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| I broke my car!; I get to put up a project thread! Yay! (?) | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 6 2011, 05:03 PM (3,743 Views) | |
| JoeBob | Sep 6 2011, 05:03 PM Post #1 |
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Why you Mutt!
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Backstory: Had a burned valve about 3 1/2 years and about 100k miles ago. Had the head done at a local machine shop, replaced a couple valves, cleaned up the head, so on and so forth. Put everything back together, everything seemed fine. Engine pinged sometimes, especially in hot weather. Couldn't track down the problem...timing was fine, valve timing was right on, temp gauge ran 1/4 and 1/2 on the dial...everything seems okey-dokey, so I just ran premium, and lived with it. Fast Forward: Summer is coming on, my wife wanted the A/C working (and let's face it, so did I). So after a lot of futzing with it, learning how to draw a vacuum, replacing the compressor, etc., I finally got the A/C cooling the car reasonably well. Except...the A/C is shutting off when the temp gauge reaches about 1/2 scale. Hmmmm.....light (dim at first) goes on...maybe the temp gauge is not trustworthy. I see a thread about checking radiators...drain mine and, lo and behold, about half the visible tubes have standing water. OK. Since radiator repair shops seem to have gone the way of TV repair shops, I, after a couple false starts and a whole lot of rigamarole and drama that I will not go into here, finally get my new radiator. Car's running cooler, but still warm. So, I am thinking..."the only thing I haven't done is replace the thermostat." So I get one, throw the old and new ones into a pan of hot water. Wouldn't ya just know it, the new one opens just fine, the old one is still closed when the water is boiling! They were both marked as 89 degree centigrade (180F) thermostats. I put in the new thermostat. Voila! The engine is running markedly cooler, and I'm not hearing any pinging! Yay! So....wife and I decide to go for a Sunday evening (day before Labor Day) drive. We're driving north on the Antelope Valley freeway at about 70, A/C is on (it's about 85 outside), and I'm wanting to show off just how well I've fixed things. The car seems to be a bit zippier than it had been previously. About 10 miles up the road, I hear a horrible noise, and a buzzing sound, kinda like a belt coming apart. I pull over, and crank the engine. Pretty much no compression. I'm thinking...timing belt died. I call Auto Club. Out comes a nice man with a tow truck. I'm glad I pay the big bucks for the Auto Club Plus (100 mile tow) service. I get home, and check the timing belt. It looks like it's in place just fine. I try cranking the car again, this time the starter just clicks like it is trying to turn, but can't. Push car into driveway. Start to take apart engine. When I pulled the throttle body, this is what greeted me: ![]() I am beginning to understand that something went terribly wrong...but what? Off comes the intake manifold: ![]() Well, at this point I was getting tired, depressed, skinned knuckles, my hand was still swollen from a wasp sting a couple days before, and other drama, so I stopped for the evening. Today I pulled the head, and saw the full carnage: ![]() Yes, that's the head of the exhaust valve embedded in the top of the piston. Now for the head: ![]() Soooo..... Looks like the head and piston have a little bit more damage than I can fix with Bondo and JB Weld. Stay Tuned....More To Come... Edited by JoeBob, Sep 6 2011, 05:10 PM.
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| Scoobs | Sep 6 2011, 05:16 PM Post #2 |
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:D
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Id start talking to that machine shop if i were you, how old were those exaust valves? And what type did they use? It looks like your motor is going to be a total loss, if anything can be salvaged after that id be amazed. |
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| JoeBob | Sep 6 2011, 05:25 PM Post #3 |
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Why you Mutt!
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At this late date, I don't think I could hold the machine shop at fault...even if something they did contributed to the failure, I have put about 100k on the engine in the mean time... |
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| allmountain40 | Sep 6 2011, 06:41 PM Post #4 |
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OUCH! That is what you call catastrophic failure.
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| starscream5000 | Sep 6 2011, 06:43 PM Post #5 |
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Got 70 MPG?
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True. Time to source a new motor to rebuild! This time use some stainless steel valves (3Tech head package would be great if you can afford it). |
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| t3ragtop | Sep 6 2011, 07:53 PM Post #6 |
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Turbo3 and Twincam Tweaker
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not to quibble, but 180 degrees f is 82* c. 88 c (88.8888889) is 192 degrees f. the g10t turbo3 runs a 180 degree t-stat. the proper one for a normally aspirated g10 is 192 degrees. a 180 degrees t-stat in a n/a g10 makes them run on the edge of not satisfying the coolant temp sensor or ecu. also, i think that the type of failure you suffered is from a defective valve more than a deficiency of quality work from the machine shop. i've had brand new valves drop a face like that, punch the piston crown, and beat the tar out of the head on g10 and g13 engines. honestly, when that happened to the wife's g13 grocery getter, i pulled a head and a piston assembly from an engine at pick and pull, shoved the piston into the engine from the top while it was still in the car and bolted the head back on with the old head gasket. she drove that car another year and sold it to a local guy who is still driving it 3 years later. Edited by t3ragtop, Sep 6 2011, 08:06 PM.
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| Johnny Mullet | Sep 6 2011, 08:00 PM Post #7 |
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Fear the Mullet
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Doh! I would find another junk motor to rebuild. Up here in the rust belt, us guys got lots of engines, just no bodies
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| idmetro | Sep 6 2011, 08:07 PM Post #8 |
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Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark... |
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| Coche Blanco | Sep 6 2011, 08:08 PM Post #9 |
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Troll Certified
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I'd throw some rings and a new piston in there and call it a day....
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| t3ragtop | Sep 6 2011, 08:08 PM Post #10 |
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Turbo3 and Twincam Tweaker
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the mullet man has that right! we have cars that run great right up to the time a wheel folds up.
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| JoeBob | Sep 7 2011, 12:17 AM Post #11 |
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Why you Mutt!
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Part Two: Dropped the pan and pulled out the pistons. Fastest I've done that on any car! More pictures of the scary monster trainwreck: ![]() ![]() ![]() The scratch marks on the cylinder wall don't look too bad...maybe I can hone them out? Assuming, of course, that the cylinders aren't tapered. As for that piston...bang it back into shape, and fill in the holes with JB Weld? |
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| JoeBob | Sep 7 2011, 12:26 AM Post #12 |
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Why you Mutt!
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You're right. I was going by what was shown on Autozone's computer screen, which only showed "180 degree" thermostats. I didn't think to double check their accuracy...no matter, I wound up with the right thermostat anyway, according to the stamp on the thermostat itself. |
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| Scoobs | Sep 7 2011, 01:14 AM Post #13 |
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:D
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Why is it everyone i see uses rubber latex gloves when working on an engine? High maintenance people much... afraid of oil and grease? Muahaha Sorry bout the engine tho. But when its rebuilt itll be in the past. |
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| starscream5000 | Sep 7 2011, 08:47 AM Post #14 |
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Got 70 MPG?
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Take the block to a machine shop and see if they think it can be saved. The largest oversize available without buying something custom is .040" over. If you can squeak by with .020" that would be best as you will still have one rebuild left in the block in case something goes wrong again. Toss the head, it's done. |
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| Scoobs | Sep 7 2011, 03:16 PM Post #15 |
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:D
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Looks like youll be joining me in the Big Club with a 75mm Bore
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