Ok, here is the story of my 66 chevelle SS.
I went to a engine shop to have my engine rebuilt, they did and all was great. I had a hard time adjusting a the timing, but after that it ran great. Well today I was coming back home and the engine locked up on me. I get it home by trailer. Only a few blocks away! And looking to see what happened. Well I can't turn the engine over by hand and its locked up. I then look at the oil on the dip stick, and its clear full of prestone and water. So something came loose and destroyed the block.
Now I haven't even put 75 miles on this engine, so I went down to the engine shop that did the engine overhaul. And they are no longer in business!!!!! Only a month has gone by????
So now I'm trying to contact my lawyer friend to see what I can do.

By chance does anyone have a 66 matching numbers block that they are trying to sell? So I can redo this mess!

Too bad I hate to hear of your troubles. I just went thru a motor deal too!! Paid a guy to do it, the thing was a mess. I had to re-do it myself and eat the cost to him and the extra ,so I feel your pain :mad::mad::mad:!!!

Ok, here is the story of my 66 chevelle SS.
I went to a engine shop to have my engine rebuilt, they did and all was great. I had a hard time adjusting a the timing, but after that it ran great. Well today I was coming back home and the engine locked up on me. I get it home by trailer. Only a few blocks away! And looking to see what happened. Well I can't turn the engine over by hand and its locked up. I then look at the oil on the dip stick, and its clear full of prestone and water. So something came loose and destroyed the block.
Now I haven't even put 75 miles on this engine, so I went down to the engine shop that did the engine overhaul. And they are no longer in business!!!!! Only a month has gone by????
So now I'm trying to contact my lawyer friend to see what I can do.

By chance does anyone have a 66 matching numbers block that they are trying to sell? So I can redo this mess!
Did the block crack? Why not repair that block. I take it that it's the original matching numbers block to your car.

Don't give up on your block yet. I had water in my oil once in my 67 SS 396, turns out it was a loose head bolt! Disasemble check for damage and the cause, go from there, Good Luck!

Did you remove the spark plugs and try to rotate it? Could be water on top of one piston from a bad head gasket.

Had a 454 once that sucked a valve which caused the same issue. It did not, however, ruin the block. It did require some work on a piston and the head.

Ya its the original block. I'm going to tear in to it this weekend and see. I just can't believe that you trust an engine shop to handle it. yet they make it worse. lol.
I'm hoping that everything is ok. Hope so anyway.

Are you saying it hydrauliced? If so I have seen it happen and the block survive before. Other times it took out the cylinder wall.
Have you pulled the plugs and see if it will rotate and if there is a cylinder full of water?
It is a shame when things like this happen.
I do wish you luck on the whole situation.:sad:

I know that everyone with a classic car is not an engine builder------------------and I'm not being critical toward those folks who don't, or cannot, build an engine. I'm only saying that this is a perfect example why I do ALLLLLLLLLLL of my own engine work (except machine work of course). If the machine shop did their job right, it will show up during assembly----------------------WHICH IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE! When you've built your own engine, you receive two major benefits. First, you KNOW what's inside, and second, you have that very good inner feeling of accomplishment----------------not to mention saving the price of paying someone else for assembly.
Yes, I've built many engines over the years for other people--------------------and they pay me for it too! But, when I build an engine for someone, I take my time (sometimes they don't like how long it takes) and I build it as though it was going in my car. No slop, no corner cutting! I've had a few customers that were on a serious budget. If I believed they were genuinly strapped for funds, and they were deserving, then I helped them out wherever I could. I have NEVER had an engine come back, although, I have had a couple of Muncies come back (I don't think they were my fault) and I covered them. Makes for good customer relations. :thumbsup:
The downside of that is that some people won't let anyone else touch their stuff. :(
For those who know what the old Rochester fuel injection units are that were used on 57-65 Vettes, I also rebuild those. I have one customer (a very successful doctor) that has a gorgeous numbers matching 63 FI Vette. He won't let anyone touch his Vette but me (he thinks I walk on water!). When he needs something done to it, he wants it done right now-----------------and seduces me into doing it with money-----------------even if I'm covered up with other projects. The money is good, but sometimes I just don't have time for him! :(

Well DZAUTO, I feel the same way. But at the time I didn't have the time, but had the money. Now I have the time but don't have the money! Go figure.
What makes me think they screwed it up was that when I adjusted the valves a head bolt was loose and so I torqed it down, and checked the other ones. So I might be a bad gasket then. I will tear into next week or this weekend and find out.

Well DZAUTO, I feel the same way. But at the time I didn't have the time, but had the money. Now I have the time but don't have the money! Go figure.
What makes me think they screwed it up was that when I adjusted the valves a head bolt was loose and so I torqed it down, and checked the other ones. So I might be a bad gasket then. I will tear into next week or this weekend and find out.
my money is on head gasket failure.pull plugs first and check for hydro-lock.can see why the went under .how the he$$ do you miss a head bolt.I always go over all bolts at least twice.good luck
eric:beers:

Small block or Big Block? I had a 327 in an impala built by a local shop,put a few miles on it and the engine just stopped. Check the oil and found antifreeze, tore the engine down myself and found that the antifreeze seized the bearings and destroyed the crank other then that everything else was find to reuse after flushing and re-oiling. The cause was not the head gasket but the head bolts were not sealed in the block correctly and they leaked past the threads.

Here is the result of the damage!
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f98/stingrayiii/DSC01146.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f98/stingrayiii/DSC01149.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f98/stingrayiii/DSC01151.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f98/stingrayiii/DSC01155.jpg

So after seeing this, I'm glad this is all the damage it done. But still.

I don't see any cracks yet in the block, will take a better look when the piston is out.
And it is a 396.