Crank just broke in my DSS 331 Pro Bullet!!!!
- Thread starter 1bad92lx
- Start date
5.0_Gil_89
Founding Member
Some crankshaft failures are due to the tune not the parts. I'd make sure the piston top didn't have any signs of detonation. Check for other parts like the oil pump drive, make sure it's not twisted or broken. Take apart the oil pump and look for bad scoring. Look at the bearings especially the cam bearings for excessive wear(overly rich condition will spin cam bearings..and other things start to go wacky). Just a thought, may be you have enough there to build a motor less crank and bearings. I would be mad out of my head too, but make sure it's not a tuning problem first. USA!!!! 
CrazyCobra
New Member
I was looking at a DSS XR331 has this happened to many with forged cranks?
Sorry for your loss 1bad92lx
Sorry for your loss 1bad92lx
blown1989saleen
Founding Member
Well took the heads off today and found that the pistons hit the valves and bent most all the valves. So, I was already mad thinking I'd need a new crank and now I see this and I'm steaming mad. I also found a hole in the block right where the timing gear on the crank is sitting in the engine. So, now the parts just keep adding up. Now, I know I need at least a block, crank, all new valves in the heads and possibly even rods. I guess the cam will be okay. Oh god, now I'm adding up little $200-300 parts trying to salvage what I can. Man what a disappointment this is. Next motor is going to be all forged with a dart block. There will be no more DSS products in any of my vehicles. It's pretty sad two other people here locally have had their DSS mod motors blow up in the last 3 months too. I'm thinking DSS is having serious quality control issues or just using out right cheap parts.
Sorry to hear about your loss. I will be installing my DSS 331 this coming weekend. Hearing everyones story puts a knot in my gut. You do your homework and read and research and it seems as though it still ends up being a crap shoot. I for one will be waiting to hear what DSS has to say. Good Luck
bmo37
Founding Member
its a hard call just like what came first the chicken or the egg, you can't positively tell what the inital problem was, so dss is going to tell you tough luck, well at least this was a learning experience for you although an expensive one you now know what to go with in the future and to find a reputable builder wether it be locally or out of state, reputation is key. Anyone one can build an engine (i did) wether or not the care that goes into it when its not your own car is always the question. Hope this works out for you in the end good luck
Stang8URMPRT
Active Member
Lemme be the first to say that your cam and lifters are most likely screwed. If you bent the valves, it probably smashed the lifters and wiped out some cam lobes. If you look back at the pics I posted of mine, I broke the block, crank, bent two rods, broke two pistons, bent 12 pushrods, bent 12 valves on my BRAND NEW AFR's... destroyed 3 lifters, and wiped out 3 cam lobes. Make sure to tear it all apart and examine everything. Good luck, and it sucks bro, I know first hand.
Nick
Nick
Ouch.... rare to see a snout break on a street car with out a blower. Many things could have happened to cause the failure, need to find out what went wrong first.
If it broke a rod or rod bolt it can easily break a crank...
Thanks to all the guys who had good things to say about me...
If it broke a rod or rod bolt it can easily break a crank...
Thanks to all the guys who had good things to say about me...
If it happened while cruising, I would say it was a faulty crank. Also being the front of the crank, I would think towards the rear would make a lot more sence. I think it might be crappy crank.
I called DSS once about pistons and such, they weren't very helpfull. The guy I talked to didn't seem like he knew what was going on. So if they hire an idiot to talk to customers on the phones, imagine what they have in the shop putting the engines togeather. Maby it's not them, but thier supliers. I think if I were to buy a crank, it would either be Scat or Eagle.
I called DSS once about pistons and such, they weren't very helpfull. The guy I talked to didn't seem like he knew what was going on. So if they hire an idiot to talk to customers on the phones, imagine what they have in the shop putting the engines togeather. Maby it's not them, but thier supliers. I think if I were to buy a crank, it would either be Scat or Eagle.
