[DeTomaso] WARNING: .050 may be the wrong kind of Bomb

[pantdino at aol.com]

"There is a nearby shop with a borescope"
Forgive me my ignorance if I'm wrong but isn't #5 one of the forward 
cylinders?
Unless the shop has a flexible scope or video camera head to put on its 
borescope I don't see how you will be able to visualize inside that 
cylinder thru the plug hole because there is no room to put your head 
at the eyepiece of the scope after you put the scope thru the hole.

What exactly would you be looking for inside the cylinder?
I don't think you'd be able to see a broken ring, and if the piston top 
were holed adding oil to the cylinder would not affect the compression 
test.

Jim







-----Original Message-----
From: Dan Courtney <dfcex at pacbell.net>
To: detomaso at realbig.com
Sent: Fri, 29 May 2009 1:38 pm
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] WARNING: .050 may be the wrong kind of Bomb










I tried the compression test again on #5 last night, because on the 
first test
the other seven cylinders only took 2 or 3 revolutions to get a reading 
and it
took me allot more on #5 (the cylinder with the most electrode damage).
This time I could not get any reading at all.
I pumped a little oil into the cylinder and it immediately registered 
at 200
psi. After letting some of the oil escape it dropped to 180, but still 
registers
consistently, and immediately, at 180.
I believe this indicates the rings were not sealing?
=0
ASounds like I either have a broken ring or they got washed out.
I took another look at the carb linkage. The rod the rebuilder put in 
for the
secondaries appears to be way too long and the linkage bottoms out on a 
stop
well before the rod can open the secondary butterflies.
I floored it a couple of times on the way back from Vegas for a 1/2 
mile here
and there and I'm thinking this made it go lean and caused detonation 
and/or
washed out the rings with excess fuel. I never exceeded 4,500 rpms and 
it was
flat above 4,200.
There is a nearby shop with a borescope so I might trailer it there 
tomorrow.
I also have a mobile mechanic who can swing by tonight and run a 
leak-down test.
Or, I can just start pulling off the head.
Here I go again, after only 800 miles on engine #5, which was supposed 
to be a
keeper.
As you can tell from this email, I'm assuming the worst. If you think 
I'm
missing something please let me know.
Unfortunately, it took me the 1 1/2 years to get this running because 
I'm pretty
fatigued about having to constantly get new engines and I've lost allot 
of my
enthusiasm for driving a Pantera. What I really needed was a good year 
or so
behind the wheel with no blow-ups.
Anyway, such is life.

Dan

Dan F. Courtney

La Jolla, CA

(858) 551-5455 Phone
(858) 551-5456 Fax
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: JDeRyke at aol.com
 
 To: dfcex at pacbell.net
  Cc: detomaso at realbig.com
  Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2009 11:18 AM
  Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] WARNING: .050 may be the wrong kind of Bomb


  In a message dated 5/28/09 11:10:02 AM, dfcex at pacbell.net writes:


     Could impact from the domed piston to the plug tip crack the 
electrode
without breaking the tip? Although #5 is missing 1/2 the tip, #6 has an 
intact
tip but not much electrode.


   Unless you're running side-gap plugs, first contact will be between 
the piston
dome and the ground electrode, essentially shutting off that plug as 
the gap
goes to zero. Busting up the ceramic inside won't necessarily shut down 
the plug
sparks, if the ignition is energetic enough. I'm still thinking an 
over-lean
mixture at higher rpms causing detonation. Good luck- J Deryke



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