Bought the engine june of 06. Was in Iraq for awhile and wasn't installed until 07. Was running right for awile. Went for a drive in which the distributor was loose which threw off thr timing big time. Tried to put it back to where it sounded like it should. After that it has not been running right. I take it in and the rear main seal is leaking, and no compression on cylinders 5 and 7. All the others are fine. WTF. "Money pit" is what I named the 69 camaro and right now it fits. What could of made this happen?? Thanks for any info and comments.

Cam lobe wiped? You need to do a leak down test but as a quick check, pull the valve cover, have someone crank the engine over and verify that all rockers are rocking.

alan

she blew a head gskt between those cyl

backfire, wild driver, the devil, big power adder

Think its the devil. I took the valve covers off and everything looked fine. Didn't crank the engine. It has never seen 70 mph with the new engine. No backfires, and no big power adder. Its a 406 with keith black internals, extreme energy cam, air gap intake, and holley double pumper. I called my engine builder with the diagnostics from the shop. Said I would get the parts for cost and a deal on labor. I will check to see if all the rockers are working before I take it in. I will be taking the intake and heads off myself, taking pictures of all casting numbers, and shrink wrapping them. I want to see for myself what the pistons look like and take pics. The shop said I might of burned a hole in them. This gives me a reason to clean up the engine bay, and install my poly bushing kit while waiting in limbo for the engine.

Head Gasket. Pull the head of and see what ya got.

I doubt you burned holes in pistons. Like others, my vote is bad head gasket. Maybe a warped head....................

I've been through this kind of crap, so don't get discouraged. I once had to R&R an engine THREE times before they got it balanced correctly!

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take rockers off 5 and 7 and blow air in 5 sparkplug hole and see if it comes out 7 sparkplug hole , if it seems like all the air you put in comes out the other, valves, piston,rings ok, prob just need head gskt if you got iron heads and block, if she's all alum you could need weld up on head or blk

you should only need to remove intake and one head, cover valley good and clean gskt w/sharp cutter, check head where gskt blew put good straight edge on and try pushin skinny feeler ga under, if you can, go get a clean up cut .005 or so and put it back, check torque on other side

I do have iron block and heads. Going to see whats up. Hopefully its just the gasket. Which brand head gasket is the best? This just sucks.

I do have iron block and heads. Going to see whats up. Hopefully its just the gasket. Which brand head gasket is the best? This just sucks.

Of course it sucks. But it is more exciting to drive than a 4 banger econobox, no?

alan

Been there done that. Used to drive a 03 350z. My girl totaled it when I was i Iraq. Bought the 69 which beats driving anything else.

you mite have burnt a hole in the piston

maybe 1003 fel pro

Thanks Bubba. That is what I was told at the shop Micheal. Thanks guys.

my daughter and son in law live in killeen now, army, Zack and Jess Ensman, they can put a head gskt on for u. lol

Greatly appreciated Bubba. I will be taking it over my buddies shop to pull the intake off and the side with the messed up gasket. He has a 69 z28 that we have been working on as well. Just fired up his engine the other day and I was like "holy sh-t". Anyways, I already talked with the engine builder and he is expecting it. Once again thanks.

Damn, you're in Texas. I was going to offer fixing your ride. How about a plane ticket?

Update. Took the engine out on friday. What a pain doing by yourself. Drained the engine and took off all acessories. Saturday I took it to the performance shop. Talked with the owner on what was going on and he will work with me. Talked with engine builder and asked how long will it take. Thinking that it would be a week or more. Said that if its just the head gasket (which all three of us think it is) I can pick it up monday.
Won't be able to pick it up until Wednesday. I degreased the engine bay the other day and will clean it up which it needs. Going to install the new subframe bushings while I have the engine out.