CanadaGrant

My old 69 finally gave it up. Original motor, never out of the car. All numbers matching 69 427. Driving down the highway home and on shift, one cylinder quits. No noise. Puff of blue smoke out the right side. Idle home and it is missing on #2. Pull the plug and its oil. Compression check is zero on 2... Big blow by through the crankcase every time number two hits. Pulled the covers and both valves on 2 are working so am figuring it's a piston? No oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil. No knock. Quiet as a dead hog. I pulled in into the garage and this is as far as I got today.

mr303

Piston my have cracked, the rings could be holding the parts together? Might explain why there is no compression but nothing is rattling or banging around. A bit of bad luck, but it could have been worse. Car looks pretty nice from what I can see.

Patro46

That's a real bummer. Maybe it only broke a ring, or at worst, a ring land. Great looking ride BTW. Be sure and chime in with your findings. Good luck!

CanadaGrant

Not sure. Going to pull the head tomorrow and hope on the block. I had removed the pan to replace the gasket.

63mako

Hole in the piston. Hope the block is good.
Now you have an excuse to build it bigger and better. Totally stock, numbers matching exterior. 4.280 Bore and 4" stroke, internal balance, Pocket port heads, Roller cam. 460 CI, an extra 100 hp and no one will ever know. It is a beautiful car.

SB64

Hi CanadaGrant , I know the post is about your motor and I hope you get to the bottom of things but I just had to say your 69 is beautiful and well done. Just had to say!!.............................
r

71scgc

I'm with Mako...piston hole.
Likely lined up with spark plug.

Carter

doorgunner

It's good to hear there was no banging/crunching on the way home.

Pulling an engine sucks, but hopefully the engine only needs a "minor" rebuild!

Les

Sorry to hear that. As 63mako said, hopefully the block is good. I also like his vision for the future of your engine. Good luck.

gungatim

I'd say 46 years isn't too bad for the original engine that's never been touched. you made it through years of un-leaded gas, low octane, ethanol, unhardened valve seats, low ZDDP oil, and who knows what else...

1Hotrodz

Pulling the head is inevitable but you can look thru the spark plug to see any damage. And that is one sweet ride!! Good Luck

dochorsepower

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. That's a beautiful car. The 1969 427 is the holy grail of Corvettes. Well, you may as well get busy with the rebuild, and while you're at it . . .

CanadaGrant

Thanks guys! I haven't got the head off yet. I had done a compression check last fall and it was 150 plus or minus 3 on all. On doing intake manifold gaskets I peeked through the front and saw that the original nylon timing gear was still there from the factory.... See below. So, I replaced the cam, lifters, springs, retainers and pushrods while I was in there. When I did the pan gasket I looked up and the stock factory numbers are stamped inside the pistons. It probably would have taken me about 20 mins more to just pull the motor. Hope I didn't screw the block as the matching numbers are on the pad and with #2 it would be hard to even sleeve without decking. 45 years is pretty good on the stock stuff! Head off with pics tomorrow but my bet is a cracked piston and hopefully no damage to the block that can't be cleaned up.
Thanks again guys! This old thing means the world to me.

mr303

If it is cracked, you may get away with no major damage depending on how it let go(fingers crossed).

CanadaGrant

Thank you. My first Corvette was a 69 427 and that was early 70's. My wife actually found this one sitting on the curb in Vancouver with a "for sale" sign on it right out on the road and bought it for me so it's kind of special. Below is the cell pic she sent me and asked if it was ok to buy it.... The guy who owned it had died. I looked under the rubber gas flange and the tank sticker is still there and I have no plans to remove it as that is where it's supposed to be. Not in a binder.... Pretty cool old car and I would like to keep it that way. Even the carpet had the original factory stickers but I had to replace them due to the skunk like smell...
Check the bottom pic. Forlorn or what? Who takes a real 1969 427 Corvette and sticks it on the curb and who has a wife smart enough to pass by and go wohaaa, oh my...? Lucky and then some. She said: Can I buy this car. There is no question mark because she really wasn't asking.

69Vett

actually, if your in good finical position the FUN is just starting !
visions of new Engine.. hmm,, more HP ! Pistons, ..Rods, ..Cam, Heads ?
save that block at all cost.
Good Luck

LeMans Pete

Very interested in your outcome Grant. Goodluck.

CanadaGrant

Thanks Pete. I was in the middle or removing the intake manifold so I could get the head off and my wife forced me to sit down and have a cold Miller. It's her fault.... I'm not sure I want to see this but I guess sooner is better than later.

ddawson

LOL, wife's and creating side tracks.

jimvette999

I see the problem, the car is yeller.

[/QUOTE]