Game over???
 

To anyone following my past threads about the trials and tribulations I have gone through getting my rebuilt engines setup and running correctly, I think it is lights out at this point for at least one of them. What do you think?

Toady, heading for haulout in Long Island Sound. Running 3600 RPM's cruising along listening to the tunes in my 1985 Stinger 390 with 29.5 hours on a freshly rebuilt 454 (440 cyclone base) port engine did the following: bang!!, warning horn with shutdown, smoke everywhere, oil coating the bilge under the port engine, limp to marina on stbd. engine!

Later I found 2 quarter to half dollar sized holes in each side of the pan, and steel and aluminum fragments in the bilge. Presumably piston and rod fragments. I figure that means "game over please deposit another quarter to continue playing! "

The engine shut down immediately but the damage was certainly done. The plugs were all light tan colored on inspection afterwards, timing was 32 degrees at full advance, no detonation noticed or anything abnormal. The oil was full on startup and had 45 psi operating just before this happened, 150 degrees of water temp, no noise, vibration or anything....just bang and lights out. I did not notice damage to the block. It looks like the oil pan took the force but I guess you can't be sure unless the block is magnafluxed. It's Really wierd that this would happen on a performance engine at only 3600 rpm cruising with test props that were slipping too much and only doing 37 mph.

I guess I'll know when it gets taken apart, but it seems to me that the engine is most likely full of fragments. I figure it spun a rod bearing, seized it, and snapped the rod in half. I'm still fishing for pieces in the bilge. Any opinions of anyone who has had a similar failure?

Re: Game over???
 

Sounds to me like you just had an oil pan failure. :D :D :D

Re: Game over???
 

My wife drove my Bronco to town one day while in low lock. Made it about 20 miles at 70mph before it scattered. Maybe you were in low range?

Seriously I hope your builder gave you a warranty. Sometimes things just get overlooked and doo doo happens. Better this time of year than the spring. Aside from the engine failing was the oil pump replaced or the gear driving it.

Strange it would go 25 plus hours and then let go.

Re: Game over???
 

Dropped a valve head. Did the same thing. Just popped off, no other signs of anything wrong. Caused the piston to cock and explode. The pan damage was the rod doin a 360. Nothing was salvagable. Hope yours is better. Ill never use anything but the best valves again. My bad.

Re: Game over???
 

At those rpm's, I'd tend to go along with Formula; though rarely are you unlucky enough for it to take a rod too. Could be that they just weren't the best quality pistons, and if this is what happened, they sure as hell weren't the best valves. NEVER use anything short of Manley Inconel or Ferria Superalloy (or equivalent) exhaust valves in a hp marine engine no matter what a street engine builder tells you! --- Jer

Re: Game over???
 

Oh man, really sorry to hear this. Especially after all the hard work you did. You might consider selling the other running motor, and getting a new matched set of long blocks. I believe you could get a pair of 454/420hp engines for about 8k. Sell your good motor for about 2k, so swap cost you six. You might have close to that in rebuilding that broken motor.When its all done, you'll have two brand new matched motors.
I also know of someone selling a pair of 200 hour 454 mags(365Hp). They are complete and have the same HD internals as the 420/440Hp motors. Swap new cams, and put your carbs on them, and youd have 420HP engines. He wants 5500 for the pair.He might give you a break on the price if you have him install the motors, he's on the east coast.
Again, you could sell your other motor to offset the cost. Let me know if I can be of help, Joe

Re: Game over???
 

Yea, it kind of sucks. It is still kind of sinking in and I don't think it has hit fully yet. (too much alcohol last night numbed the mind away from reality a little.) I appreciate the lead on the other motors. I'm still hoping the mechanic who did the work will do the right thing and stand by his job. I'll take the information anyway though, if you want to email me his contact information.

[email protected]

Thanks again Joe

Todd

Re: Game over???
 

I was finishing stripping this engine for removal today and figured I would look under the rocker covers to look for any further clues as to what happened. (besides oil pan failure hillbilly :eureka:)

I found cylinder's #5 & 6 rocker arms so loose they would twist right off of the valve heads and pushrods. #5 intake valve was already twisted off of the pushrod and lying useless on the rocker arm stud at about a 45 deg angle to the valve. I pulled out a few of the pushrods and none seemed bent but I did not check them all. The holes in the oil pan are directly under 5 & 6, and on the right side the hole blew out the dipstick plate. I did not expect to find anything loose in the head with just a bottom end failure, but now it seems that if a rod did break, it did at least some damage to the valvetrain.

I did not find any water in any cylinders when I first checked the plugs right after this happened, and all of them were nice and light tan colored, except for a darker #7. From the limited visibility I have of the pistons through the exhaust ports, they don't look damaged but I'm sure that will not be the case upon a good inspection.

Mechanic is not returning calls or emails. Go figure!
In looking at these engines more and more, I wonder if he even rebuilt them as he said he did. The blocks are totally scaled with rust from what can be seen under the t-stat housings, water passage drains were plugged with rust and sediment, (29 hours since this work) they were supposed to have been sent out for cleaning and magnafluxing. I now doubt it ever happened, especially since 1 block drain on either side was frozen tight and took considerable effort to get them out a few weeks ago for winterizing.

Re: Game over???
 

sounds like you have a defective oil pan, call the manufaturer and have em send you a new one mister. now do like jc and wipe the oil pan down with laquer thinner and duct tape it up. run it like that til your new oil pan arrives. i mean whats teh worst that could happen?

Re: Game over???
 

If you ain't building then yourself, you gots to be good friends with your builder! Have him over for dinner, or take him out for drinks, get him laid, or whatever it takes to make him think that he needs to take real GOOD care of you! --- Jer