usmcjdking

I was given two sets of springs, one used for break in and the first few hundred miles and a stouter, better spring set that I left in the trunk in a climate controlled environment to be put on shortly thereafter once heads have been retorqued, which are now a nice new Mars colored red-orange. Of course the springs were shot when I tested them, and the heads were barely hanging on for dear life (protruding bolts...). But the good news is I'm sending it back to the builders for some TLC!

Thanks for the reply gentlemen! This is not a picture of my car, infact it's from another poster on here. Immediately to the right of the last port on the exhaust manifold, where the intermediate shaft is, is a little bulb thing towards the top end that has some sort of sticky goo-fluid that smells really, really bad when it burns. Mine burst open and got crap EVERYWHERE. It's made up of some sort of plastic, ovalish, riveted thing. I don't know how else to describe it. That was my initial guess. I started pulling push rods and two of them were slightly bent on 3 & 7. Nothing to cry home about but cause for concern. At this point I cried home about it and felt the best idea was to just send it to professionals.

Also, when I popped the hood I noticed that this little bulb thing full of some sort of fluid at the part where the steering column punches out the firewall was busted open. Looks important, but I have no idea what it is...

I am going to shorten the sob story to this - went on deployment, wife went buckwild with car and another dude for 6 months, came back, got car back found out daily driver got totalled and she spent the money rather recklessy, que wrathful vengeance and divorce. Anyhow, the motor was a brand spanking new 454 that I had just done the intitial break in to and drove all of 8 miles. Heads needed to be re-torqued and it still had some crappy springs. Did some real quick maintenance on it since I had a fat load of paperwork to do at work, didn't see anything too out of the ordinary outside of a really puffy oil filter. Now, being the relatively huge idiot I am (in spurts), I was out of 30mpg and a wife, so I drove it to work while I was waiting for a car loan to come through, about 3 days and 30 miles total. Well, one day I wasn't paying attention and left it in second while getting on the freeway (new trans, forgot that the shift placement dial is off by 1). Probably hit about 4krpm when all the sudden I started getting huge valve float. Backed off and threw it in drive, started going uphill towards the gate, gave it a bit of a throttle and then starting get crazy exhaust backfire. Let off the gas completely and the car idled out while I effectively established a blocking pattern on the road. Attempted to restart the car, started, fired, gave a tad of gas and started backfiring out the exhaust again. At this point I gave up on roadway diagnostics and had it towed to the shop. Went to the shop later that day and drained the oil to find it full of super shweet metal shavings. My experience with motors is small block top ends, pretty much intake and up with limited carb experience as well (installation, removal, cleaning and rudimentary tuning) so I am in the process of just sending the whole damn motor back to the builders (out of warranty ). I just wanted to gauge you guys to see what you may have thought the issues may be. I'm sure ya'll which just punch me in the face for driving it...I know I made some pretty crappy decisions starting with marrying a crazy, raging woman.