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383 SCARE. A CAUTIONARY TALE

John Johnson

John Johnson

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Local time
5:31 PM
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May 19, 2020
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Location
Surprise, AZ
TBUCKET.jpg
I just had a major scare. My '23 TBucket's big block Mopar 383 was running the best it had in a long time. My neighbor and I had taken it out around town for the evening, setting off a few car alarms in the process...
When I started the car the next morning I was met by a horrifying 'rod knock'!!! It sounded like someone was inside the engine, trying to beat their way out with a sledge hammer!!! Tweaking the timing didn't change anything. My heart sank...
I drained the oil and found no metal shavings. Whew! Then I pulled the pan, fully expecting to find a crankshaft or rod that had committed suicide. In order to remove the pan, I had to remove the dust shield on the front of the 727 transmission. It was about then that my neighbor and I found that 2 of the 4 bolts that mount the torque converter to the flywheel had backed out about a 1/4", just enough that the stampings on the heads of the bolts were hitting the edge of the block!!! Added Loctite and re-torqued all 4 bolts. Disaster averted!
NOTE TO SELF (and you!!): Add checking those bolts to the Routine Maintenance Schedule!!!

TBUCKET.jpg
 
As much as I love these cars, THAT is a design flaw that should have been corrected years ago. There should have been more offset to the flywheel. This would put the converter rearward by a greater amount and offer more clearance for the heads of the bolts.
I've had this happen before and it is always a sinking feeling.
 
Last edited:
Not the first report of that happening here. Glad it was minor.
On another note, make sure you have a good return spring on that carb with those skinneys. Buddy of mine had the accelerator hang at about 80mph and climbing... burned two flat spots trying to stop it until it was released.
 
Mike67 said:
Not the first report of that happening here. Glad it was minor.
On another note, make sure you have a good return spring on that carb with those skinneys. Buddy of mine had the accelerator hang at about 80mph and climbing... burned two flat spots trying to stop it until it was released.
Click to expand...

I had the carb on my cycle stick open years ago. I simply turned the key off when I needed to slow down. On...off...on...off. got me the last two miles home without pushing or hauling it. Traffic was light.
 
I always wanted to build a T-bucket, I kinda still do!
 
Dako said:
I had the carb on my cycle stick open years ago. I simply turned the key off when I needed to slow down. On...off...on...off. got me the last two miles home without pushing or hauling it. Traffic was light.
Click to expand...
Same here, in VA in the snow on a '92 GSXR 750. Made it 5 miles home hitting the on/off switch. Spayed it w a hose next morning to get all the sand from the road off it n worked perfect.
 
You can add me to the list.I had the converter bolts loosen too.
BUT only once. Loc-tite ever since.
 
John Johnson said:
View attachment 1054439I just had a major scare. My '23 TBucket's big block Mopar 383 was running the best it had in a long time. My neighbor and I had taken it out around town for the evening, setting off a few car alarms in the process...
When I started the car the next morning I was met by a horrifying 'rod knock'!!! It sounded like someone was inside the engine, trying to beat their way out with a sledge hammer!!! Tweaking the timing didn't change anything. My heart sank...
I drained the oil and found no metal shavings. Whew! Then I pulled the pan, fully expecting to find a crankshaft or rod that had committed suicide. In order to remove the pan, I had to remove the dust shield on the front of the 727 transmission. It was about then that my neighbor and I found that 2 of the 4 bolts that mount the torque converter to the flywheel had backed out about a 1/4", just enough that the stampings on the heads of the bolts were hitting the edge of the block!!! Added Loctite and re-torqued all 4 bolts. Disaster averted!
NOTE TO SELF (and you!!): Add checking those bolts to the Routine Maintenance Schedule!!!

View attachment 1054438
Click to expand...
I had the dust cover itself lose all but 1 small bolt. It shifted enough so the corner was hitting the flywheel. On the highway. Made a very spooky sound. But crawling under one could quickly see what was going on. I removed for the rest of the trip. That was a MAJOR relief seeing that. And car was then purring happily all the way home.
 
Have a car here now that came in for a 'minor' tune up and a couple of other small issues and it started knocking so it got shut down. First thing I checked was the converter bolts but they were good and tight. Next start up showed it was running on 7 so off come the valve covers and that showed a broken valve spring. The knocking sound was a piston slamming a valve......engine is about to be pulled after pulling the heads and finding many other issues that point to someone trying to pass a POS to someone that isn't on their game.
 
Buddy of mine bought a 69 Charger R/T, it had been parked since 1980.. Story was the original owner had taken the family on a road trip.... Somewhere in Oklahoma the engine started knocking.... Welded a tow bar to it & dragged it back to Barstow California & stuck it in a barn.... Never got back to fixing it... My buddy bought it in 2001-2002 time frame... We stuck a battery in it & it turned over... Added fuel & it fired up & ran.... Weird knock... I'd heard a similar knock before, lets check the torque convertor bolts... Yup...
 
I use a drop of blue loctite on the converter bolts and never had an issue. 440'
 
Hey John, beautiful ride you have. Being from the "Gates of Hell" also, my eyes immediately fell to the a/c compressor. How much relief do you get when it's 115*. LoL
 
I had that sound on a small block one time. The damper pulley was loose, knocking back and forth on the bolts.
 
Ray70Chrg said:
Hey John, beautiful ride you have. Being from the "Gates of Hell" also, my eyes immediately fell to the a/c compressor. How much relief do you get when it's 115*. LoL
Click to expand...
I sat in traffic waiting for an accident to clear this summer for 20 minutes idling in 124°. A/C vent temps stayed at 40° degrees the whole time. Cruising down the highway it drops to 36ish.
 
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