[DeTomaso] Winged Warrior Update: Engine #6

[Dan Courtney]

If I didn't have bad luck with the Cleveland, I'd have no luck at all.
The Reno event got me fired up and I yanked the engine a couple of days after returning.
We confirmed the #2 intake lobe was completely ground off, a perfect circle.
I had been running Valvoline Racing Oil. The builder says to go with Kendall and the Comp Cam additive for break-in.
Crower was nice enough to comp a replacement cam and lifters.
Then we popped the bearings. Copper showing on all crank bearings.
Next we noticed allot of scratches on the crank. It needs to be polished.
Then the pistons.
#5, the cylinder with the most erosion to the spark plug, has badly scored skirts and is trash.
Luckily, I bought a couple of spare pistons last time, so I'm good there (I'm learning -also have a back-up block and crank now).
The cylinders should hone OK.
As to the source of the detonation, the leading candidate is a cut carb mounting gasket. It had a "slot" in it for some reason, very strange.
The other possibility is the crack on the header weld on #5 tube, although that could be the result of the detonation (heat), rather than the cause. The MSD distributor was also "gunky" and may not have been advancing properly.
Anyway, with the new cam, bearings, polishing and honing Cleveland #6 (in as many years) should be good as new. I'm adding air/fuel sending units above the collector and a gauge, plus I'll have it dyno'd before I running off with my next 1,000 mile break in cruise (actually only got 600 miles on this engine).
The worst part of all this is I seem to be averaging less and less miles between blow up. I used to get at least 1,500 miles and one Silver State out of a motor, now I can't even get a good road trip.

Dan

Dan F. Courtney

La Jolla, CA

(858) 551-5455 Phone
(858) 551-5456 Fax