Projects Dragster project - Threw a rod. :-( Part 2

It was turning pretty good. I had the throttle partially open when I started it and held it there for a bit. Around 4000

 

Kerry I wish you the best on the next motor. This is a tragedy for sure before it could actually run down the track. looks like it either hydra licked or the rod bolts let go. I hope your next one holds together fo you.

 

I agree with ebbsspeed...Probably a bad rod bolt started it. I can't see anything
wrong with your basic combination. I ***ume you have a locked mag at about 30*
ignition advance. Set the barrel valve to about 70% leak and DO NOT start the
engine with the throttle open. Prime injector with a bottle, then close throttle &
spin it. Then hit the mag switch. Throttle open starts could bang the blower.
MB

 

Man that ****s, shes toast.

I always feel rods and rod bolt failure are a major thing on motors, to me the most common, lots of guys when i was doing motor jobs wouldnt wanna do anything with them, and id warn em.

Was there possibly a problem or question about torque specs on the rod bolts?

I hope (in a good way) it was a rod or rod bolt failure and not a set up failure.

I know another guy that burned down 2 bbc in his river boat, it was a fule injection problem the whole time, but he didnt think it was, costed him 2 motors to figure out what it was.

JEFF

 

These were supposed to be ARP bolts. I'm finding it hard to believe that I hydrolocked due to the way it acted, but all else being equal it was either that or a rod bolt.

I'm feeling very self conscious at this point and like a complete retard. Feels like I must have done everything wrong and have no one to blame but myself. I did not back it down like I should have, I should not have been starting it with the throttle cracked, I should have had a better combination, etc... Plenty of well meaning folks have plenty of good reasons for it to have failed and most of that points to me. Self confidence is at a record low. I'm going to sit inside tonight and hide.

 

What is salvagable here? Heads, blower & injection, ignition, ???

(Just trying to think 'cup-half-full')

 

Ahh, some days you get the chicken, some days the wolf does. Hang in there!

 

Yeah, plus cam,lifters, gear drive, etc...

 

Like I said- Keep your chin up.

It could always be worse.

 

Kerry,
That blowed up real good!!! Spectacular damage. Congrats- you have bragging rites with this one. Okay, here's how it goes:
-you feel bad, we all feel bad. This is the feel bad part.
-next, you get a motor between the rails and it responds to your tuning.
- then, at some track, bystanders are impressed with the rail and a conversation strikes up. Somewhere along the way, the topic bends toward "you should have seen what I did to the LAST motor". Tucked away inside your tool box are a couple of photos. Trophies, if you will. The bystanders are in disbelief of the images. They are both impressed and slightly afraid of you.
-30 years later, while bench racing with your son's friends, you reach into your tool box and pull out a couple of old photos. Your son's friends are impressed... and slightly afraid of you!

Let me know what I can do to help you thru the "feel bad" part.
Bil

 

ok so you need a block (or is the block rebuildable?), crank, rods, pistons....

 

wow kerry that is just terrible to have to see. i feel for ya bro!!!!!!!!

 

10.25:1 AND 11-percent overdriven? Good Lord... I don't know much about blown drag hemi's, but that seems hellaciously stiff.

-Brad

 

One more in Hemi Heaven, May it, and it is, rest in peaces. Long as the motor got hurt and not you , thats the important thing. Think a guy by the name of Garlits did this a time or two so your in good company.

 

I'm running alcohol, not gas, but that is one of the things that has been brought up. My dirt track buddies run scary amounts of static compression on alcohol.

 

I've got another block and crank. I need rods, pistons, bearings, rings, and gaskets, and then there are the machining costs. If I'm going to make changes now is the time, so maybe I should change the cam as well. I could reuse four of the pistons but as I just mentioned, here's my chance to change. I think I'm going to start a "how would you build it" thread.

 

Kerry, Roger, (Riceman) Lee said find someone you trust and stick with them. I can't stress this enough he speaks the truth. Do not listen to the m***es. No offense to anyone. Lippy

 

Don't buy alum rods from an individual unless you know them to be above reproach. Only buy new from the factory. Way too many ways to get hosed in this deal.

 

Ooooh! Kerry, which Hemi was this - brand and Cu In? Sorry for the loss.

Ive got 291 Desoto parts if you need them and Im in Central Mo.

 

Sorry for the loss........Have you seen this shot of "The Scorpion"?

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/photo.php?pid=5871500&id=322270340922&fbid=425703035922

Not sure if Facebook will allow the link to see the pix.

Chris

 

Oh no. man that ****s. Blew it right in front of the snack table.

 

Did I read in one of your earlier posts that you had a hydraulic cam and lifters in it? If you did it is possible that the exhaust valve couldn't open enough under the pressure with the hydraulic lifters.
If that was the case fuel will build in the hole and hydraulic that cylinder. At that point something has to give. 1. head gasket comes out, 2. valves get pushed up into the ports, 3. rod, rod's or crank comes out the bottom.
And it is possible the rod just simply said "I've had enough of this ****".
On another note, you say you found some more rods and need to save some money. Take it from me and a million other people, rods are not the place to save money. JC

 

I think he meant save money FOR the rods, not ON the rods.

Kerry- did you call Steve Harwood yet?

 

The damage looks like it was "pulled" apart. Hydraulic (hydrolocked), in my opinion, would show different damage from a "compressed" situation

 

No I haven't. Can't find his #. PM it to me please. I did find another used set fairly reasonable. Nothing will go back into this engine that isn't checked thouroghly though!!!

 

hmmm....well some of the rods looks like they were bent.....as in buckling failure....which led me to believe that it was a compressed situation. But I suppose the bending (and breaking) of the rods could have happened as a result of another failure before that.

 

I think this is a good point, what's the old saying about too many cooks. Everyone is going to have something different to say, if you have an engine builder that you trust stick with him. Or her if that is the case.

 

You have a PM.

Harwood Hemis:

Engine Rebuilders-Northglenn
15661 Colorado Boulevard, Brighton, CO 80602-7801
(303) 451-5577

 

True. It's all speculation with that much carnage

 

You didn't back the motor down, kneel on rice for a half hour and while you are down there, write on the garage floor 1000 times, '' BACK THE MOTOR DOWN FIRST ". Did you spin it for oil pressure before firing ? If not, that is another 1/2 hour of kneeling on rice ! Do your sprint car buddies use stock rods ? What was the oil pressure at idle ? What type and weight oil were you using ?