expert oil diagnose
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,161
Likes: 0
From: pr, frederick md.
expert oil diagnose
recently as you may recall, i lost a dist. gear somehow. well im currently taking the engine apart and found only a few junks but the oil looks like it is filled with a kind of shiny powder. im guessing that the gear ground down slowly and my oil is filled with the dust. how bad do you think this has affected my engine. i would guesstimate around 100 to 300 miles on the oil change and under 1000 for the dist. itself. no idea how long it ground down. NO ONE can come up with a good explanation why this happened. my old mallory dist. has over 2000 miles on it and is spotless. HELP
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,429
Likes: 44
From: Macon, GA
If you're tearing the engine apart, just pull a bearing cap or the camshaft and look for any scoring. Ultimately, the bearings are the main concern and you can visually inspect them. If they do look scored, just replace them.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 15,051
Likes: 79
From: central FL, near the beach.
if it doesnt knock, dont worry.
in 1970 i had 12 lobes wipe and it ran great 10,000 mi later when i sold it. i just changed the cam, o&f, no taking it apart. must of been a pound of shavings
in 1970 i had 12 lobes wipe and it ran great 10,000 mi later when i sold it. i just changed the cam, o&f, no taking it apart. must of been a pound of shavings
Last edited by Matt Gruber; Oct 10, 2007 at 07:43 AM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,161
Likes: 0
From: pr, frederick md.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 3,342
Likes: 7
From: Connecticut
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
Likes: 72
From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
BTDT, and as was previously observed this was most likel due to incompatible gear materials. (Did Comp or MSD ever step up to the plate for you?) That flood didn't help.
In the least, pull a main or two and a few rod caps. You'll likely have material embedded in the bearing surfaces, but the bigger issue is what the surface of the crank looks like. It's not the easy way out, but I'd pull it and do a re-build so I could inspect everything, reusing what's good and replacing anything that's not. May only cost a gasket set and a few hours, but could save you future misery from having overlooking a latent problem. My $0.02, at no charge.
In the least, pull a main or two and a few rod caps. You'll likely have material embedded in the bearing surfaces, but the bigger issue is what the surface of the crank looks like. It's not the easy way out, but I'd pull it and do a re-build so I could inspect everything, reusing what's good and replacing anything that's not. May only cost a gasket set and a few hours, but could save you future misery from having overlooking a latent problem. My $0.02, at no charge.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,161
Likes: 0
From: pr, frederick md.
thanks. i worry about this happening again as i cant explain the first one. ill probably never be comfortable in this car again.
yes msd did give me a whole new distributor. i will update when i get running or if i find anything.
yes msd did give me a whole new distributor. i will update when i get running or if i find anything.
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