First off, I sincerely thank anyone that reads through this. I appreciate the help.
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Well, after thorough searching, it seems I'm the only one with this problem, which either means I have a bad egg out of the bunch (unlikely), or I'm an idiot (most likely).
Before I start, this is a 2.2L Ecotec out of a 2003 Cavalier that I've swapped into a 1988 Pontiac Fiero (fits like a glove).
Here's my parts list for the bottom end: Stock 2.2L block, balanced and lightened stock crank, Wiseco forged aluminum pistons (stock bore, 8.9:1 comp), Eagle forged H-beam rods, Clevite 77 bearings (P/N: 1663 H), and all of it was assembled using lightweight oil and white lithium engine assembly grease.
So here's my issue. After I finished building my motor, it sat unturned for 2-3 months (big mistake) while I worked on the structural fabrication for the swap. After getting the motor in, I wired up the starter and tried turning it over to get oil flowing through things again, and I got nothing. At first I thought the battery was the culprit (which it was bad as it turned out), but after getting an Optima Red Top in there and still no action, I knew there was something seriously wrong, and I fried the starter in the process of figuring out what.
After pulling the oil pan off, I eventually found the rod bearings to be the issue. I lessened the torque value on the bolts, and the starter turned the motor no problem. I gradually go up 10 lbs on the torque until I get back to the required value, but after the first round the crank is stuck again, so basically there's a clearance issue with the rod bearings and the crank journals. I'll be plastigauging the clearance tomorrow to get exact numbers.
Now my background in engine rebuilds involves rebuilds with stock parts. This is my first performance build-up, but still, it's a stock crank, the rods are meant for a stock crank, and as far as I know, the bearings are meant for a stock crank. I specifically avoided changing this to a 2.0L or 2.4L so I could avoid these kinds of problems.
Besides potentially having the wrong rod bearings, where did I go wrong, and have I insulted the car gods in this process (lol)?
Quote:
Clevite 77 bearings
i think thats your problem. are they meant for stock journals? did you check the journals prior to installation?
I know they have oversized bearings for cranks that have been turned... maybe you got the wrong p/n bearing?
Two things should have been checked when you went back together with the motor as far as bottom end clearances. The big end of the rod being out of round, (6 point snap gauge measurements would have told you if there was significant variation) and plastigauging EVERYTHING as you went back together. Just because they are new parts does not mean they are good. I would bet if not the rod bearing, one of the main bearings is shot.
Also was the crank throughly cleaned after machining? Including all the oil gallery holes running through it?
Also concerning going back together... Did you use a hammer on the end of the crankshaft and strike it after the main caps were landed with bolts in to seat the thrust bearing? This could be causing bindage as well.
You should never turn an engine over and simply think that is a good means to get oil up to where it needs to go before the bearings start being damaged. ALWAYS find a means to spin the oil pump up to a decent speed (1500rpm or so) and get a good amount of oil pressure to pressurize the whole system before you even attempt to turn it over. A drill works out well for this type of thing on the oil pump drive.
Buildin' n' Boostin for 08' - Alex Richards
i dont think the ecotec does have an oil pump drive. Maybe I am stupid but after having 3 of em apart, I dont remember seeing anywhere to spin the oil pump. I know all I did for mine was remove the fuel pump relay and crank it till I got 60 psi oil pressure then, put the relay back in and it fired right up
LE61T PTE6262 Powered 
From what I have read your biggest mistake was not taking measurements when putting it back together.
FU Tuning
QBE (Aka Phil No More Boost) wrote:i dont think the ecotec does have an oil pump drive. Maybe I am stupid but after having 3 of em apart, I dont remember seeing anywhere to spin the oil pump. I know all I did for mine was remove the fuel pump relay and crank it till I got 60 psi oil pressure then, put the relay back in and it fired right up
The pump on an ecotec is in the front cover driven off the crank neck ( stupid design for this very reason)
A search on your part number comes up with a rod big end diameter of 2.015". The number I have found for a stock rod for an Eco has a rod big end diameter of 2.0519-2.0525". this would mean you have the wrong bearing for your engine. Just get some new GM ones and you should be set.
the oil pump on the Eco is driven by the balancer. there are 2 flats on the hub of the balancer that line up with 2 flats on the oil pump drive.
Not sure what you mean by stupid design for an oil pump set up. It has proven to be quite effective for quite some time.
The clearances that registered on the plastigauge are .0005" and as far as I know, it needs to be between .0026"-.0032". I'm not using the stock rods, so perhaps it's a different diameter, but I was originally told these bearings would work. I also looked in the Ecotec handbook, and this is the bearing listed in there as well.
The bearings off my stock rods are in great shape (only 3,000 miles on them), so I guess I could take those and try them. One thing I'd like to verify though... as far as everyone knows the Eagle rod's big end diameter is the same as the stock rods... right?
Also, the "balancer" on the Eco is just called a crank pulley, as it doesn't actually balance anything like in some earlier GM engines, but yes, that is what acutally drives the oil pump. Kind of a weird design having it on the outer "wall" of the timing chain valley, but on the other hand, it's probabbly the easiest oil pump change I've ever seen on a 4 banger. Remove the belt tensioner, remove the crank pulley, remove the wall/oil pump assembly.
Ok, so how about this part number from Clevite: 1827H
what did u torque the connecting rods to?? i know the torque spec is kinda low for eagle when i did my engine, but i used stock rod bearings.
believe it or not, double check to make sure the bearing are on the right way and lined up. no joke my brothers eclipse had that problem it would crank over REALLY slow and not start, one of the bearings was in backwards and draggin so it wouldnt start.
That's the correct bearing...as soon as I saw 1665 or whatever it was you used...I thought that's your problem...CB 1827-H is what we need...
You do realize this post is from 2008?
2008 post and no one suggested using a pump to prime the oil. Gm makes one for LSX engines and ecotecs to prime them.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
Rob...
Can you elaborate on how to prime a ecotec for oil... I haven't seen this tool before... since its a GE Rotor
Yeah...I figured anyone that ends up at this thread is looking for information on rod or main bearings (like I did) would or could benefit from knowing that piece of info...if you plan to use Clevite...that's the bearing you want...
I'm making one to prime my engine. People made them using those weed killer sprayers with the hand pump that are $10 at Walmart. I don't have the Kent Moore number anymore but the prices were $800-$1200 for pretty much the same thing you can make. Your prime the engine through the oil pressure sensor port on the ecotec. You really don't need a lot of pressure. I would say 10-20psi. You can go higher but the goal is to get oil in. Most people fill the engine with the required oil using that method.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
i have something similar to that.... its a tank with a air compressor attachment that pressurizes the tank and such.... don't know how much good it does though.
If you slide the balancer on just enough to turn pump you can spin it by hand enough to get oil pressure.
97cavalier
