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Re: Long-Backfire damage and tubing flares

To: James Barrett <jamesbrt@mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: Long-Backfire damage and tubing flares
From: "Chris J. Richards" <richards@northcoast.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 19:23:56 -0500
Mallary Unilite, with a 20k coil.

Regards-Chris in Trinidad

James Barrett wrote:

> Folks,
>         Friday morning I headed for work and decided to
> see if I still had a slight backfire on acceleration.  Well,
> I should not have done that. KABAMMMM !!  The motor died
> and would not restart in neutral.  I rolled into a DOALL
> parking lot and stopped.  Tried to start it again and the
> loudest explosion I have ever heard came out of one tail pipe.
> I figured that I had an Ignition problem as I just receintly
> installed a MSD 6AL on the Tiger.  I have a stock magnetic
> pickup Ford distributor.
>         Pulled the distributor cap and noticed that the rotor
> was loose and rotated several degrees from normal.  Checked the
> inside of the rotor and found that the plastic locator had
> mostly sheared off.  No sign of contact with the distributor
> cap.  Was able to get the rotor back in the slot of the
> distributor shaft and it appeared that it might hold until
> I could get home and replace it.
>         About that time some guy drove up wanting to look
> at the Tiger.  That took a while.
>         Replaced the distributor cap and cranked it.
> No joy.  Pulled the cap and using a screw driver near the
> magnetic pickup I determined that the MSD and the pickup
> were working.  Got nice fat spark off of the coil wire.
>         Cranked a bit more with the cap off and noticed the
> distributor/rotor was NOT turning. @#$!^%$#@!
>         About that time DOALL opened and I was allowed to use
> their phone to call a wrecker.  DOALL is an industrial
> supply house for bandsaws ( up to 2 1/2" bands), all kinds of
> machining tools and accessories, taps, dies, drill bits,
> chemical, etc. and flaring tools.  I promply ordered a RIDGID
> flaring tool for about $45.  Will let you know how that turns
> out.
>         Short tow home and a call to work that I wouldn't be
> in.  A gallon of oil dry added to the drive way where the wrecker
> dumped a couple of quarts of oil.  At least it was clean oil.
> They have one very bad leak.  I assume that they add a few quarts
> of oil before every towing job. By the way this was the very
> first time my Tiger has ever been towed.
>
>         Pulled the distributor and 3 teeth were off of the
> distributor gear.  Checked the cam gear and it appeared to be ok.
>
>         Pulled the oil pan and found two teeth.  Pulled the
> oil pump so I could remove the windage tray.  Found the third tooth.
> Also noticed a full 1/2 spirial twist to the oil pump drive shaft.
> The oil pump was locked solid as well.  Got the rotors out of the
> pump and  the two parts are stuck together.  There was no crud
> that locked up the pump. It is as if the internal rotor had moved
> slightly to one side and jammed its self into the outer rotor.
> There appears to be a tiny flat at the peak of the inner rotor
> where it is stuck to the outer rotor.  Plan to use the rotors
> and drive shaft as a paper weight in my office.  There was no sign
> of any scratches on the parts and the oil, all 14 quarts was
> clean.
>         Had a good distributor gear from the older point type
> distributor.  The broken gear had also sheared the roll pin
> so I had to use a cut off wheel to remove the broken gear.
> Found some gauling on the distributor shaft under the gear.
> By spinning the shaft with my electric drill I was abke to
> smooth the shaft.  Forgot that the roll pin hole is off set
> on a Ford so I of course pressed the replacement gear on wrong.
> Was able to rotate 180 and put the roll pin in.  Distributor
> now fixed.
>         New high volumne oil pump, pickup tube, drive shaft,
> pan gasket, RTV, 24 quarts of 20-50 oil and a rotor went
> for $120.  Called in the order and was able to get the parts
> Friday night just before they closed.  Checked the pump,
> drive shaft, pickup tube and gaskets to be sure they were
> correct.  Didn't check the rotor.  Dumb Ass parts man gave
> me a GM rotor.  Fortunally I had an old rotor that was still
> OK.
>         Got everything back together and decided to adjust
> the valves. (Have Harlin Sharp Roller Rockers and screw in
> studs on this 4 barrel Cleveland).  Released the rocker,
> gently tightened the nut until the pushrod could not be rotated
> with gentle finger pressure, then took one more full turn of the
> nut and locked it with the allen screw.  I believed that I had
> had the motor rotated properly for each valve adjustment.
>         Back together with eyeballed timing of the distributor
> and started it up.  Ran like crap.  Kept it running until it
> started warming up .  My wife came out and said " What is that
> dripping under the Tiger?".  Shut it off looked under, Had the
> Tiger up on Jack stands) lots and lots of liquid.  Assumed that
> the rear of the oil pan was leaking until I smelled the fluid.
> GASOLINE, about a couple of quarts was on the floor and more was
> dripping on the now hot headers!  Fortunally I was able to mop
> up the mess without burning down the Tiger, garage and house in
> that order.  I have a fire extingusher in the garage and it is fairly
> big, but that much gasoline would have been a lost cause if
> it had ignited.
>         Turns out that the less than year old 3/8" steel fuel line
> had rubbed on the aluminum intake and wore a hole through the
> tubing.  Not a mark on the aluminum manifold.  I assume that the
> vibrations due to the Holly Red fuel pumping caused the tubing
> to vibriate continiously at that point.   Fixed that  problem.
> Adjusted the timing to 10 before and the Tiger had very rough idle.
>         I assumed that the backfire that I had previously
> experienced on acceleration was due to the need for more
> fuel.  I have a 650 double pumper with  pink accelerator pump
> cams.  I remounted the cam to the #3 position. ( which I now
> believe to to be wrong with even less pump shot)  All the other
> cams have 2 holes and #2 provides a bigger shot of fuel than #1
> which is the normal factory setting.  On this cam the fuel map
> for the # 2 position was not in the Holly book.  Probably
> will change  to position 2 as soon as I can.  Of course this
> working on the carb messed up my throttle linkage so a few hours
> working on that.
>         Drove to work Monday and the Tiger was VERY rough.
> Soft backfire through the tail pipes even when I just barely
> accelerated.  Held up traffic I was so slow.
>         Last night did a "short the plug test" and found that
> #1 and #6 cylinder had no effect on the running.  Plug on #6
> had an open circuit and plug #1 was shorted.  Replaced the plugs
> and still no luck.  Did a compression test and found zero pounds
> on number 1, all others were 170 to 180 psi.  Re adjusted the
> valves on #1 and got 175 psi. Idle nice and smooth now.
>         About to go to work on Tuesday, wish me luck.
>
>
>
>
> James Barrett Tiger II 351C and others

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