fail to install them? I can't imagine you had very much oil pressure if any if that were true?
View on Reddit #16642687

zojacks@reddit

Why are you trying to do engine work when you clearly don’t know what you’re doing?
View on Reddit #16642679

atboggs42@reddit

Try checking how your pistons/rods/crank are all weighted .0001 grams in the wrong place can cause some very destructive interference
View on Reddit #16642072

fnordfnordfnordfnord@reddit

100 micro grams? I don't think so, Tim.
View on Reddit #16642516

voxelnoose@reddit

Unless it's a race engine running 9000+ rpm even 10 grams wont make any noticeable difference
View on Reddit #16642294

janoycresvadrm@reddit

Lmao ouch
View on Reddit #16642375

Crafty-Interest-8212@reddit

Op doesn't give much info here but if all engines die the same way....are recycling parts, what parts, have you try to pin point the cause or just build new engines...if all of them do something similar it could be transmission vibration messing the engines or not properly in line..
View on Reddit #16642367

FknBretto@reddit

Plastigage is cheap bro
View on Reddit #16642251

20isFuBAR@reddit

Perhaps time for a new engine builder
View on Reddit #16642220

yourmomsjubblies@reddit

Guess you've never heard of plasti gauge, huh?
View on Reddit #16641907

Darisixnine@reddit

Tf gapped to the first 4 engines 💀 bro shouldn’t be let near any cars again
View on Reddit #16641674

AVgreencup@reddit

Have you tried using engine oil? Seriously though, something's being missed, when you build them are you documenting all measurements and double checking?
View on Reddit #16641484

Vikturus22@reddit

God dam! Doesnt look like it had the right clearance or the bearing did not have assembly lube pre done before starting. Either way it shouldn’t have been tuned until break in had been performed
View on Reddit #16641186

BlueRex8@reddit

There hasnt been a bearing in there by the looks of it.
View on Reddit #16640952

TheOtherAkGuy@reddit

Just get a professional to build and tune your motor. Going to save you more money in the long run.
View on Reddit #16640611

Ghost17088@reddit

Now it’s officially done.
View on Reddit #16640164

rummmmham@reddit

Seen those exploding rods thing before on a Steve Morris video. Something about the resonance of the motor causing complete failure of the rods.
View on Reddit #16639764

racecars_and_drugs@reddit

What kind of engine... did you just throw a set of berrings in it? Was machine work done? Stock rods? Crank? Definitely looks like an oiling or assembly issue of some sort.
View on Reddit #16639710

rummmmham@reddit

Well, by now it’s fair to say you are doing something very wrong. Cheap measurement tools or what?
View on Reddit #16639693

EZKTurbo@reddit

Are you sure your oil clearances were correct?
View on Reddit #16639451