Welp, got the engine back from the shop about a week ago. $713 paid in full. The crank was ground .010 on all journals. They ended up using some other brand of bearing -- not ACL or Clevite, but Accu-something. Worth mentioning, they didn't put new rings on the pistons. Granted, they only had 230 miles on them (reminder: brand new Supertech pistons on a newly bored cylinder wall) but I had been thinking that they would need new rings since I know that shop hot-tanks everything they work on. I figured water would get on the cylinder walls and require a hone and new set of rings, but the guy at the shop said they used some acid wash or something that didn't get on the cylinder walls, so all is well.
It kinda pissed me off because I got the engine to the garage and mounted up on a stand then realized they put the crank girdle on backwards. I flipped it around myself, but having paid $300 for assembly labor alone, I figured there'd be no problems like this. And I don't like the fact that the torque on the mains are now set by me and my friend's torque wrench -- the same combo that may have fudged my bearings up the first time around.
I just put the engine back in last night and I should be starting it up today. Got my fingers crossed!
I'm going to be breaking it in with Rotella 10w-30. Dunno if you'd really call it break-in since it's the same rings on the same cylinder walls, but the journals and bearings are brand new so I guess it counts. I'll be a bit more gentle this time around. As with last time, I'll be changing the heck out of my oil frequently. I changed clutches (from a Spec stage 3 pressure plate with new ACT stage 4 unsprung 6-puck disc to a used but proven Spec stage 2 plate/disc setup) so hopefully the difference in break-in methods of clutches vs engines will not be a factor.
Can't remember if I posted pics of my CA18 before, but I recently got my phone fixed so now I can be picture happy.
. I've paid my dues and refuse to play myself ever again with foolish stunts.
