Tuesday while coming to work I had the unfortunate luck to have a large
fitting vibrate loose from my radiator, effectively putting about a inch
and a quarter hole in the lower tank - As it was dark out I didn't notice
any spewing fluid or smoke and only noticed a slight increase in the temp
gauge (which I attributed to the warmer than normal temps we have had the
last few days) I was a little concerned at the time, at about the time I
was ready to pull over to see why the temp hadn't cooled down a bit it was
too late. The engine was loosing power and starting to spit out the
throttle body when pushed as if running very lean. So . . .MAJOR
overheat, but no real indication because there wasn't any fluid around the
sender to indicate the ACTUAL temp. I started it in the drive to get it in
the garage after I towed it home and it seemed to run fine. . .that is
until I added coolant. MAJOR smoking - terminal engine. . .real bummer
because weekend after this is British car day, and then a couple of weeks
after that, Triumphest. If I can't get a gasket set by this weekend(The
irony is this has the Ford engine and from past experience, it may well be
easier to get a Triumph set than this one by this weekend) I won't be able
to take this car to either!
I have a spare engine, but it has a different cam (stock one vs a slightly
hotter comp cam) and I am not sure if it will run the same with the fuel
injection as set up on there now although I believe that they aren't that
much different as to cause a problem and that's a minor concern. Either
way, I need a gasket set because I have to swap intake manifolds, valve
covers, oil pans etc.
It would appear that at best to worst I have a blown head gasket, two blown
head gaskets, a cracked or warped head(s) worse but unlikely a cracked
block and/or scored pistons/rings - and the last ones are the kicker
My big question and the determining factor in the amount of work this
weekend will involve is -
If the pistons/rings were bad, would I be able to see it on the cylinder
walls as scoring, or am I going to have to completely tear the engine
apart? Like I mentioned, it runs fine as far as the tailpipe when there is
no coolant in the block. If I can ascertain the piston/ring condition
WITHOUT a total teardown, then it's just a matter of a head gasket and or
head replacement and I wouldn't have to remove and swap engines - this
would save considerable work, as well as knowing that the cam would be the
same (and I really don't want to swap them as well as engines because
that's even more work than really I have time for)
So what's the consensus?
Thanks in advance for any and all input - This last couple of weeks has
really been a downer as other unhappy occurrences have happened in and
outside my family and this just tops it off :-(
Barry Schwartz (San Diego) bschwart@pacbell.net
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