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

Got the engine out of her and tore it down tonight. It's terminal. The exhaust valve on #2 is bent. I had to hammer the pan back in to get the pan bolts out. There is so much damage it's impossible to tell what died first. Bearings don't show any evidence, broken rod bolts but nothing to indicate what went first. #1,2,&3 have broken or shreded rods, #4 is hurt, but the back 4 cylinders look fine. The block is done and the crank took some pretty good licks too. It'll be time to start over.

 

Holy **** man, I've got the twin to that. Mine appears that the cam failed first, dropped part of it into the crank and all hell broke loose from there.

Sorry about your loss.

 

Sorry for your loss as well.

My cam actually looks like she survived OK. Not going to be much from the short block on this girl to live again.

 

awe hell....fubar

 

Brother Kery, that looks nasty, my condolences!~

 

****, that is ugly. What's wrong with the block itself?

Hope you get another block back together soon Kerry.

 

I found a set of 8 new Howards aluminum rods today for $500 which is pretty good but it's time to save some money first.

 

It rest in pieces. Rods broke first.

 

Damn Kerry! That's some nasty lookin' stuff! So sorry for your loss, it happens to the best of us, keep your chin up and start building again.

 

After another look I'm with Riceman, rod went first.

 

im sorry

 

I just realized you had loaded up and left- never heard until I got back on the HAMB what happened. That is one cool *** dragster though. Hang in there.
Rodshop

 

We had a dirt track motor do the same thing after about 50+ races, it blew the whole side of the block out though and it sure was wierd to look at the bottom of the head still attached to the empty space. Rods looked the same and I kept them as a wallhanger for awhile.

How long was the motor together/p***es made?-Weeks

 

hydrauliced the motor???

 

Is that the 354 out of your coupe?

 

Nope Krooser, the coupe is doing fine. It's from the new girl...

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Thanks so much for the thoughts and encouragement. It means a lot!!!

OK, so this one is dead. In the post mortem a number of guys have suggested a hydraulic situation. I've certainly thought about that. Kind of bugs me that it ran for about 4 seconds before it hand grenaded.

Others have questioned my combination of parts. Polished stockforged rods, 10.25:1 pistons, and 11% overdrive. Perhaps my cam was too mild (224 @ .050 and .501 lift) and I wasn't bleeding off enough pressure. This is on alcohol and I know it liked pressure. I really felt good about the combination because it was close to what the coupe has, just on steroids because I was going to run alcohol.

What combination of parts would you guys use? Let's build this on in our heads before I blow up a bunch more $$$.

 

You don't mess around when you explode one. Feel bad that it happened when everything was lookin great, love the Suburban hooked to the rail. Hope you can score the rods you found, maybe Pov Flats have a replacement block for you. Good luck and see ya at the drags bro. The coupe looks fab as always. ~Sololobo~

 

That does look nasty.

Keep your chin up brother.

 

Kid car looks great. I know you will make the come back. See you at the drags. Cal

 

What block and crank you using? I have a buddy who does a lot of engine work on older engine and has quite a few around the shop.

 

I really appreaciate all the parts help. The one part I really don't have now is money. I'm pretty well fixed up for blocks and cranks. Rods and pistons are another story. I've got the chance to reinvent this girl so I'm going to do ome more serious thinking before I do anything.

 

You have joined a club that every drag racer is in. Count your blessings that this BOMB didn't go off on a p*** and you will come back for another shot. My Nitro motor was built by 83 year old Dexter "Pops" Bradford and he started working in an engine shop at 16 years old. Pops doesn't move fast, but gets the job done. I had made a short list of engine builders that have 1) Experience, 2) Attention to detail, 3) Educate me on the care and feeding and 4) and would work we me with my dreams of having one live for awhile. Is there such a thing called your Basic Nitro Motor ? Pops and I went conservative, step by step and laid out our plans. I thought I knew alot about what a Nitro motor is all about and came away with '' I didn't know **** ". If there is or you have an engine builder you can work with, with experience that is willing to talk over and help you, he will become a life long friend. So while you ponder over what your next motor will consist of, you have plenty of finishing to do to your dragster. Now you know what your ''Piston to Ground" clearence is, you only need to know this once.

 

Ouch Kerry, but look on the bright side now you will have some "wall art" and a hell of a story for the rest of your life...........

" Keep em between the whites"...........Carl

 

Kerry, I don't have any rods or pistons up to the task, or I'd ship 'em your way. In lieu of that, would you be willing to take a little PayPal donation to help with parts? I for one was looking forward to seeing this thing make a p*** at the HAMB drags. Next year......

 

Damn Kerry that's bad news. Uh ya wanna build a 440?

I know you don't but you are welcome to the pieces if you want them.

I wish I had some hemi stuff in my stock pile of stuff that I'll never use but someone will. I don't even know of any favors I could pull in on that one.

 

I think those pistons can be saved, a little welding and turning........shoot this is the HAMB! We can do anything!

There is an advantage to this, a few I'm sure (some already named)........

1. it didn't happen on the track
2. or between your legs
3. you can build it better now
4. you can paint the digger while you save $
5. you got the blowing up the motor out of the way
6. It still looks good on the trailer behind that suburban
7. Travis will be able to reach the pedals next year
......

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I cannot believe how those rods are chunked in half! they look like licorice twists! You did it good Kerry, build it better!

How do you guys know that the rods went first?

Other then first hand experience.........



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The only things broken are the rods and rod bolts, all the rest of the carnage is a result of that. And ***uming that those were good rod bolts, there's not much else to point at but a rod failure being the genesis of the destruction.

The one bent rod cap in the pan might point to an initial bolt failure. Bolt broke, "inertial forces" folded that cap, crank whipped around and sheared that rod end off, and the rest happened due to all the resulting chunks of debris flying hither and yon throughout the bottom end. But the same bent rod cap could be a victim of a rod breaking first, which is more likely the case.

How fast was the motor turning when this happened? Sounds like it happened just a few seconds after starting it, so I ***ume you were warming it and it wasn't real high RPM's?