Thread: Opinions on my VE's death

Well guys, I went down to Portland International Raceway this last weekend to see some friends and decided to make a run with my VE for the first time. Did a small burnout and my oil pressure gauge went from solid 30psi at idle to bouncing around 20psi and the car felt like it was in limp mode. Made most of an embarrassing run down the track and it died and wouldn't start. I checked the fuel, spark, and under the valve cover and everything is fine. No leaks anywhere, but the exhaust leak i had at the header collector had some oil blowing out of it when I turned the motor over. I'm thinking its a bad ring but I don't know how it would have done it just like that. Also could I check the rings and the bore with the head still on by taking off the crank and bearings or should I just remove the head and look first?

compression test it first. sounds like a bad ring or broken ring lands.

thats what i thought. i havent drined the oil to see if there is some metal pieces in the pan, but the oil in the header makes me think some of the rings are bad

sorry about your vvl drama hopefully you have a magnetic drain plug to make it super easy to see shavings

time for a build up

Sorry to hear this bro!

Good luck, and best wishes, keep us posted!



Dudeman

Sucks man. Where is the car now? If you need bottom end stuff for a VE I have some good used parts.

i do have a magnetic drain plug, so hopefully i dont see anything too bad on it. its back home. my friend towed it home for me for gas and a trailer hitch and ball. it cost me less than it would have been to get it towed hoe on a tow truck.

Magnetic drain plugs realy dont do much if anything on an Aluminum head and block motor. You tend to see broken aluminum parts in the oil pan than magnetic metal parts floating around.

after building my motor a $5 drain plug is a no brainer

you know miko, you make a great point, because the only things in the motor that are steel are the bearings, rings and the crank correct? the rods, block, pistons(?), & head are all aluminum so they wont show up on the drain plug. Anyway, I am going to throw my old motor back in after I get the oil filter bracket. I will do a complete teardown of the VE in the Spring so that i can have it bored and sleeved to 92mm, have the head ported, and get some nice new pistons. Hopefully I don't rush into the build as it will be my first motor teardown.