heavily worn thrust bearing on #3 main

[ashford]

my thrust bearing is missing .020 on the tranny side.
ive had super fine metal particles in my oil since day one of its life. alone with a valve train noise that just wouldnt go away, so i pulled my engine to check it out.

build up as follows

347 eagle cast steel crank, rods and kb pistons, main girdle, arp everything.
afr 165 heads
tci c4 big bellhousing, hughes 3000rpm stall 11 inch
homade intake megasquirt, etc,etc

my though is that the torque converter to flexplate is too tight, when i put the engine in i remember that the torque converter only had about a thread depth in and out with the engine bolted up and torque converter nuts off. it did free wheel in the bolt holes with no drag. and yes i have a bellhousing plate installed.

is there a such a thing as a spacer plate that goes between the tranny and tranny housing. or can i put 2 bellhousing plates in?

 

[bnickel]

i'd say either you have a funky convertor orthe convertor is ballooning on you. could just be really tight tolerances on the crank. i'd install new bearings and check the end play if that looks good i'd move one to installing the trans and convertor and check the end play again, if it again checks out then it's likely the convertor is ballooning.

 

[10secgoal]

i'd say either you have a funky convertor orthe convertor is ballooning on you..

Agree 100%. That was the first thing that came to mind when I say you title. Then seeing the motor, just makes me lean that way even more.
What kinda valve train noise ? Like rocker, etc ?

 

[ashford]

oh forgot to mention i've got .023 end play on the crank. also i noticed alot of up and down movement on the torque converter after i pulled the engine took a quick look at the bushing past the seal and i didn't see anything out of the ordinary, ill take a closer look tomorrow, it's been a long day

 

[ashford]

Agree 100%. That was the first thing that came to mind when I say you title. Then seeing the motor, just makes me lean that way even more.
What kinda valve train noise ? Like rocker, etc ?

ill start a different thread on that, its sorta long.

 

[dennis112]

When you drop the converter out, see how well the snout fits into the back of the Eagle crank. If the converter snout is bottoming out (somewhat common with aftermarket parts,) it will cause the thrust bearing problem. So will too long of a driveshaft that does not allow 3/4-1" of free slack at the tranny slip yoke.

 

[ashford]

i did a pile of measuring, to my reasoning it looks good converter to tranny.

i also looked at the crank and the converter is bottoming out in it. i installed the flexplate on the converter and measured 0.282 from button to mounting surface. then i also measured mouting surface to bottom on the crank and it was .245. on the 289 i measured .275 i also had the same symptoms on that motor too when it was on this tranny
so what there just grind down the button? am i still going to need to space the tranny as well? if i remember the cleance on the converter before i bolted it to the flexplate was just one thead on the studs.

 

[bnickel]

sounds like you need a different convertor, the trans will be fine though.

 

[ashford]

update:
i changed the mains checked end play at .003 with assembly lube. ground .040 off the converter button(eagle crank is indeed shallower) checked converter to flexplate clearance at 3/16 inch. my only concern was the crank had a slight bit of copper coloring on the thrust surface(from the bearing not from heat) no material at all worn off the crank.

i also changed out the e303 cam for a xe282hr and new pushrods

i drove it about 60 miles to tune the megasquirt, change oil and off to the track i went. drove it for a few days and pulled the oil filter and chopped it up. i had still some non ferrous metalic in the oil but not as bad as before. checked endplay in car at .005. also i had ferrous metal in it that was light in color almost looks like flaking of steel. camshaft???


btw
e303 = 12.97 @106.9
xe282hr = [email protected] sorta disappointed