Thanks for the update. Let us know how it turns out .

Update***engine is torn down at the builder's shop. Main bearings and rod bearings are good, crank and rods are all fine. He says 2 pistons are out of spec. However the cam thrust bearing on the front of the engine is completely worn down. The fact that the oil hoses were reversed coupled with using an oil filter that had an anti-drainback valve resulted in oil never getting filtered and bypassing the cooler since day one. After racking my brain I remember the engine builder telling me that the oil should go through the cooler first then the filter, but that is incorrect. I followed his advice and this is what happened. I guess since technically I installed the hoses after I got the engine home he is somewhat off the hook, but I think part of you pay for is advice and expertise, and when you send the customer down the wrong path and the results are damage that requires an overhaul after 39 hrs of usage, I don't think its fair I have to pay full price again for another rebuild.

A lot of that sounds like smoke and mirrors to me. If oil temps were too high the bearings would be fried and that would be the OP issue. Bearings are good. Pistons out of spec? Thrust bearing ruining? Niether would most likely be able to cause your OP issue. I'd say as mentioned by MT earlier he set up the bearing clearances too loose. I'd be measuring those clearances myself even if it meant rolling down to his shop with a stick of plastigage. I think its asseembly error and a free rebuild is in order.

I agree with blue thunder 100 percent

I call BS also.

fixx
 

+3..builders error,,if the front cam bearing was worn down he may have installed it cock eyed,did not line up the hole with the main or the main and rod bearing clearances were to big..remember that would be the last bearing to get oil...look close at the timing chain,,see if its blued or worn..that would trell you if their was no oil getting to the front of the engine.. also have your #1 main bearing would be trashed if no oil were getting to the front of the engine..

if any bearing is wasted, the metal will be imbedded in the other bearings. minumum would be teardown, clean then clean again, measure and replace all bearings along with damaged parts. sorry but it is never just one component, they all work together. on oil flow, would you want crud clogging up oil cooler or filter(a component that can be replaced )

that is the problem with any warranty claim. you want it covered? you hafta go to the guy who did it in the first place. if he doesn't want to cover it, he will find a way to cover it up. you go to somebody else, you hafta pay full price, but you get to find out the truth.

I can tell you this I crossed oil lines once and had 0 oil pressure...never ran for more than 30-45 seconds...took a few min to figure out...fixed it went right to 70

thats painting with a pretty broad brush... and in the end look at the way the decisons get made and what your options are...

the advice here is always " go to a pro so it gets done right and that you get a warranty..." good advice.

so... now there is an issue ( which by the way is STILL unidentified in any factual sense )

so... yes... you should end up back there to see whats up. that only makes sense... and really if you don't trust him to do the inspection, then why did you end up there in the first place ? and if you use the same judgement to pick your new guy ( whose sole motive in life is to make the OTHER guy look like as much as a butthead as possible and get as much of your money as possible " fixing what that other guy screwed up" ) then what makes you think that this choice of builders will be any better ?

and like so many threads like this , there is only one side to the story. and i point out that on the occassional time when you get the builder on here to defend himself, more often than not his story is pretty comprehensively different .

as to your point... " what can you do ? " not easy and pretty inconvenient for the warranty holder but if there is genuine concern about being screwed you make arrangements for yourself and maybe your other " consultant" present when it comes apart and see for yourself.

i have been on both sides of that and its not a big deal if everybody is honest. everybody looks, everybody measures, conclusions are drawn and decisions made.

done deal. of course if everybody ISN'T honest then nothing matters anyway.

whats the bottom line ? you play the cards you dealt yourself. get him in a the same room as the motor with someone else and do the inspection and get the answer. a REAL answer. this isn't magic and its not rocket science ... its yes and no answers..

clearences good ? yes or no
housing dims good ? yes or no
cam free and holes aligned ? yes or no
and 50 other questions just like them

its not the space shuttle. its a 1950's chevy V-8 .

properly inspected, the answer and the responsibility will be self evident.