[DeTomaso] Failure Analysis

[Chuck and Linda Huber]

Sorry to hear about the failure - good luck with the path forward.

Chuck

-----Original Message-----
From: Will Kooiman [mailto:will.kooiman at gmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2020 9:35 PM
To: John Taphorn
Cc: List DeTomaso Forum
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Failure Analysis

I mean, #8 cap was tight.  #4 rod was bent.

Measured it twice this time, and responded once.

From:  Will Kooiman <will.kooiman at gmail.com>
Date:  Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at 11:33 PM
To:  John Taphorn <johnftaphorn at gmail.com>
Cc:  List DeTomaso Forum <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>
Subject:  Re: [DeTomaso] Failure Analysis

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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