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Bad news broke my motor. Good news it happened sitting still in the fairgrounds and not on the track at Famoso.
The Fink Rod will not make its first quarter mile pass at the Drag Fest this weekend as I had hoped.
Last Thursday I installed my new Gtech to get an idea of what ET to expect. I made a pass on the outskirts of town with a 12.60 @114 with street radials 3:65 gears and blower 6% under. I expected much better than that but oh well. Tires smoked all the way through 1st and most of second and never hit OD. Went home changed the oil, changed the gears to 4.62, flipped the blower pulleys to 6% overdrive. Still needed to check the valves, install new 5-point harness, outside cutoff switch and slicks. It was getting late so I stopped to wash it for the NSRA Western Nationals on Friday. While cruising on Saturday afternoon I slipped it in neutral revved to 2k and boom! Rod through pan!
Got the car home on AAA on Sunday morning OK, flight was cancelled Sunday night so I got to pull the pan and right head Monday. Started feeling flu Monday but flew all night anyway only to get to Houston and be stuck in bed all week. I’m working from the apartment this morning and headed back to Ca this afternoon.
It was # 8 rod out my pan. It broke in 3 pieces, punctured the pan 4 times, knocked the starter off and into dozens of pieces (luckily not hitting anyone or their cars, lots of people brought me parts!), broke the oil pump, bent the special starter adapter that I made, bent and cracked my mid-plate but didn't appear to hurt the block. The piston in #8 got skinned up a little inside from the flailing rod but apparently protected the bore. Piston tapped the head a few times and mushroomed very slightly and it looks like both valves got bent slightly. The piston could be reused in a pinch but I plan to send to Venolia to duplicate.
This weekend I’ll get the engine out and on a stand for a closer inspection. The only place I can see that the rod hit the block is center of # 8 and off center of # 7 at the very opening of the bore (cast surface). At that point I’ll have to decide if I’ll rely on a dye-penetrate check that I can do myself or if I’ll follow most guys recommendations to send the block in for Magnaflux testing, align bore, deck check etc.
Either way I’m getting a set of forged steel H-beam rods from K1 Technologies (a division of Carrillo rods) and rebalancing the crank. I contacted Carillo and they said, “We do not have Chrysler rods and would need to make them. The current manufacturing time is about 6 weeks. Your cost as an individual direct
is $389.50 per rod fitted with WMC7 bolts.”. Ouch!
Anyone know of a stock 392 oil pan for sale that is good enough to chrome? I’ll buy an aftermarket if I have to but I really liked the look of my stocker.
If God protects the ignorant I guess I still have full coverage. I feel very lucky….
The Fink Rod will not make its first quarter mile pass at the Drag Fest this weekend as I had hoped.
Last Thursday I installed my new Gtech to get an idea of what ET to expect. I made a pass on the outskirts of town with a 12.60 @114 with street radials 3:65 gears and blower 6% under. I expected much better than that but oh well. Tires smoked all the way through 1st and most of second and never hit OD. Went home changed the oil, changed the gears to 4.62, flipped the blower pulleys to 6% overdrive. Still needed to check the valves, install new 5-point harness, outside cutoff switch and slicks. It was getting late so I stopped to wash it for the NSRA Western Nationals on Friday. While cruising on Saturday afternoon I slipped it in neutral revved to 2k and boom! Rod through pan!
Got the car home on AAA on Sunday morning OK, flight was cancelled Sunday night so I got to pull the pan and right head Monday. Started feeling flu Monday but flew all night anyway only to get to Houston and be stuck in bed all week. I’m working from the apartment this morning and headed back to Ca this afternoon.
It was # 8 rod out my pan. It broke in 3 pieces, punctured the pan 4 times, knocked the starter off and into dozens of pieces (luckily not hitting anyone or their cars, lots of people brought me parts!), broke the oil pump, bent the special starter adapter that I made, bent and cracked my mid-plate but didn't appear to hurt the block. The piston in #8 got skinned up a little inside from the flailing rod but apparently protected the bore. Piston tapped the head a few times and mushroomed very slightly and it looks like both valves got bent slightly. The piston could be reused in a pinch but I plan to send to Venolia to duplicate.
This weekend I’ll get the engine out and on a stand for a closer inspection. The only place I can see that the rod hit the block is center of # 8 and off center of # 7 at the very opening of the bore (cast surface). At that point I’ll have to decide if I’ll rely on a dye-penetrate check that I can do myself or if I’ll follow most guys recommendations to send the block in for Magnaflux testing, align bore, deck check etc.
Either way I’m getting a set of forged steel H-beam rods from K1 Technologies (a division of Carrillo rods) and rebalancing the crank. I contacted Carillo and they said, “We do not have Chrysler rods and would need to make them. The current manufacturing time is about 6 weeks. Your cost as an individual direct
is $389.50 per rod fitted with WMC7 bolts.”. Ouch!
Anyone know of a stock 392 oil pan for sale that is good enough to chrome? I’ll buy an aftermarket if I have to but I really liked the look of my stocker.
If God protects the ignorant I guess I still have full coverage. I feel very lucky….
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