Thrown Rod on 383 Stroker
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
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From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
Nothing worse than someone with a problem and asking for opinion or asking questions and never returning to say thanks I fixed it or in this case all we want to know is WTF happened 
Last edited by MotorHead; Jun 7, 2010 at 10:31 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
Likes: 201
From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,343
Likes: 4
From: Anderson SC
Even though the engine made a noise and stopped running at the same time?
At a dead stop even? Still think that?
Don't quit your day job to become a diagnostician.
-W
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
maybe it was sitting there nicely, until it got jammed up and sent through the pan, thus causing the noise and stall. sorry for adding my 2 cents, i just read back and realized u guys already came up with this possibility.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,343
Likes: 4
From: Anderson SC
Don't apologise - I was just abusing you for thinking. 
A "heavy" loose metal part does not tend to "jump up" from the bottom of a pan - at least not without a real good bump to launch it up.
-W
A "heavy" loose metal part does not tend to "jump up" from the bottom of a pan - at least not without a real good bump to launch it up.
-W
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
p rods dont tend to shoot thru oil pans, just saying. but, ill bow out of this one, as there are many more qualified people on the topic than myself. had i read previous posts before "thinking", i wouldnt have posted, or considered quitting my day job. guess ill keep punching the clock! lol
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Cibolo TX
Hey all sorry for the delayed response. My kids are here for their summer vacation with me and I have been busy with them As for the engine, I went to take it back to the guy who built the engine but his wife said he lost his job here and moved out to California to work for the time being. So I am at a loss on what to do. If anyone knows of any good shops or personnel to take it to here in San Antonio, please advise. I am at a loss on what to do. I am debating on just throwing a 350 back in it and selling it or put another 383 in it and keep. I got a message 2 days ago from Larrywalk on here and he gave me the name of a guy here in San Antonio who I am going to contact and see if he can look at it. Again I am real and this is not a fake post/ad and no I dont belong to the C4 forum. Again my telephone number is (240) 383-7423 if anybody is local and wouldn't mind coming to look at it. Thanks again for everyones times and all the responses.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Cibolo TX
I still havent taken the oil pan off to see if there was one left in there on "accident" but on the pics I posted, there are 3 separate holes in the oil pan, which to me makes no sense since I only found 1 rod. When I did take the valve covers off, they were all in place until a few got pushed down.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
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From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
Somebody has to live near enough to you to go take a look. C'mon guys someone step up to the plate, phone him and solve this mystery 
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 9,993
Likes: 1,136
From: League City Tx
Dude....just go buy you a GM crate motor of some sort and drop it in and go....maybe look at the Year One Crate motor...400hp for $3k
Odds are, that 383 is toast internally and if you still haven't tore into months after the failure, it seems to me you wont likely be fixing it yourself so...... Go buy a decent crate motor, cut your losses on the 383 and cruise on for summer.
Odds are, that 383 is toast internally and if you still haven't tore into months after the failure, it seems to me you wont likely be fixing it yourself so...... Go buy a decent crate motor, cut your losses on the 383 and cruise on for summer.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Cibolo TX
Dude....just go buy you a GM crate motor of some sort and drop it in and go....maybe look at the Year One Crate motor...400hp for $3k
Odds are, that 383 is toast internally and if you still haven't tore into months after the failure, it seems to me you wont likely be fixing it yourself so...... Go buy a decent crate motor, cut your losses on the 383 and cruise on for summer.
Odds are, that 383 is toast internally and if you still haven't tore into months after the failure, it seems to me you wont likely be fixing it yourself so...... Go buy a decent crate motor, cut your losses on the 383 and cruise on for summer.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,659
Likes: 7
From: Katy (Houston) TX
CI 7-8 Veteran
No matter what, that engine has to come out. Pulling the motor out of a C3 is not very hard. Either buy/rent an engine hoist and pull the motor or tow it to a shop and have the motor pulled. At that point it'll be very easy to remove the oil pan and intake and do a little forensics. We are all VERY curious what happened since the odds of the outcome you've shown us are near astronomical. At the rate those pushrods are 'falling' down, I'm positive the cam is no longer there and it's in pieces and the lifters and pushrods now have nothing to hold them in anymore. We're still VERY curious how a pushrod could make its way out the bottom of a block with not a scratch on it. That's like throwing a branch into a woodchipper and the branch coming out whole on the other side. VERY interesting.
Seriously though, pulling the motor requires removing the hood (5 bolts), draining the coolant, disconnecting lines, disconnecting motor mounts and disconnecting from bellhousing or trans, and pulling out with an engine hoist. Basic mechanical stuff.
Seriously though, pulling the motor requires removing the hood (5 bolts), draining the coolant, disconnecting lines, disconnecting motor mounts and disconnecting from bellhousing or trans, and pulling out with an engine hoist. Basic mechanical stuff.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 533
Likes: 18
From: Boca Raton Florida
I've heard of pushrods punching through valve covers when a rocker stud lets go. If there's no side thrust on the pushrod, it can easily come though intact. If the cam lets go, the pushrod is going to head for the oil pan where a counterweight can catch it and again, if it isn't bent it will go through the oil pan with no trouble at all.
My constant companion is Mr. Murphy. Any tool I drop will land where it does the most damage. The only part that breaks is the one I don't have a spare and the local store doesn't have in stock. I never see a bug until I get the spray gun out.
A pushrod goes though the pan and is undamaged? Murphy was in the car behind just laughing his *** off.
Umm, didn't mean to offend Mr. Murphy, sir...
My constant companion is Mr. Murphy. Any tool I drop will land where it does the most damage. The only part that breaks is the one I don't have a spare and the local store doesn't have in stock. I never see a bug until I get the spray gun out.
A pushrod goes though the pan and is undamaged? Murphy was in the car behind just laughing his *** off.
Umm, didn't mean to offend Mr. Murphy, sir...
Last edited by Bob Heine; Jun 24, 2010 at 09:34 PM. Reason: Karma
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Cibolo TX
I know where the raceway is. My fiance's dad lives adjacent to it. I have been there a few times. It is only about 15 minutes from my house. I will swing by there and check with one of them guys.