So much for my streak...

[chevytrucks92]

So some of you know that I've been on a little winning streak as of late. I had been in the finals for 3 weeks in a row (won once, runner up twiced), and was basically just doing really good.

Well that all came to an abrupt end last night. I made one time run last night, but knew as soon as I came out of the water that something was wrong with the car. At first, I thought my converter was going down because the car just had no power whatsoever. On to the run--the track was slick, and I spun badly, and wound up running like a 4.94 in the 330. I wasn't off that much due to spinning however-no power, and the car just didnt sound right. I get to the end of the track, pull the car back into low gear, and start around the return road and I'm having to keep my foot in it (revving past 3000 rpms) to just keep it rolling. Again, backing up my initial thought that my torque converter was going south (and man do I wish that's what it had been). However, I now am noticing a "ticking" sound and start to think maybe its not the converter--I've got major problems.

So I pull into my pit area, and we take the hood off. Mind you, I still had good oil pressure. At a glance, everything looks fine, we take both valve covers off, bump the engine over to make sure there's no broke springs, check the rocker arms for play, etc. Everything checks out.

We did find that both header gaskets were blown, so after replacing them and starting the car the that "ticking noise" I heard coming around the return road disappeared. So, back to my first thought. My converter is def. going down, especially since the car had 80 psi of oil pressure idling, just like it always does.

So, we decide to just run it again and see what it does. I get in it, pull onto the track, everything is fine and dandy so far, even feels like it has more power--could an exhaust leak hurt that much?? NOPE! Pull into the water box, start my burnout. Shortly there after my Dad is signalling to me to shut it down because he thought he seen some kind of fluid squirt onto the track on the right side of the car right where the radiator overflow tank is. So I shut the car off, open the door and he says "You don't have your fans on". I check my fans/water pump switch and yell back "yeah they are". So, him and a track official takes the hood off and see that the fans are indeed running and there is no water coming out, and doesn't appear to be anything else coming out. He tells me to fire it up. So, I start the car, oil pressure goes to 70 psi, BUT I know instantly something is major wrong. When I first fired it up, it revved up to about 3000 RPMs (had to peddle the gas to start it) and stayed there for a second and I feel this TERRIBLE vibration. So I'm shaking my head to my Dad signalling to him something major is wrong and I shut the car down. He looks under the car and sees that there is a hole about the size of a half-dollar in my oil pan around #4 and #6 cylinders.

We haven't tore the motor down yet, so we don't know how bad it is, but what is so odd about it is the car showed no signs of throwing a rod. There was no knocking, no loss of oil pressure (aside from 10 psi, and that could be attributed to the fact the oil temp. had risen), no anything! It just did it.

Either way, there's now a half-dollar size hole in my oil pan, and I'm just hoping that it didnt destroy the crank or block. But, if did ruin the crank and block, I REALLY hope it didnt shove a valve threw my heads! I'll post up how bad it is when we tear the engine down in the next day or two.

Cliff Notes:
-You really should read it all to appreciate how "odd" this happened, but if not...
-I splattered my 406 in the water box
-Have a half-dollar size hole on the right side of my oil pan around #4 and #6 cylinders.
-Engine gave no warning of throwing a rod...no knocking and still had good oil pressure, even after it threw it!

[clawhammer]

Sorry to hear about your engine. Now is your chance to make the car even faster.

[illegal_eagle187]

that sucks

[chevytrucks92]

Originally Posted by clawhammer

Sorry to hear about your engine. Now is your chance to make the car even faster.

Well, if it didnt ruin the block then it probably didnt hurt a piston or the cam (or more importantly the heads), so I'll probably put it back just how it is. Regardless of the damage, it'll have to have new rods and bearings. HOPEFULLY it didnt hurt the crank because steel cranks are very expensive. So, if it just broke a rod, then maybe new rods and bearings will be all it needs (and probably have the crank turned, and of course I'd be stupid not to get new rings and an oil pump).

But, if it did hurt the block then I'm screwed becuase I dont have another engine to put back in it, and I just can't shell out $5000+ for a new one right now, or even $2000+ for the bottom end. Atleast not right now.

If it did bust the block though I'll build another 406 eventually, and it won't just be a flat-top motor like this one. The price difference in flat top and dome pistons is not that much, so I'd go with domed pistons.

I've been looking through a JEG'S book and not counting a new block or shipping it'll cost about $2500 for a rotating assembly plus a cam. Either way, I'll know more about just how bad it is later this week.

