Ka-boom!!!!!

Discussion in 'Small Block Tech' started by Darryl Roederer, Apr 9, 2002.

  1. Darryl Roederer

    Darryl Roederer Life is good

    Just got back from a friends house, went over there to find out why a 350 I built about 5 years ago nuked out last week.

    Turns out, it was his fault... He put a rebuilt tranny in it a couple months ago, and did'nt tighten the torque converter to flywheel bolts:eek2:

    2 of them fell out completely, and the last one sheered off on a hard 1-2 shift... Let the engine buzz up to 10,000 RPM or so, where it self destructed!!!

    What's really amazing about how this engine blew is that there are no salvagable internal parts!!! When I say KA-BOOM!!! I mean it!!!!

    The crank is in 3 pieces, only 2 rods remain intact, the cam is in about 10 small pieces, one of the rods came up thru the lifter valley, and punched a hole in the bottom of the poston intake manifold!!!!!

    What's really-really-really amazing is that externally, the block is not blown thru!!!!!!!!!!! only a dime sized hole in the oil pan!!!!!! All of the explosion was contained within the block!!!

    Wow:jd:
     
  2. quick85

    quick85 wrench turner

    350 crankshaft

    darryl, my rp code 350 started knocking, will any 350 crank fit? rods?..........................................................pat myers. chas,wva.:confused:
     
  3. Adam Whitman

    Adam Whitman Guest

    Even a 350 Buick revs quick with no rotating mass :laugh:
     
  4. :blast: Oh, cut it out Adam! :spank: :moonu: :laugh: :laugh:
     
  5. Darryl Roederer

    Darryl Roederer Life is good

    Re: 350 crankshaft

    Yep... As long as it's a buick 350 crank!!!!!!!

    Tell me a little about your car and situation, and maybe I could give you advice
     
  6. quick85

    quick85 wrench turner

    well, to make a very long story short. i have the rp code motor in my 81 regal, seemed to run great! hi 9s at the 1/8 mile track with nothing done to it but new plugs. knocking pretty hard now, had to drive it home like that! my guess is that the oil pump must have crapped out under a load. no oil light tho? no knock at startup?until now. not a whole lot of loot to put in it right now. thought about looking for a used crank. already have all the gaskets and a place to work on it..............pat myers:ball: :ball: :ball: :ball: :ball: :ball: :ball: :ball:
     
  7. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    Check those torque converter bolts, They make a nasty knock when loose. Add an autometer mechanical oil pressure gauge so you know for sure what your pressure is.
     
  8. quick85

    quick85 wrench turner

    thanks, larry but after 18 years of turning wrenches i've learned what loose bolts sound like. lol i wish my friend!:pp
     
  9. Darryl Roederer

    Darryl Roederer Life is good

    If the rods are still ok, you can put a crank and bearings in it...

    I'v swaped cranks out with the motor still in the car, just drop the tranny, unbolt the motor mounts, and lift it up with a floor jack a few inches... Hold the engine up with blocks of wood wedged between the block and cross-member.

    That's the quickest way, but not the easiest.... Bench pressing a crank while someone else lines up everything is a pain in the
    :moonu:..... But you could do it in a few hours.

    Try autozone... No, I'm not kidding...
    They sell crank kits with bearings pretty cheap. I got one for a cadillac 500 last year, and it was $180.... Worth looking into.

    Also, sounds like it's time to re-build that oil pump!!! When you do, a $20 booster plate from T/A performance is money well spent!

    Before you spend a dime, get the motor opened up and find out exactly what the problem is... Also make sure your rods are still good... Might not be a bearing at all!!!!!
     
  10. quick85

    quick85 wrench turner

    thanks , d i think i'll pull it out and look. i've ran the devil out of the 350 motors before. most of the time they will give ya some kind of warning [knock in the morning] or something! this one did'nt. oh , i'll be looking at everything in it. i just wondered if all the cranks were the same. thanks again, pat myers:cool:
     

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