Well I just pulled my heads off because of a ticking noise. Thought it was a lifter making noise and come to find a broken piston. The engine has 2900 miles on it and other than that it looks to be in good shape. I found a set of new pistons and was wondering if I can install these with leaving the engine in the truck still. I was going to drop the oil pan and unbolt the rods and pull the piston and rod out through the top. Is that possible with these engines? Anybody ever do that with these? Any help would be great. Thanks.

 

was ur tune off? rings gapped wrong? what caused it to break? and no ur gonna have to pull the motor. its not worth the trouble, just pull it. pistons and rods have to come out the top of the cylinders. how does the head look on the cylinder that the piston broke?

 

Far as engine it was a stock bottom end. Brand new engine out of a new truck that was wrecked. Far as tune being off I don't know. Justin from Black Bear did it and everything seemed fine. Just started to make a lifter ticking noise. I also noticed that my impeller on my supercharger was all bent and messed up. I am assuming that something went into the engine. Don't know what it was though. It broke clean off(piston). What would be the problem with taking the pistons out with it in the truck? Just curious.

 

Sucked something through the blower, man that sucks! I see no reason why you couldn't do as you describe, though I am no mechanic.

 

sounds like detonation to me.i would just pull it, if you are going to put all new pistons in, u need new rings as well. are u doing just 1 piston, or all 8?you need to go ahead and plastigage all the bearings while u have it apart. cant do that with the block in the truck. everything needs to be super clean when going back together. what pistons are u going with?? hope this all works out for u bro. Got pics of the carnage?

 

pm cashdudehomie, IIRC he did this

 

I don't think it was detonation. I wasn't even in it when it started to make the noise. I got up for work one morning and got about a block down the road and it just started to tick. The cylinder walls still have the hatch marks in it and pistons are pretty clean yet. Like I said, it only has 2900 miles. And for the most part, mostly easy miles with almost half of the being highway miles. I have built a lot of SBC lt1 style engines. Just wondering if there will be anything in the way by dropping the pan and loosening the rod bolts and pushing the rod and piston out the top and then putting the new piston and rings on it. I really didn't want to pull the engine.

 

i think the crossmember for the a-arms will have to come out. if u are only doing 1, then yes, i agree with u, no need to pull it then! hope it all works out for you buddy

 

the bent impellers (rotors?) of the SC indicate an inedible ingestion. What's that repair cost?

 

Don't know yet. Pistons, rings, and new impeller. More money than in my bank account!!!!!