What happened?

[y5e06]

Took a chunk of the piston of #8 above the top ring and slammed it into the head a bunch. We are trying to figure out if the block is trashed... Obviously will need new pistons and an overbore at a minimum.

you think #8 walls are cracked or just heavily scored? If your block has value to you, can you just sleeve it? I have a sleeve in my #7 due to a wadded up piston and broken rod prior to my ownership. luckily the crack wasn't at the very top/bottom of the bore which you may not be able to sleeve. It was easier than sourcing a new used block and going through all the evaluation and machine work again.
If your other cylinders are in really good shape maybe you can save money there by not doing any machining or overbore.

[marshall_mosty]

you think #8 walls are cracked or just heavily scored? If your block has value to you, can you just sleeve it? I have a sleeve in my #7 due to a wadded up piston and broken rod prior to my ownership. luckily the crack wasn't at the very top/bottom of the bore which you may not be able to sleeve. It was easier than sourcing a new used block and going through all the evaluation and machine work again.
If your other cylinders are in really good shape maybe you can save money there by not doing any machining or overbore.

Morgan,
Thanks for the idea. It's a B50 motorsport block ($900 new) so I'd like to slavage it, if possible. It's in Richard Painter's capable hands so hopefully I will know what I'm in for in the next day or so.

Maybe just sleeve the two affected cylinders and replace the two pistons...

[ShadowBolt]

Morgan,
Thanks for the idea. It's a B50 motorsport block ($900 new) so I'd like to slavage it, if possible. It's in Richard Painter's capable hands so hopefully I will know what I'm in for in the next day or so.

Maybe just sleeve the two affected cylinders and replace the two pistons...

I have to ask. Why does no one build their own engines? It's the only thing I really enjoy about working on a car these days. Clean parts on a engine stand.......that's as good as it gets (as far as working on cars is concerned). Just wondering?

JJ

[K Shaw]

I do my own and have had pretty good luck with it so far. I have onely done stockish rebuilds nothing fancy or expensive.

kyle

[marshall_mosty]

I have to ask. Why does no one build their own engines? It's the only thing I really enjoy about working on a car these days. Clean parts on a engine stand.......that's as good as it gets (as far as working on cars is concerned). Just wondering?

JJ

Jerry,
I have built my own since the beginning. This was Dave Neary's motor that lost a lifter and hadn't been checked/cleaned out yet. I let someone who could diagnose the damage tear it down and put it back together.

Now since this one is also "F'd", I'll let Richard take care of it too.

On top of all that, I don't physically have time to do it right now and really want to make Cresson (depending on the estimate to replace all the F'd parts)...

[marshall_mosty]

Cylinders 7/8


Cylinder 8


Piston 8


Cylinder head carnage


Cylinder 7/8


Cylinder 2.... yes, that's three pistons...

Block is trashed due to the heat checking between the cylinders. Guess a I have Ford Motorsport boat anchor and several paper weights for my desk at the office...

Have a call into the dyno guys to figure out why this tune went so wrong...

[Mrs. Crumpacker]

get a piece of glass and you now have an awesome coffee table for your "man-cave"

[Alien]

I have to ask. Why does no one build their own engines? It's the only thing I really enjoy about working on a car these days. Clean parts on a engine stand.......that's as good as it gets (as far as working on cars is concerned). Just wondering?

JJ

I used to work at an automotive machine shop (counter guy at Vilas Motor Works in Bryan/College Station). We charged $280 to assmeble a V8 longblock. After spending money on all the new parts, the labor I can't do such as boring and honing the block, resizing big end of rods, pressing on pistons without breaking them, valve job/guide work, resurfacing heads etc, the assembley charge is small in relation to knowing it was 'professionally' assembled.

The first engine I put in Knocker after I bought it (to replace the one that started knocking on the way home after buying it), was a mild 350 built by Vilas. ~$1200 IIRC before the assmbly charge, not including water pump, plugs wires etc that I still needed to buy. The way I look at it, that $280 for peace of mind was worth it.

I guess it might be different if I were to build an engine from scratch with all new parts and didn't need a machine shop for the labor typically needed for a rebuild.

All that said, for CMC I prefer to use seasoned engines; the 305 TPI was a 180k mile engine and the now LT1 is a 100k+ engine.

[marshall_mosty]

Looks like I'm back to the drawinig board.

block is trashed
3 trashed pistons
5 pistons showing severe heat checking
7 bent exhaust valves
valve locks are worn out
valve springs need replacement

Total bill is approx $2600... if I were to pull the trigger today.


Looking at options to use my old, tired 302 with a set of GT40 iron heads, but don't know if it's worth the effort for the MAF, T-body, and 30# injectors. Most likely will sit out the season, saving sheckles to build it again over the off season...

[rpoz27]

you probably already know this but cruise dfwmustangs.net....bet you could find a nice 302 with afr's for a decent price.

Just keep in mind that 302's all run lean on the #7/#8 cylinders...when you choke them down, they go really lean. Whatever you do, only buy enough head to get to your power level, buy the RIGHT cam for those heads and have a lot of compression. Then build the valve train for 7k rpm and it should live a long time....

sorry for the bad luck but don't give up.

Looks like I'm back to the drawinig board.

block is trashed
3 trashed pistons
5 pistons showing severe heat checking
7 bent exhaust valves
valve locks are worn out
valve springs need replacement

Total bill is approx $2600... if I were to pull the trigger today.


Looking at options to use my old, tired 302 with a set of GT40 iron heads, but don't know if it's worth the effort for the MAF, T-body, and 30# injectors. Most likely will sit out the season, saving sheckles to build it again over the off season...