[DeTomaso] Failure Analysis

Will Kooiman will.kooiman at gmail.com
Wed Feb 12 23:33:11 EST 2020


Hi Everyone,

Sorry for posting and then not saying anything.  I got busy with ³stuff².
That happens a lot lately.

I was wrong about one thing.  The #4 cap was tight, not #3, probably due to
the bent #8 rod.

I really think I could put this thing back together again - with a new rod,
1 new sleeve, and of course, with the hole welded up.

I will take pics this weekend.  When I get home during the week, there isn¹t
enough light to take good pics.

Will.

From:  John Taphorn <johnftaphorn at gmail.com>
Date:  Sunday, February 9, 2020 at 8:35 PM
To:  Will Kooiman <will.kooiman at gmail.com>
Cc:  List DeTomaso Forum <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
Subject:  Re: [DeTomaso] Failure Analysis

Thanks for sharing. You are to be commended for staying constructively
positive!

JT

On Sat, Feb 8, 2020 at 10:15 PM Will Kooiman <will.kooiman at gmail.com> wrote:
>    Hi Guys,
> 
>    For your enjoyment...
> 
>    The last time I drove my car, it was running great.  How many stories
>    start like this?
> 
>    I had a new 351C, 4" stroker crank, H-beam rods, forged pistons, old
>    worn out A3 heads, Webers with filters, 180 degree headers, hard blok
>    to the bottom of the freeze plugs.  Everything that I could find new
>    had been replaced with new.  I had about 200 miles on it.
> 
>    I drove it to work, no drama, no overheating, and parked it.  I love
>    this car.  When I got in it to leave, it turned over, but the starter
>    made an ugly sound.  I thought the starter had failed to engage the
>    ring gear correctly.  I rocked it back and forth a bit, and the pinion
>    popped out of the ring gear.  I tried again, but the starter said,
>    "No."  As any gear head would do, I tried to push start it.  No dice.
>    It was locked up.  So, I flat bedded it home.  I tipped the tow truck
>    driver.  Always do this.  It's good karma.
> 
>    When I got some time, I drained the oil and found water in the oil.
>    Crap.
> 
>    I suspected #7.  Several years ago I was working on the linkage on the
>    Webers and dropped 3 very small washers.  I found 2.  I looked for 1-2
>    hours, but couldn't find #3.  I convinced myself that it had rolled out
>    of site.  A few years later, I removed the heads.  I don't remember
>    why.  I probably did something stupid again.  It's genetic.  At any
>    rate, I found the third washer.  It was in #7 crammed into the head
>    with a tiny dent in the #7 piston.  I don't recall what I did next.  I
>    can't imagine that I put the engine together with a washer stuck in the
>    head, but maybe I did.  Lots of things on my mind the last 5 years.
> 
>    When I saw the water in the oil, I pulled the driver's head.  The
>    washer is no longer stuck in the head, but there's a hole to the water
>    jacket, slightly larger than a washer.  Crap #2.
> 
>    Naturally I figured I hydro locked the engine, and I suspected that I
>    windowed the #7 cylinder.  I didn't mess with the 351C anymore.  I was
>    tired of dealing with old parts, so I decided to build an all-new 351.
> 
>    I bought a new Dart block, 9.2" deck, 4" crank, Scat H-beam rods,
>    forged pistons, etc., and found brand new A3 heads on e-bay.  It's in
>    the car now.  I'm finishing up the final pieces before I try to start
>    it.
> 
>    Off topic:  Dart blocks are car porn.  They look like they will handle
>    5,000 HP.  Holy crap are they nice.  I had to grind on the motor mounts
>    because Dart blocks have webbing around the motor mount bolts that
>    interfere with Pantera mounts.  Did I mention I love Dart blocks?
> 
>    Way off topic:  I also recently bought a 427 SO block by BBM for my
>    Cobra.  It's also car porn.  It is identical to a Ford 427 SO, with
>    more thickness where it matters, plus better mains.  It looks like it's
>    designed for Godzilla.  I stared at the bottom end for hours while I
>    drank 2 glasses of wine.  I saw colors.  Then, I smoked a cigarette.
> 
>    Back on topic.
> 
>    I decided to do failure analysis on the 351C tonight.  At this point,
>    the engine was right side up with the passenger's head still on the
>    block.  I didn't want to flip it over, because I hadn't removed the
>    lifters.
> 
>    To my surprise, #7 looks fine.  There's some grunge on the #7 cylinder,
>    but it will clean up.  The rod cap didn't want to come off, so I
>    suspected something wrong with #3.  I removed the passenger's head, and
>    removed the #3 piston.  No problems there.  The bearings aren't blue.
>    Crank journals look okay.  That's when I noticed the rod was bent on
>    #4.  I would have noticed earlier, but the engine was right side up.
> 
>    My failure analysis is hydro-lock on #7, which bent the #4 rod when it
>    tried to compress the water.  Perhaps it was on the #4 power stroke
>    when it bent the rod.  And maybe it didn't window the block due to the
>    hard blok, and due to the fact that it wasn't running.  Remember, it
>    happened when I was trying to start it.
> 
>    The block looks okay.  It will need a sleeve in #4.  It has a gouge
>    about 2" long that won't hone out.  Of course, everything needs to be
>    checked, but I was expecting way more carnage.
> 
>    I may do some pics tomorrow.  It's 11pm in Florida, so I'm not going
>    back out there tonight.
> 
>    Don't try this at home.  Don't try it away from home either.
> 
>    Will.
> _______________________________________________
> 
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-------------- next part --------------
   Hi Everyone,
   Sorry for posting and then not saying anything.  I got busy with
   "stuff".  That happens a lot lately.
   I was wrong about one thing.  The #4 cap was tight, not #3, probably
   due to the bent #8 rod.
   I really think I could put this thing back together again - with a new
   rod, 1 new sleeve, and of course, with the hole welded up.
   I will take pics this weekend.  When I get home during the week, there
   isn't enough light to take good pics.
   Will.

