Engine Blown?

[777mechanic]

first how far are you from denver and did you try turning it backwards off the crank bolt .also i have a complete engine if you need one very cheap

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Man , I've never heard of an accessory locking a motor up (till this thread) , but I'm thinking that may be the case here.
For that matter , I'd never heard of mech. fuel pumps failing and pumping gas into the oil pan(before this site)...... just finished fixing that on my 68.
It will be interesting to see what you find. Be sure to post up.

 

[mustangtoby]

777mechanic, thanx for the offer, really appreciate that. I actually have a 289 that was running strong when I parked it about10 years ago. I may put it in there temporary, but if this 302 is shot I am gonna rebuild it. I am about 6.5 hours from Denver, quite a ways. Thanx, though.

 

[phred]

I know this may sound dumb, but go with it a second. How's the battery?
If the alt was going out you were running mostly off the battery. The engine needs 9v to run. Charge the battery and then try to start it. I've had engines just die at idle due to weak alternators and not turn over case the battery was too weak.
No noises and good oil pressure and no smoke doesn't sound like a dead engine.

 

[mustangtoby]

Battery is good, plenty of juice. Engine is locked up, won't turn over by hand. Alternator and ps pump are free. A mechanic buddy of mine thinks the timing chain jumped, causing a valve to hit a piston. He claims he has seen this happen a couple of times with 302's.

I have tried turning it over with a breaker bar on the crankshaft and by prying on the flywheel (I took the inspection plate off). Nothing. Probably won't know until I tear it down.

 

[mustangtoby]

I don't know if it had oil pressure when it died, I didn't look at the guage. I was slowing down to turn into the driveway when it died, so I just coasted to a stop then tried to restart it. Shoulda looked at the oil pressure guage, but I was trying to steer 35" tires into a tight driveway with no power steering or power brakes ( a poor excuse is better than none!).

 

[JWMcCrary]

Did you pull the plugs?

 

[mustangtoby]

Not yet. I actually got off work early today, and it has been raining all day. Late Feb/early March is usaully our snowiest time, and we get rain! Not to mention if it would snow, we would have some plowing. Not much work around here right now.

 

[WhiBNormal]

It is froze up, won't turn over. put a breaker bar on the crank, stuck tight!

I had almost the exact issue happen to me about 2 months ago. Just takin' a spin put in neutral and coasted to a stop and went to put it into gear again and nothing - stone dead. Tried to crank it over and just herd a tick - nothing that sounded troubling tho. After haulin' it back to the garage and eliminating the "could be problems" like timing chain etc. After tryin' to turn the crank by hand which eventually got some movement and then dropping the oil pan and finding enuf metal shavings to fill up one of those cash for gold envelopes. we figured out that the good ole crank had crapped out and snapped between the 4/8 and the 7/3 journal. So needless to say I wish the timing chain broke....
So Im hoping your discovery is better than mine... But It does sound all to familiar... Ill try to post some pics... Good luck to ya!

 

[mustangtoby]

I've been thinking about just rebuilding it anyway, it never had quite enough power to suit me. Been talking around, found a good 302 (in my yard!) for $250. Just gonna pull mine and install it.

Last year I bought a 75 Bronco for parts, not much good on it. I only gave $150 for it, bb rear, spare transfer, misc trim/knobs/etc... The guy I bought it from wanted to keep the engine, and has been gonna come pull it out when he had time. Well, I guess times are tough, so he said he would take $250 for the engine. In theory, it is supposed to be strong. It does have a Weind intake and valve covers, and long tube headers. The guy he got it from says it also has an RV cam. Best part, I don't even have to pay for it unless I'm happy with it. Couldn't pass up the oppertunity for $250. I have a hoist and all of the tools, should be able to swap them out this weekend. If I don't like it, I just pull it back out and give it to him, I'm only out the labor to do it. When I was younger (read: broke), I used to pull motors and swap them in a day by myself, out of neccesity to get to work. And an EB is so simple it should go pretty fast. I may not get it done this weekend because I want to take my time and clean then engine compartment, touch up any paint that needs it, etc... After I get done, I will tear down my old 302 and see what went wrong with it.

On another note, today I traded an old 390 block for a 92 351 windsor, complete with computer. I have four more 390's, so I won't miss this block. So now when I'm ready to go FI, I can add some cubes! Whoo Hoo!!!!!!!!

 

[mustangtoby]

So today, I pulled the motor I'm gonna install, and started cleaning it up so I can paint it. It has a Wieand single plane intake on it, I'm probably gonna change it out for my Edelbrock performer. I pulled the pan off of it, clean inside, looks good. Needed pan gasket, gave me an excuse to look inside. Should have it ready to install by tommorrow, Saterday try and do the swap.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Still gotta know what died on the old one....

 

[mustangtoby]

Yeah, I will tear it down out of curiosity, probably next weekend or the one after. I will post what the culprit was.

 

[broncomitch]

my guess is a seized crank.

i seen motors run on bend valves before x2 my brothers 460 had bad valves in his heads and it would just die with no warning at all or anything.

my bro got a 76 mustangII after high school and drove it around a bit( abused it) and the tranny went out...years later we pulled it out of my grandma's barn and put a new tranny in it. then pulled off the valve covers... one bent push rod and two push rods where off the rocker's AND IT RAN GOOD?????

had a friend in high school come up to me and ask, was dose it mean when the oil pressure Gage is on 0psi?? his drain plug fell out and he said its been on 0psi for 6 days!

so my point is motors are strange. pull that pig apart and post some pic's ;D

 

[mustangtoby]

Update: Pulled the motor out today. Friend of mine was by to shoot the bull, says maybe the tranny (c4) siezed up. I say no way, and finish pulling the engine. Put a breaker bar on the crank, turns over just fine. Tranny is locked up tight! I have never seen a auto sieze up, guess you learn every day. I am not to bummed, I've been planning an NP435 swap for some time. Now I have a reason to go ahead and buy the few parts I'm missing. Whoo Hoo!

 

[broncomitch]

wow. one would think with the amount of force to stop a running motor the force would just brake the pump gears and allow the motor to spin over?:? thats impressive

 

[mustangtoby]

Did a little more investigating, I see a gouge on the torsque converter. Somthing was rubbing on it. So I look in the bellhousing, and one of the bolts has been replaced with a bolt coming in from the back side, with a nut on the inside of the bellhousing. The nut had came loose and wedged in between the housing and the torque converter. In the meantime I have already ordered the few parts I didn't have to do an NP435 swap, so now I'm waiting on parts. Pretty excited to get a four speed in it!

 

[broncomitch]

so did ya tighten the bolt up and free the tranny? or is it still locked up inside?

 

[mustangtoby]

No, I didn't figure out what the problem was until I had pulled the engine. I am going to put it back together with a four speed, not the C4.

 

[broncomitch]

ya. but if that tranny isnt seized up and it was only that bolt binding it up maybe you could sell the c4 for a little bit extra.