Hey Rick, which company do you like to use as far as cranks and rods? I'm debating on putting together another stock block setup or just waiting and doing a Dart block in the next couple months with all forged components. If I use another stock block then I will just use another cast steel crank and I wanted to know if Scat was better than DSS? I'm going to find out tomorrow if the rods and pistons are okay. I'm praying that at least they will be reusable. Rick if you read this shoot me a pm about the cost for a all forged 331 setup using a dart block. Just a shortblock is all I'd need.
Your running 11s on a stock 5.0 block. Thats what your problem is!! Most likely, the block cracked and then went the crank. You got 2 years of service out of a stock 5.0 block so I wouldnt be complaining much. Those blocks are ****. So if you are running slicks with 450 plus for 2 years, the block is going to give. It doesnt matter what parts you put in it. I wouldnt go complaining to DSS since for starters they arent going to do anything for you. Secondly, it isnt really there fault or we dont know that for sure. I think 2 years from a street driven race engine is good. Didnt you say you got it in 2002, so thats almost 3 years.
txstang84
15 Year Member
damn smock-cut the guy some slack, he bought what was believed and touted as one of the strongest stock block strokers on the market (not counting the apparently growing bad rep). I've even seen a few friends of mine cut 10 sec timeslips in boosted or juiced STOCK 5.0's for about the same amount of time as his while still piling on street miles to the tune of 10k/year...they never disentigrated in such spectacular fashion-it was usually something like a blown head gasket, or a spun bearing...to boot, all their pro bulllet strokers add in the main girdle! I've even heard horror stories from people that bought CHP short blocks... one bank of pistons being installed backwards, stacking the bearings after initial startup-the tales run completely amok...I just took mine to the machine shop for block work and assembled it myself...60,000 HARD miles and it's still running like a top.
my own personal opinion is that the crank probably had a material flaw undetectable by the naked eye, and just gradually got to the point where it just said hell with this, i give up...and thus ended up where he is right now...his pride and joy grounded by an unfortunate turn of events
for what's its worth, i'm really sorry about the crank, i hope you can get at least some sympathy from DSS...maybe a discount for his next motor...(?)
my own personal opinion is that the crank probably had a material flaw undetectable by the naked eye, and just gradually got to the point where it just said hell with this, i give up...and thus ended up where he is right now...his pride and joy grounded by an unfortunate turn of events
for what's its worth, i'm really sorry about the crank, i hope you can get at least some sympathy from DSS...maybe a discount for his next motor...(?)
I would just like to give my two cents for what it's worth...
I bought a DSS Pro Bullet short block about 2 years ago, from day one, had been burning oil, couldnt quite diagnose the problem to rings or some type of flaw in the PCV system, tried lots of things, eventually got tired of the b.s. and decided to tear the motor down and replace rings, and bearings, and anything else that looked like it could use a little freshening up. DSS was not very helpful on the phone, and when the bearings/rings arrived, the bearings box was smashed ( this was a small box packed inside of a larger box, so the mistake was not through the shipping service ) and two of the bearings had galges in the metal that made them defectable. This is poor business folks, anyone that would place a box of bearings that was smashed, and obviously not just dropped if the bearings were galged, does not deserve my business, especially the kind of company assembling the internals to my motor.
I will say also that I cant blame the whole compnay for one bad product, it could just be one jackass that they shouldnt have working in shipping.... but it is still not professional.
I bought a DSS Pro Bullet short block about 2 years ago, from day one, had been burning oil, couldnt quite diagnose the problem to rings or some type of flaw in the PCV system, tried lots of things, eventually got tired of the b.s. and decided to tear the motor down and replace rings, and bearings, and anything else that looked like it could use a little freshening up. DSS was not very helpful on the phone, and when the bearings/rings arrived, the bearings box was smashed ( this was a small box packed inside of a larger box, so the mistake was not through the shipping service ) and two of the bearings had galges in the metal that made them defectable. This is poor business folks, anyone that would place a box of bearings that was smashed, and obviously not just dropped if the bearings were galged, does not deserve my business, especially the kind of company assembling the internals to my motor.