[speedthrill]

aw sorry to hear that. Hadn't you already noticed something odd the previous weekend? I did seem to remember you saying you had odd times. Could it already been the engine problem?

Good luck.

[CassiesMan]

Originally Posted by chevytrucks92

If nothing goes wrong, then about $25 every month or so for an oil/filter change...

...At the end of the season, if nothing major has happened (to the engine or trans.), then I'll be spending around $400 on the heads to get new valve springs and have all the valves checked, new valve guides, valve seats checked, and etc.

Rule number 1, don't ever talk about something bad happening to your car...or it will. Sorry to hear about the bad luck...

[-The Stig-]

See, now if it had been a Honda. This would of never of happened.

Honda's never break.







Man, that totally sucks... keep us updated!!!

[chevytrucks92]

Originally Posted by speedthrill

aw sorry to hear that. Hadn't you already noticed something odd the previous weekend? I did seem to remember you saying you had odd times. Could it already been the engine problem?

Good luck.

Yeah, it did run off its numbers the last time I actually raced it. It was in the final round 2 weeks ago. I had dialed 4.45 and the car ran 4.53. So that's 7 hundredths off, and that's just unheard of for this car. So yeah, evidentally, whatever has happened started happening then, but like I said, the car never showed any signs of a rod getting ready to break, lol. Usually, when that's gettin ready to happen, you can hear them knock, and they will loose oil pressure. This one did niether.

Cassie, lol, I may have jinxed myself, but this is just a normal thing for race engines, lol. I mean its going to happen sooner or later. Now this one should'n thave let go like it did, especially since it gave no symptoms, but I guess you can say shit happens, lol.

Originally Posted by RedNeck383

See, now if it had been a Honda. This would of never of happened.

LOL. You're probably right, lol.

I'll keep ya guys updated. We should be tearing it down in the next day or two and then I'll know just how bad it is. I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope it didn't get my heads, because they are high dollar.

[JekylandHyde]

Sorry to hear it

I missed this weekend's races because Thursday night on teh way back from my mechanics my sway bar end link mounting plate bent around like a pretzel and gouged the hell out of my brand new $200 race tire and started scraping the rim

How does a welded plate break and snap around liek that? ... I assume it was from the big "jump" at the Weatherly hill climb.

Chevy, I'm sure you will be back in the saddle soon ... it took me a day to get Hyde up again. I am just waiting for a new tire now. *sigh*

[chevytrucks92]

Lol, seems like me and you have had the same fate as of late, lol. I same as win 3 weeks in a row, you win 3 weeks in a row. I have car trouble, you have car trouble, lol. Wierd huh? We need to get back on the winning track!

Sorry to hear what happened to Hyde. Freak things happen! I can vouch for that! I mean really, you ever known of a rod breaking (assuming it was a rod now, which more theen likely it was) even though the engine never lost oil pressure nor did it ever knock or bang? I mean usually, the oil pressure goes down and you can hear it knock. This one did neither! It just happened. I mean it had to be just a bad part. Oh well, lol. That's racin! Normal cars are unreliable at best, and race cars are surely unreliable!

It wouldn't take long to have Casper (car's name, lol) up and running, but it will take $$$.

[-The Stig-]

Ahh money...

Brings back that old saying...

Speed equals money, how fast can you afford to go?

I fucking hate that saying. I hate the truth.

[chevytrucks92]

Originally Posted by RedNeck383

Ahh money...

Brings back that old saying...

Speed equals money, how fast can you afford to go?

I fucking hate that saying. I hate the truth.

Yeah really!

My uncle told me about a 355 that someone he knows has that's supposed to have a big (high compression and dollar) pistons for $800. It's a complete engine, but I reckon it doesn't have a good set of heads, which wouldn't matter if my heads are not hurt. But I don't know if it'd be a good engine or not. I mean for $800, lol, a good steel crank cost almost that much, lol. However, the pistons alone are supposed to have cost $600. So who knows, it maybe a runner (with my heads).

But you never can tell. I've actually considered maybe just building a 355 when I'm able to do so. We used to run them and you can't hardly blow one of them up!

[nissanfanatic]

That is a really strange occurance...... How the hell does a hole just appear?.....

OH well, I hope for the best.

[chevytrucks92]

Originally Posted by nissanfanatic

That is a really strange occurance...... How the hell does a hole just appear?.....

OH well, I hope for the best.

Lol. Well, it didn't just appear, lol. A rod or rod cap caused it to appear, I just don't know which it was yet.

[-The Stig-]

The Honda gremlins did it.