T&L Engines F-up...

Wiped cams lobes....................happens to everyone lately. Experience has nothing to do with it. Had two cams wipe a single lobe each myself. There are multiple reasons for it happening. Bad lifters, bad cam cores, too much lube keeping the lobe from spinning the lifter at startup, not enough zinc in the oil, not enough splash lube while the cam is breaking in. Improper breakin proceedure. Take your pick. Both mine were due to either bad lifters or too much lube and/or too thick lube on startup.

Im sure theres no chance that these "amazing weekend warrior gearheads" didn't have a solid zinc compound oil that would help with camshaft break in and lubrication correct? Im also sure they didn't jack with the timing and mess other aspects of the build up since they're professionals.

Wiped cams are a way of life these days. Blame roller cams and reformulated oils. I have no comment on the headgasket issue.

reignman1 said:

Im sure theres no chance that these "amazing weekend warrior gearheads" didn't have a solid zinc compound oil that would help with camshaft break in and lubrication correct? Im also sure they didn't jack with the timing and mess other aspects of the build up since they're professionals.

Click to expand...

There are multiple reasons for the flat tappet cam failures of the past few years, the "missing zinc" is only a part of the problems. If you were half a mechanic you'd know that. I have no knowledge of this company, nor their reputation,and certainly do not endorse their stuff, but this **** can happen (and does) to the best of em.

what has t&L responded with?

Response ????

Ive been told that theres a thread on stangnet about my engine from T&L and ive just read it
and ill have to bid in !

To make a long story short heres what happened:

From order to , ready for shipping ... Promised 6-8 weeks. Actual 7 month !

Pryor to installing i contacted T&L to ask if there should be any break in/run in issues for me to
take care about ! Answer :Track: ! Great !

After installing the engine an initial startup after priming it, it wouldnt run properly så we checked
the timing, it was set to 3 degrees ! That we gradually changed up to 12 degrees where it ran the
best ....but still not perfect . according to T&L it should be 10 deg. !

Ran about 60 miles total

They tryed to wipe it all off on saying that running on octane 95 in the first 10 miles then octane 99
and the extra 2 deg. on the timing ..... it was my own dooing that the engine blew the head gasket !?

istalled new gaskets and ran another 60 miles it blew the gaskets again

I took a static compression on the engine and on the good cylinders it was 255 Psi ! A bit high for normal gaskets!?

Then i took the engine out to inspect it further an found a busted cam and a lifter so i lost all will
to wrench on it and let it hang on the engine stand for a couple of weeks wile cooling off from my dissapointment and anger.

Well i kept contact to T&L until September 30th where the offer on the table was a new cam new lifters,
head bolts and head gaskets. But now ive pulled it all apart and ALL the bearings are gone the crankshaft,
oil pump ..... all damaged by debris from the cam and lifter

I contacted them by mail the 30th September to ask them to reconsider their offer and have re-sent the mail
several times ..... But NO answer

So guys im pretty dissapointed with my experiences with them but will still give them the benefit of the doubt.
They can still surprise mee ... and i really hope they will !!

And yes we can all have a bad assembly day but this is a proffessional engine builder !! and im sure their engines
runs strong (it did) but when something like this happens their warranty should cover it ! or what ?

Tommy

Tommy,
That stinks, I've researched T&L and actually have them on my e-mail list since I will be going for a new engine once all the body and interior work is done. This has really put some serious doubt in my mind, please keep us posted on what happens. This might bring me back to reality in "doing it locally"
Andrew
68 conv

my9302002 said:

Tommy,
This might bring me back to reality in "doing it locally"
Andrew
68 conv

Click to expand...

nothing like being there for the dyno break-in!!

Update

I will keep you posted if and when there is something new in the story of the
nemesis418 T&L stroker to Denmark !

To "borninaford" Its rust ! and its also on the inner ring ! so theres proably
the caurse of why it would´nt run perfect! must have been there when they shipped it to Demark + a cam-lifter problem

It must have been dripping a little becaurse short after (5 miles) the first time i preassure´d
it a little in 3. gear (50-120mph) it became warm 210 degrees and the two electric fans stopped
i stopped the car at once and called my boss to come and get me with a trailer !

Tommy
:SNSign:

nemesis418 said:

I will keep you posted if and when there is something new in the story of the
nemesis418 T&L stroker to Denmark !

To "borninaford" Its rust ! and its also on the inner ring ! so theres proably
the caurse of why it would´nt run perfect! must have been there when they shipped it to Demark + a cam-lifter problem

It must have been dripping a little becaurse short after (5 miles) the first time i preassure´d
it a little in 3. gear (50-120mph) it became warm 210 degrees and the two electric fans stopped
i stopped the car at once and called my boss to come and get me with a trailer !

Tommy
:SNSign:

Click to expand...

rust sludge?!?!.......make me wonder if it didn't experience a moisture problem on the trip over from the states....perhaps?

nemesis418 said:

I will keep you posted if and when there is something new in the story of the
nemesis418 T&L stroker to Denmark !

To "borninaford" Its rust ! and its also on the inner ring ! so theres proably
the caurse of why it would´nt run perfect! must have been there when they shipped it to Demark + a cam-lifter problem

It must have been dripping a little becaurse short after (5 miles) the first time i preassure´d
it a little in 3. gear (50-120mph) it became warm 210 degrees and the two electric fans stopped
i stopped the car at once and called my boss to come and get me with a trailer !

Tommy
:SNSign:

Click to expand...

I can sympathize with you and the problems you've had with this engine, but the simple fact is the cam and lifter problem is beyond the control of the engine builder. You're not the first one to have had this problem and won't be the last. If the cam and lifters were going south, you should have heard that racket and shut it down before damage was done to the bearings. The racket you'd have heard was the rockers coming loose with the wear from the cam lobes and lifter bottoms. That was, I'll bet, the reason the engine never ran right. As for the running at 210*, that's completely normal. 210*F is not hot. At the very least, all the builder owes you is the cam and lifters. And if he was reputable, he'd throw in a full set of bearings. Your choosing to continue running the engine with all the racket the loose rockers were making was beyond his control. Could be he should have inspected the cam and lifters after break-in and before shipping it overseas, and who knows if he did, but what's done is done. He's not completely at fault here.