Engine Problem

[kinglenario]

I just bought a nice 2002 Superformance Cobra with a Ford Racing 392. After the first 20 minutes of driving this is what happened....

After I checked all the fluids and air pressure (glad I did cause they only had 11 pounds in them) my wife and I went for a ride. I drove for about 20 miles and everything was running fine. The first time I got into the power I was in 2nd gear and it pulled normal to about 5,000 RPM and then a loud "POP" came from the passenger side pipe and I could see a puff of smoke in the rear view mirror. The car stalled. I had it towed home and pulled the plugs. The first cylinder closest to the passenger, on the passenger side, the spark plug was completely bent over, and looks like it got hit by the piston or a valve. The valve gear all looked normal.

i don't have much experience with engines besides basic setup and carb tuning. am i missing anything simple it could be here, or are we talking about a big problem?


thanks,

Colin

[G.R.]

Colin
I take it you pulled a valve cover to take a look at the rocker arms? and they looked good?
Now I'm by no means a mechanic but it sounds as if the piston hit the plug?
To know for sure you'll need to pull the head and look at the valves and the piston...# 4 on the passenger side.
If the piston is dented you are looking at a rebuild if not look over the head and valves one of the #4 valves will not look right.

Maybe I'm way off base here?

[Clois Harlan]

Colin I think you are straight on target. Bent valve, push rod or possible broken rocker arm. If you decide to pull your head let us know and we can guide you through the process. It might not be as bad as it sounds. You could have jumped time as a result of a weak timing chain. Or you could have blown a power valve in your carb. Lots of possibilities and not all of them are devistating. Where are you located so maybe one of our members can drop by and give you a hand>


Clois

[d_ford]

Will the engine turn over by hand? If so, with the valve cover off, check the valve train movement for that cylinder.

[Chilibit]

There was a single "pop/smoke" event and then it stopped. If it is only one cylinder why didn't the other seven keep running and beat it to pieces? When you say the plug was bent over do you mean the electrode only? If the timing went away, wouldn't the entire bank be affected? Could a piece of valve face break away and then end up in the wrong spot? Can a plug be installed without a crush gasket and enter too deeply?

I am flying the "there are no dumb questions" flag.

Regards

[kinglenario]

the rocker arms and pushrods LOOK fine from the top. I think the valve stuck and got hit by the piston. i checked the compression and have 0 in that cylinder. all the other cylinders seem to be fine. Then engine still starts but sounds very bad on that side so i shut it off immediately.

i'm in atlanta. i was going to send it down to the experts at Southern Automotive today as i really have no idea what i'm doing here.

thanks for all the help.

[Rick Parker]

Time to open the wallet, AND take a deep breath!

[wtm442]

The dreaded hole in piston disease strikes again. Maybe just a bent valve which is much less $$. Pray a lot.

[kinglenario]

i hope so. i have a quote from Southern Automotive for $925 for removal and install of engine including free towing of about 30 miles. Then best case worst case engine work from $1,200 to $3,000.

what do you guys think?

[Tony Radford]

I think you have a good plan. Both of my engines came from Southern and I feel lucky that they are in the same town. They stand behind their work and are simply great folks to know. You'll be taken care of.

[Michael P. Wole]

Low tire pressure should be the first indicator that this car had been sitting for awhile...a dropped valve is not a surprise..

[kinglenario]

i mean, we're talking about a car built in 2002, not a 1968 beetle. what could i have done to prevent this from happening? it's not like this is an old car, and only sat for few months. it's a big surprise to me. i didn't buy the car thinking the engine could possibly break in the first 20 minutes of ownership.

i took the head off last night to take a look at the damage....i will post some pics later. basically the valve hung open and took a big chunk off the piston then proceded to suck chunks of metal throughout the intake.

[Excaliber]

It's not uncommon for a fairly 'new' motor to have some problems, regardless of who built it. Weak springs from sitting? Maybe, but I'm more inclined to think the valve guide was to tight or the valve head simply defective. Stuff happens, crying shame it happened just after purchase.

[392cobra]

Originally Posted by kinglenario

it's not like this is an old car, and only sat for few months.
basically the valve hung open and took a big chunk off the piston then proceded to suck chunks of metal throughout the intake.

Do you know just how old the fuel is ??
It's possible gum/varnish from old fuel caused the valve hang.

[kinglenario]

i'm not sure about the age of the fuel. but that is a good point. i would blame that on the dealer i bought the car from. with only 20 miles on the car i really think they should pay for the engine repair. it was a private sale but through a SPF dealer.

[kinglenario]

here are some pictures...

http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePh...1&sort_order=0

[Michael P. Wole]

On an engine sitting for any time I would have done an oil change immediatly. Sounds like you revved it pretty good...did you wait for temp to get up. Hard to not jump all over that power when you first start it up...I never go over 1500rpm till thermostat opens, even then dont get all over it for a couple of miles to make sure oil is up to temp also..can you tell if the rocker was oiling?

[kinglenario]

i guess you didn't read my first post. i checked everything and the oil was fresh. i drove for 20 miles before i even got on it at all!

Where do you get the idea i "reved it pretty good"? 5,000 rpm is not "reving it pretty good"

i made sure everything looked good. i took it very easy for 20 miles or so.

the engine is a 2002 392 SVO Crate Motor. 5,000 RPM shouldn't have caused that problem.

[DAVID GAGNARD]

It's not a pretty picture, no telling what else is damaged in the motor.........

Was there any kind of warranty with the sale???? Go back and read the bill of sale and any other papers you signed with the seller, you may or may not have some kind of warranty on this....

What type of cylinder heads are on the motor??? I'm assuming aluminum, but Ford used 2 or 3 different heads over the years and the first crate 393s had iron heads, I think.... If aluminum heads are on the motor, if may be rebuilt, as for the rest of the rotating assy., only a complete teardown will tell the damage....

Sometimes those things just happen for no reason at all, sorry for your loss..... I know the feeling, back in my dirt track days, I had a fresh motor come apart after only about 10 minutes on the track.... when I tore it down, there were only 7 rods in the motor, # 8 is still embedded in a dirt track in central Louisiana for all I know.......

David

[392cobra]

my first engine was a '02 392 Ford Crate.Just like yours.
I had it for a couple years before upgrading.

During that time frame there was a problem with their pistons coming apart.That is the reason Ford changed pistons.

It could be nothing anybody did wrong except Ford.