I'll check the end play when I get back to work Monday. I hope its not too bad, but my luck usually is. Really sux that I paid a shop to build it and it only lasted this long All that money just pissed down the drain. I could have bought a new crate motor for what I have in this one now, but I went this route because it was suppose to be stronger/better.

 

If I paid a shop to build it and they didn't install the crank properly,THEY could eat the the repair bill.The only way you'll lose a thrust washer in 1400miles is improper machine work on the crank or to much end play.Good luck,I hope everything works out for you.

 

Read this:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...ghlight=thrust

 

And the last post on this thread:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/showthrea...ghlight=thrust

 

well randy, can you move the crank pulley in and out? If you can, i would seriously be sending a repair bill to the shop that built the motor.

 

damn Randy, hate to hear about your bad luck. hope it isn't too serious.

 

Since you have the pan off you need to pull the middle main cap and examine the rear thrust surface of the thrust bearing and also the thrust surface on the crank. I had the thrust go out at least 3 times last year, might have been 4 hell I lost count after a certain point ! Every time it happened the crank was ruined. Looked like you used a grinder on it. The second time it happened I was needing a crank quick so I just robbed the one out of my original 5.3 (this was before I put it in my work truck) The 6 liter ate that one up pretty quick too. I was really starting to question my engine skills at that point. I have been building engines over 20 years now and have never ever had a prob like this. In your case you were trusting the builder that everything was right, in mine I KNOW it was right cause I did it. So it is very frustrating I know.

When I decided to use the 5.3 in my work truck I bought a crank off Ebay and put it in with new bearings and it has been over 20000 miles now with no problems. I installed it in the same manner as all the others and the clearance was the same. I really can't explain the thrust problem, I asked for help on here, I called all the "famous" LS1 engine builders, all the torque converter people, lotsa local engine builders etc etc. I got a lot of ideas and I tried all of them with no success. All the LS1 experts said they never heard of this problem which I suspect was BS-I know of at least a couple other people on this site who have had the same issue so I know it is not isolated. I would just like to know why it happens. I am reluctant to build the motor I have in the planning stages because of this.

Anyways, I hope that maybe you just have something simple and can be back on the road shortly. Let us know as soon as you find out.

 

Man I'm sorry to read this

I got my esitmate for my truck yesterday and I freaked out but when I sat and thought about all the machine work to make sure tolerances were good I felt a lil better. God you must be frustrated to all hell and back.

I'm crossin my fingers for ya man.

 

On the old style engine thrusts got eat'n out because of the torque converter balloning and pushing on the crank.The reason they were balloning was because of a plugged or restriced trans cooler.

 

What about valve guides, sometimes those are copper too. Guess you would hear that though.