Lost the engine in the Falcon, but back in the game

Well its was bound to happen and I have been lucky for 18 years but I popped the engine in the Falcon back in earlly July at Grand Bend Canada. Was getting to the top of second gear about 5800 r.p.m.'s and it sounded like throwing change into a blender and turning it on high. After the tear down I am thinking a rod bolt failed but it could have been something else.

So fast forward 6 weeks and I have the car back running. I decided to pull my old 351W out of the barn and freshen it up with new bearings and rings, had the cranked polished and the cylinders honed. The old engine is low compression 8.5 / 9.0 to 1. The heads had some slight damage to number 2 chamber but was able to be repaired with out to much labor. The old engine was 10.5 to 1 and ran a best of 11.09 at 123 m.p.h. so I headed out to the local track last Sunday hoping to get into the 11's and on my second full out p*** it went 11.70 at 115.06. Not bad for a low compression back up engine. Going to head out this weekend and see if I can get it into the 11.60's. Here are some pictures of the damage and of the good engine going together.

Jon

 

Ya, that about covers it.

Jon

 

I love it when problems are that easy to find...
Seriously, you had a good, long run on that motor, it doesn't owe you a thing!

 

Why does that rod remind me of Hercules?

Seriously, you had a great long run with that mill, it's too bad the block is toast but 18 years....

 

18 years!?!?! I'm thinking you definately got your money's worth! Good to hear that its back on the strip though.

 

Let me clear something up, did not have 18 years on that motor, In 18 years of racing I have never popped a motor sorry for not making it more clear in the first post.. That motor had about 8 years of running between my car and a o.t. Mustang. My old engine that is back in has about 12 years but it has new rod bolts in and had the rods checked and resized.

Jon

 

Glad to see you are back out.

 

Glad to see you got it sorted

 

Nice work, excellent tenacity and resiliency. Have some fun with that spare motor.

 

Took it to the track today and ran a best of 11.56 @ 116.79, it ran really good and I made a metering rod change to improve the low end that was a little rich. Heading to Martin Michigan next weekend for the Funny Car Nationals, Great Lakes G***ers is having a 12 car exhibition match race during the show.

Jon

 

glad to see you have it running again. Thats definately a good backup engine