Need advice on what could have gone wrong...
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Need advice on what could have gone wrong...
Today I was driving my 79 vette down the hwy and suddenly it began to smoke. I pulled over and popped the hood and to my amazement the PCV Valve had blown and the air breather had blown off. It looked like oil and coolant had blown everyone it was a slightly brown watery substance so I am assuming thats what it was. After having the vette towed back to my garage I noticed that there was a small gash in the oil pan that looks like it was made from the inside out... what could have caused this? could it have just been normal wear and tear? Any advice before I dig into the oil pan would be great.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 929
Likes: 5
From: Marietta GA
Doesn't sound good. Not sure about the pcv and breather issue, but you may have thrown a rod which impacted the inside of the oil pan. Drop the pan, take some pics and post them. Then you can get advice on next steps.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 860
Likes: 0
From: Stratford Ontario
I fear you have blown your motor. Hopefully its not as bad as it sounds.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 353
Likes: 30
From: warwick rhode island
doesn't sound like a catastrophic failure. if you had thrown a rod it would have made one hell of a lot of noise. from your description it sounds like the engine was still running when you pulled over.
sounds more like fuel got into the pan or lifter valley and ignited creating enough pressure to blow off the pcv and create the fracture in the pan.
sounds more like fuel got into the pan or lifter valley and ignited creating enough pressure to blow off the pcv and create the fracture in the pan.
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Blown rod on the down stroke.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
doesn't sound like a catastrophic failure. if you had thrown a rod it would have made one hell of a lot of noise. from your description it sounds like the engine was still running when you pulled over.
sounds more like fuel got into the pan or lifter valley and ignited creating enough pressure to blow off the pcv and create the fracture in the pan.
sounds more like fuel got into the pan or lifter valley and ignited creating enough pressure to blow off the pcv and create the fracture in the pan.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 16
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Drifting
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,781
Likes: 15
From: Oxford Ohio
If there is a hole in the pan, the bottom end is toast. If there is coolant in the oil, I suspect a hole in a cylinder wall where the coolant and oil mixed.
A head gasket could do that, but that doesn't explain the hole in the pan. Pump air into each cylinder, one at a time. You'll find one at least that will just keep on taking air. That will be the one that no longer has a piston I think. If you have a siezed piston, the air may force it past the hole in the cylinder wall. One or mor cylinders will sound like an open air hose, just blowing air. You can use any kind of air nozzle, packed with a rag around the plug hole.
A head gasket could do that, but that doesn't explain the hole in the pan. Pump air into each cylinder, one at a time. You'll find one at least that will just keep on taking air. That will be the one that no longer has a piston I think. If you have a siezed piston, the air may force it past the hole in the cylinder wall. One or mor cylinders will sound like an open air hose, just blowing air. You can use any kind of air nozzle, packed with a rag around the plug hole.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
doesn't sound like a catastrophic failure. if you had thrown a rod it would have made one hell of a lot of noise. from your description it sounds like the engine was still running when you pulled over.
sounds more like fuel got into the pan or lifter valley and ignited creating enough pressure to blow off the pcv and create the fracture in the pan.
sounds more like fuel got into the pan or lifter valley and ignited creating enough pressure to blow off the pcv and create the fracture in the pan.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Only engine work done to it lately was park plugs a wires changed and then i took it to a local national auto mechanic franchise so they could flush the radiator and while i was at it I decided to have them change the oil. Thats when they ended up putting synthetic oil without me knowing...
And thats about it for engine work done lately. Kind of pist off at the mechanic shop i took it too... never again
And thats about it for engine work done lately. Kind of pist off at the mechanic shop i took it too... never again
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 17,676
Likes: 201
From: Who says "Nothing is impossible" ? I've been doing nothing for years.
First thing I would is pull the pan, if you thru a rod the motor is toast
*I put this on all my posts: Please post back to those who helped you, the final outcome of your initial post
*I put this on all my posts: Please post back to those who helped you, the final outcome of your initial post
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Apr 2011
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 3,126
Likes: 15
If the block is not cracked it should be reuseable. The crank, rods, pistons and cam may not be. I repaired a Ford 427 side oiler once that twisted a Lemans rod and took a 2in. chunk out of the oil pan rail. Hopefully this is not what you have. mike...