Analyzing Piston Damage

[Grumpy]

if you've been dealing with performance cars for any time at all you've seen or heard about engine damage and failed components!
in many cases, this is the result of poorly made component choices,
lack of knowledge by the person selecting or assembling parts, faulty,
or a lack of skill in assembly or less than skilled tuning efforts.
simple things like failure to custom fit piston ring end gaps is a common mistake,
as is running an engine too lean or with too much ignition advance,
but there are other rather common mistakes, I
see, like guys that don,t correctly tighten the rod bolts or check the bearing clearances accurately.
I've seen guys take a new set of rod or main bearings out of a package,
and install them on a used or new crank, without ever checking the first bearing clearance,
and I've seen guys who improperly installed cam bearings without checking location depth or oil hole alignment.
trust me when I say theres a great deal more involved in proper engine assembly than bolting the parts together as they come out of the box.

here's a few useful videos

related threads/links
and yeah I know most people won't read the links until you have
related issues
obviously if the engine locks up at some point in the rotation, while you test to find out why the engine won't easily rotate a full 360 degrees,
but allows you too reverse directions and spin it almost the full 360 degrees before it again locks, preventing full rotation your engines got some part physically binding, preventing your rotation, , its most likely sone failed part like a broken piston, or valve train component, forcing it will result in DAMAGE, thus you must pull the head(S) and maybe the oil pan for a closer inspection, before you proceed and potentially cause more damage

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...g-and-installing-connecting-rods-pistons.247/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ectly-and-get-it-to-last-cam-install-info.90/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/checking-piston-to-valve-clearances.399/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/types-of-crankshaft-steel.204/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...tion-of-crank-durring-short-blk-assembly.852/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/chamfering-oil-feed-holes-in-cranks.4419/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/bearing-clearances.2726/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ng-and-basic-piston-ring-info-youll-need.509/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/engine-assembly-tips.4294/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/piston-related-info.110/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/thrust-bearing-face-wear.15017/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...piston-to-bore-clearance-on-your-block.14251/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/rotating-assembly-bearings.9527/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/crankshaft-journal-surface-finnish.2728/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/maximizing-piston-to-bore-ring-seal.3897/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...guess-on-clearances-and-journal-surface.9955/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/measuring-crank-bearing-journals.5478/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/causes-of-bearing-failure.2727/