   From: John Taphorn <[1]johnftaphorn at gmail.com>
   Date: Sunday, February 9, 2020 at 8:35 PM
   To: Will Kooiman <[2]will.kooiman at gmail.com>
   Cc: List DeTomaso Forum <[3]detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
   Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Failure Analysis

   Thanks for sharing. You are to be commended for staying constructively
   positive!

   JT

   On Sat, Feb 8, 2020 at 10:15 PM Will Kooiman
   <[4]will.kooiman at gmail.com> wrote:

        Hi Guys,
        For your enjoyment...
        The last time I drove my car, it was running great.  How many
     stories
        start like this?
        I had a new 351C, 4" stroker crank, H-beam rods, forged pistons,
     old
        worn out A3 heads, Webers with filters, 180 degree headers, hard
     blok
        to the bottom of the freeze plugs.  Everything that I could find
     new
        had been replaced with new.  I had about 200 miles on it.
        I drove it to work, no drama, no overheating, and parked it.  I
     love
        this car.  When I got in it to leave, it turned over, but the
     starter
        made an ugly sound.  I thought the starter had failed to engage
     the
        ring gear correctly.  I rocked it back and forth a bit, and the
     pinion
        popped out of the ring gear.  I tried again, but the starter
     said,
        "No."  As any gear head would do, I tried to push start it.  No
     dice.
        It was locked up.  So, I flat bedded it home.  I tipped the tow
     truck
        driver.  Always do this.  It's good karma.
        When I got some time, I drained the oil and found water in the
     oil.
        Crap.
        I suspected #7.  Several years ago I was working on the linkage
     on the
        Webers and dropped 3 very small washers.  I found 2.  I looked
     for 1-2
        hours, but couldn't find #3.  I convinced myself that it had
     rolled out
        of site.  A few years later, I removed the heads.  I don't
     remember
        why.  I probably did something stupid again.  It's genetic.  At
     any
        rate, I found the third washer.  It was in #7 crammed into the
     head
        with a tiny dent in the #7 piston.  I don't recall what I did
     next.  I
        can't imagine that I put the engine together with a washer stuck
     in the
        head, but maybe I did.  Lots of things on my mind the last 5
     years.
        When I saw the water in the oil, I pulled the driver's head.  The
        washer is no longer stuck in the head, but there's a hole to the
     water
        jacket, slightly larger than a washer.  Crap #2.
        Naturally I figured I hydro locked the engine, and I suspected
     that I
        windowed the #7 cylinder.  I didn't mess with the 351C anymore.
     I was
        tired of dealing with old parts, so I decided to build an all-new
     351.
        I bought a new Dart block, 9.2" deck, 4" crank, Scat H-beam rods,
        forged pistons, etc., and found brand new A3 heads on e-bay.
     It's in
        the car now.  I'm finishing up the final pieces before I try to
     start
        it.
        Off topic:  Dart blocks are car porn.  They look like they will
     handle
        5,000 HP.  Holy crap are they nice.  I had to grind on the motor
     mounts
        because Dart blocks have webbing around the motor mount bolts
     that
        interfere with Pantera mounts.  Did I mention I love Dart blocks?
        Way off topic:  I also recently bought a 427 SO block by BBM for
     my
        Cobra.  It's also car porn.  It is identical to a Ford 427 SO,
     with
        more thickness where it matters, plus better mains.  It looks
     like it's
        designed for Godzilla.  I stared at the bottom end for hours
     while I
        drank 2 glasses of wine.  I saw colors.  Then, I smoked a
     cigarette.
        Back on topic.
        I decided to do failure analysis on the 351C tonight.  At this
     point,
        the engine was right side up with the passenger's head still on
     the
        block.  I didn't want to flip it over, because I hadn't removed
     the
        lifters.
        To my surprise, #7 looks fine.  There's some grunge on the #7
     cylinder,
        but it will clean up.  The rod cap didn't want to come off, so I
        suspected something wrong with #3.  I removed the passenger's
     head, and
        removed the #3 piston.  No problems there.  The bearings aren't
     blue.
        Crank journals look okay.  That's when I noticed the rod was bent
     on
        #4.  I would have noticed earlier, but the engine was right side
     up.
        My failure analysis is hydro-lock on #7, which bent the #4 rod
     when it
        tried to compress the water.  Perhaps it was on the #4 power
     stroke
        when it bent the rod.  And maybe it didn't window the block due
     to the
        hard blok, and due to the fact that it wasn't running.  Remember,
     it
        happened when I was trying to start it.
        The block looks okay.  It will need a sleeve in #4.  It has a
     gouge
        about 2" long that won't hone out.  Of course, everything needs
     to be
        checked, but I was expecting way more carnage.
        I may do some pics tomorrow.  It's 11pm in Florida, so I'm not
     going
        back out there tonight.
        Don't try this at home.  Don't try it away from home either.
        Will.
     _______________________________________________
     Detomaso Email List is not managed by POCA
     Posted emails must not exceed 1.5 Megabytes
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     Members who post to this list grant license to the list to forward
     any message posted here to all past, current, or future members of
     the list. They also grant the list owner permission to maintain an
     archive or approve the archiving of list messages.

References

   1. mailto:johnftaphorn at gmail.com
   2. mailto:will.kooiman at gmail.com
   3. mailto:detomaso at server.detomasolist.com
   4. mailto:will.kooiman at gmail.com
   5. mailto:DeTomaso at server.detomasolist.com
   6. http://server.detomasolist.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso


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