I will say also that I cant blame the whole compnay for one bad product, it could just be one jackass that they shouldnt have working in shipping.... but it is still not professional.
Hissing Cobra
Founding Member
My twin brother just ordered their 331 stroker kit to build his new motor. When he got the kit in, the first thing he did was use his micrometer to measure EVERYTHING and then he weighed every piston, rod, etc...etc...etc.... During this inspection, he noticed the the crank was NOT machined to spec on one of the journals.
He called D.S.S. to let them know and sent the crank back. A week passed and then nervousness began to set in because they wouldn't return his calls. Finally, after a week of waiting and frustration (plus multiple phone calls) he got some help. They too noticed the error (why didn't they notice it before it left the factory?) and they machined a new crank and send it to him.
He finally got it back and the engine is now together and running good. However, he lost valuable time (missed a car show that we attend every year) and money (had to pay $45.00 for shipping the crank back.)
Because he's been building engines for 19 years now, he knows what to look for and was able to find this mistake. Unfortunately, there are many people out there who would overlook something like that, because they put their trust in the company to ship everything to their advertised specifications. This is unfortunate, because if the quality of the work is not correct, many people will end up on the wrong end of the deal and lots of hard earned money will be thrown out the window.
Luck was on my brother's side because he was building the engine himself and was able to spot the problem before he assembled it. What if he bought one of their engines that was preassembled instead?
He called D.S.S. to let them know and sent the crank back. A week passed and then nervousness began to set in because they wouldn't return his calls. Finally, after a week of waiting and frustration (plus multiple phone calls) he got some help. They too noticed the error (why didn't they notice it before it left the factory?) and they machined a new crank and send it to him.
He finally got it back and the engine is now together and running good. However, he lost valuable time (missed a car show that we attend every year) and money (had to pay $45.00 for shipping the crank back.)
Because he's been building engines for 19 years now, he knows what to look for and was able to find this mistake. Unfortunately, there are many people out there who would overlook something like that, because they put their trust in the company to ship everything to their advertised specifications. This is unfortunate, because if the quality of the work is not correct, many people will end up on the wrong end of the deal and lots of hard earned money will be thrown out the window.
Luck was on my brother's side because he was building the engine himself and was able to spot the problem before he assembled it. What if he bought one of their engines that was preassembled instead?
Stang8URMPRT
Active Member
Someone should forward all these threads to D.S.S. and let them know how unhappy everyone is with them. This sucks you guys are getting taken to the cleaner by these people. That's why I am good friends with my machinist, and let him build the motor. This way I know it's done right the first time.
goesquik
New Member
Just my opinion
I have been running a DSS pro bullet 306 for over 5 years now with excess of 50k miles on it. Its an n/a car with 340 at the wheels and goes 12.20's on drag radials. I drag it about 2-3 times a year, not including any street races that I find. This engine is been solid with only a head gasket going last year. It sounds like to me that maybe their quality control or something else is lacking in the recent years because they used to be looked at as the best engine shop around.
I have been running a DSS pro bullet 306 for over 5 years now with excess of 50k miles on it. Its an n/a car with 340 at the wheels and goes 12.20's on drag radials. I drag it about 2-3 times a year, not including any street races that I find. This engine is been solid with only a head gasket going last year. It sounds like to me that maybe their quality control or something else is lacking in the recent years because they used to be looked at as the best engine shop around.
I believe I've decided to never buy a crate motor from any big name place like chp or dss. I can't say anything bad about chp personally, but I have heard a few stories about them too. I guess when you mass produce motors like these places do, there is going to be someone assembling them in a hurry and might not take the time to check all the clearances like they should. They could be rushing to get these motors together and we don't know it. I'm not really taking up for DSS, because there is no doubt in my mind that my motor should have lasted a LOT longer. But I just know now to get a local person or a reputable builder to take care of my engine building from now on.
