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holeshotmoe
Well-known member
I've been "building" since I bought it nearly 20 years ago. It was mostly stock back then. I really wanted to be documenting everything, but many times I was "building" just so I could get to work! 
So I didn't have much time to write it down. Back then, mods were mostly bolt ons. My current build, still in progress, began a few years ago, and it started with the "Big Bang". I'll begin with that "experience".
I had taken this picture the day before...
So I didn't have much time to write it down. Back then, mods were mostly bolt ons. My current build, still in progress, began a few years ago, and it started with the "Big Bang". I'll begin with that "experience".I had taken this picture the day before...
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holeshotmoe
Well-known member
So its Jan 21, 19 degrees, about 60 mph, downshifted to third to pass the slow dogs, before darting right to take the Pennsylvania Ave exit off the inner loop of the DC beltway. I was accellerating 2 or 3 seconds before... Booom!!!
Lots of smoke and steam, no power, can't see out the windshield, fearful expressions in cars next to me, as I threateningly jinked right a few times to force them to give me some space to make it to the shoulder! I did make the shoulder just before the exit lane began. Popping the hood, only thing I see is some oil spatter on the firewall
Dip underneath and see this
...which meant this
A few weeks later, I saw this in a parking lot,
... "and I was thinking to myself, this could be heaven or this could be ..."
(depending on who administers it, right?) 👩⚕️👩🦰👸
Lots of smoke and steam, no power, can't see out the windshield, fearful expressions in cars next to me, as I threateningly jinked right a few times to force them to give me some space to make it to the shoulder! I did make the shoulder just before the exit lane began. Popping the hood, only thing I see is some oil spatter on the firewall
Dip underneath and see this
...which meant this
A few weeks later, I saw this in a parking lot,
... "and I was thinking to myself, this could be heaven or this could be ..."
(depending on who administers it, right?) 👩⚕️👩🦰👸
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holeshotmoe
Well-known member
The rollback drops me off up the hill from the garage and I coast inside. With the freezing weather, I'm not enthused about starting the teardown in the middle of winter in an unheated garage, but for the first time since I've owned it, I had a little bit of $ set aside, and a good reason to spend it. So I start with the plugs and this is No. 1
Looks like we ran out of room in there. I pull the timing belt and valve covers off to see the belt is good, and none of the rockers were kicked out (an indicator of piston/valve contact). Exhaust mani comes off and No. 1 is sopping wet
The head comes off and I noticed something missing. One of the cans is
...gone!
I flip the head over and yeah, definitely had some problems with this cylinder.
The other ones were wet, but not like No. 1
Back to the block, I look down into No.1. Still can't find the piston! But what is that hanging from the crank?
It looks like a rod cap! I reach down into the hole, and with my finger I spin it 180 deg.
Huh? That's the bottom of a rod! So missing piston, rings, pin, half a rod, and where's the other bolt?
Sheesh...so I lean over the back of the block and in front of the A/C compressor I see this gaping hole
and various shrapnel scattered about the place
In the front of the block there is another hole
Looks like we ran out of room in there. I pull the timing belt and valve covers off to see the belt is good, and none of the rockers were kicked out (an indicator of piston/valve contact). Exhaust mani comes off and No. 1 is sopping wet
The head comes off and I noticed something missing. One of the cans is
...gone!
I flip the head over and yeah, definitely had some problems with this cylinder.
The other ones were wet, but not like No. 1
Back to the block, I look down into No.1. Still can't find the piston! But what is that hanging from the crank?
It looks like a rod cap! I reach down into the hole, and with my finger I spin it 180 deg.
Huh? That's the bottom of a rod! So missing piston, rings, pin, half a rod, and where's the other bolt?
Sheesh...so I lean over the back of the block and in front of the A/C compressor I see this gaping hole
and various shrapnel scattered about the place
In the front of the block there is another hole
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holeshotmoe
Well-known member
Took a few weeks off because it was cold! Beginning of March I dropped the pan to see what I can see.
Mama Mia! The oil pickup took hits, the main cap bridge is snapped in half, there's another hole (heart shaped just above the rear balance shaft), rear balance shaft is bent and locking the oil pump. You engine building pros can chime in anytime to suggest how this may have come about. But check ahead first because there are a few more details that may be relevant. I still don't know for sure what caused the engine to grenade, so I'm documenting here in hopes the experienced guys can shed some light.
Another hole here
The front balance shaft is bent
And two more holes
So what's in the bowl??? Something slamed into the baffle, breaking a weld and damaging it on the right!
Tilted the pan everything poured to one end :-O
Poured all the pieces from the pan and what was scattered around into a sieve and cleaned them
Do you see that broken rod bolt? Could that have broken, causing everthing to come apart??? But notice the nut has been hit multiple times...could it have broken from collisions with the other parts???
And finally, here is the bottom of the rod that was hanging on the crank. Check out them bearing surfaces! Looks like 40 or 50 collisions on the left.
Mama Mia! The oil pickup took hits, the main cap bridge is snapped in half, there's another hole (heart shaped just above the rear balance shaft), rear balance shaft is bent and locking the oil pump. You engine building pros can chime in anytime to suggest how this may have come about. But check ahead first because there are a few more details that may be relevant. I still don't know for sure what caused the engine to grenade, so I'm documenting here in hopes the experienced guys can shed some light.
Another hole here
The front balance shaft is bent
And two more holes
So what's in the bowl??? Something slamed into the baffle, breaking a weld and damaging it on the right!
Tilted the pan everything poured to one end :-O
Poured all the pieces from the pan and what was scattered around into a sieve and cleaned them
Do you see that broken rod bolt? Could that have broken, causing everthing to come apart??? But notice the nut has been hit multiple times...could it have broken from collisions with the other parts???
And finally, here is the bottom of the rod that was hanging on the crank. Check out them bearing surfaces! Looks like 40 or 50 collisions on the left.
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holeshotmoe
Well-known member
So I guess I never got around to publishing this, um, carnage. It's the reason for the rebuild details that will follow. So now that I have a little time, I'll start to get into the actual (re)build details.
