No wonder so many builds fail

[ShadowMan]

sr20det blacktop
If these problems are daily occurances, then I completely understand why so many people just give up and buy a new motor, but I will push on. So first was the rust on freshly honed cylinders, shittly hardware, and now this:
Got crank and pistons installed, everything went rather smoothly, aside from from piston 4 rod cap. Clearances are good and right within specs from the fsm. So then on goes baffle plate then the timing kit. As I slide the new oil pump on, no joke, this brand new little aluminum nub falls on the ground. It was one of the little stubs that sits below the crank gear to keep the chain from falling of the crank gear. Great!!!! As i know its missing and will keep it in mind when playing with the timing chain, I'm using it anyway. FML. So pushing on I move on to the upper oil pan. Pain stakingly and carefully apply the grey rtv. Slowly slide the pan on, seems to pop into place, wife comes out and starts asking whats this part and that part. I get distracted and don't notice one of the rear corners is not fully seated. So in goes all the bolts hand tight and i start to tighten them all down and start looking to make sure all is good. I notice it the pan is not fully seated and it looks like its stuck on the dowel. Nope. After a few taps with the rubber mallet and no luck, I remove every bolt and the problem is the the pan is hitting the stud of the nearest main cap. Its all new arp hardware. Anyone had this problem? Do I shave the stud or can I drill that spot out of the oil pan, which seems like a better idea? Also has anyone used a brush to apply the gasket maker or spreading it out with your finger or is it best to leave it as a small bead? Should've just bought a shortblock. To anyone thinking of rebuilding your own, consider if you REALLY have all the tools and odds and ends. Cleaning materials, new sealants, more tools etc and all the new parts to do it right and it all adds up to right around a new shortblock. Also test fit all your parts before assembling, patience patience patience. Can't wait to see what I learn tomorrow.

[R@ddy]

yepp, its been covered before. upper oil pan must be shaved slightly in order to seat correctly when using ARP fasteners

[hulkster_s13]

Drill it out. We tightened it down and it cracked the oil pan on a build we were doing. Check out gwb654 build. It's covered in there.

[ShadowMan]

Thanks guys. Figured someone woudve that to me when I bought them

[codyace]

Shave the studs down. Thankfully you took ntoice of that issue, as many do not and crack pans or similar. ARP should address this issue but never has.

[jr_ss]

I'd modify the pan rather than grinding the stud and having all those metal shavings going into your bottomend.

[ShadowMan]

Yeah, I'm grinding out the pan, besides, I think shaving off the studs would change their strength or something.

[codyace]

I'd modify the pan rather than grinding the stud and having all those metal shavings going into your bottomend.

If the engine is being assembled, how would they get in the bottom end? Take studs out, grind them down, reinstall...

Yeah, I'm grinding out the pan, besides, I think shaving off the studs would change their strength or something.

While it may, many have done so without any ill effect

[army240]

Mines are shaved a little bit and it has never failed. When they will be shave, there is still some thread protruding trought the nut.

[ShadowMan]

Here's what I did and the result.
The main studs left marks on the pan from me tapping on it with the rubber mallet. So my idea was to take a 1/4 in. drill bit and start drilling out small holes close together in a pattern big enough to clear the diameter of the studs. Drill a little, air hose off the shavings, test fit, not deep enough, drill a little more, you get the idea. So I kept repeating this until the pan sat flush on the block. Great, apply the rtv shit, set oil pan and tighten bolts down evenly. On my last go around for final tightening the pan cracked anyway. I don't get it because the test fit went so smoothly. FML. So now i need to get it welded anyway. I'm not too upset other than having to remove the gasket shit again. I'll feel safer with it welded because it was getting thin in that spot anyway. The reason I didn't shave the studs is because I figured it would affect their strength or something but I'm no mathmologist (hehehe) so thats where I'm at now.

[jr_ss]

If the engine is being assembled, how would they get in the bottom end? Take studs out, grind them reinstall...

I understand what you're saying, but he already has the majority of his motor bolted together. For me, I see it easier to modify the oil pan than go backwards on the build. Out comes are the same either way. It's strictly his decision on what he wants to do. I know I wouldn't want to disassemble my bottomend if I had already bolted/torques it down.

[ShadowMan]

Um yeah, I'm not pulling the studs out. Clearances are all good and everything is good so that shit stays put, but if I hadn't put them in yet I would consider it. Seems this is a problem for some, but 2 of my friends have used arp main studs without this problem which is why I didn't think it was even an issue. Whatever, now I know and hopefully others too.

[ShadowMan]

Just curious as to how others "shaved" their oil pans. I woulda used a dremel but I didn't have the 70 bucks to spring for one at the time, but I guess I'll have to find the money for someone to weld aluminum. What sucks is that I thought I was doing it right and being careful but I guess I'm full of fail right now. FML.

[jr_ss]

Search for this topic on here. I have a thread that I linked in it from when I did mine. I used a drill bit and a dremel to clearance mine.

If you need to, drill all the way through the pan and have a shop weld a small plate on to the bottom of the pan to cover the holes, that would be my last resort though.

[ShadowMan]

I am not touching it again. I'm taking it to a shop to let them handle the drilling and welding.

[ray666]

i know this isnt much help but i remember reading somewhere that the arp main studs need modifying but can't exactly. i would search around or even call arp.

[ShadowMan]

I would definitely suggest modifying the studs. Wether you grind the down or use a hack saw to trim them down, it seems trimming the studs is the better way to correct this fitment issue, but thats my 2 cents. But properly shaving the isn't a bad way to go, just make sure you test fit, shave some more test fit and keep shaving as necessary. My last test fit looked perfect, the pan sat flush with block and seemed good to go, then i tightened it down and it cracked anyway so now I have to remove the pan, get it welded and deall with that whole debacle. Triple and quadruple check your fitment to avoid this problem.