[DeTomaso] Update on Distributor Pin issue, plus Rally and Laguna

[Asa Jay Laughton]

Steve Lisa, 
Did your engine builder put in a high volume or high pressure oil pump?  I think you mentioned one or the other previously.

I also remember you stating oil pressure was fine after the event when timing went out.

Pulling the pan and inspecting the oil pump and pickup screen is good advice.  Under the horsepower and high pressure pump circumstance, it’s possible to shear the pin without any debris, but it’s very smart to inspect anyway.

One of things I was going to put in was the removable crossmember under the pan.  I think your crew did that but I don’t remember.  That option makes it easy to pull the pan with the engine still in the car.

Asa  Jay

Sent using Jedi Mind Tricks

> On Feb 15, 2022, at 13:13, Sean Korb <spkorb at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I've been thinking about this a lot.  When I purchased my Pantera 20
> years ago the reason it had been sitting and not running for *years*
> with the previous owner was because of the distributor pin.  I
> replaced it and it ran fine but I was suspicious. I pulled the motor
> and after removing the oil pan my fears were confirmed.  Lots of
> little bits of valve seals sitting in the bottom.  If you do have a
> low mileage motor, it's really worth going through the motor, these
> parts age and fall into the pan and it's unpredictable what could
> happen.  They get filtered and it's not metallic, but the pump and pin
> are in danger.  There's also a possibility of nylon cam gears
> scattered about too. The manifolds and front cover and the heads were
> off so I cleaned everything out; I replaced the valves with1 piece
> units  and new valve seals. New timing set without the nylon gears
> (noisy but the motor is 4 inches from my head) and while I was at it,
> I checked the ZF ring gear, it was already safety wired (I think all
> the -1 were wired).
> 
> I replaced the oil pump with a stock one, I knew it had been through a
> lot even though it was currently working fine.
> 
> Anyway even if a Pantera isn't running, it's probably still a super
> awesome deal and though I like to say it's a $0.07 cent part to fix
> it, that's only technically true.  Same with any classic Ford.
> 
> sean
> 
>> On 2/13/22, Daniel C Jones <daniel.c.jones2 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>   The pin is rarely the issue.A  The cause is debris getting into the oil
>>   pump gears causing them to lock up momentarily.A  The stock oil
>>   pickups have a bypass hole and many aftermarket pickups have a
>>   coarse screen.A  Either can allow debris to make it to the pump.
>>   Ford switched to a full mesh screen on later 335 series engines
>>   (351C/351M/400).A  In street cars, debris is often from failing valve
>>   seals.
>>   Dan Jones
>> 
>>     A  A Our motor builder was aware of the pin issue.AA  A So our MSD
>>     A  A distributor already hadA an oversized pin -- a 3/16" chevy pin
>>     instead
>>     A  A of the small 1/8" ford pin.AA  The builder used an MSD pin, so
>>     he is now
>>     A  A wondering if MSD had a run of bad pins and is concerned about
>>     another
>>     A  A engine he used one on (will be instructing theA customer to
>>     replace
>>     A  A it).AA  Anyway, we ordered hardened replacement pins, the
>>     stronger grade
>>     A  A of the two available grades of multi-layer Chevy pins made by
>>     A  A McMaster-Carr to replace what was in there.AA  A All else
>>     checked out
>>     A  A ok.A A
>>     A
>> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Sean Korb spkorb at gmail.com http://spkorb.org (est 1994)
> "Computers are useless.  They can only give you answers." -P. Picasso
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