Houston We Have Catastrophic Failure

[Mike67]

Well working on the car today and the motor started making a hell of a knocking sound. Took the dust shield off looking to see if anything was hitting , nothing; looked at all the usual spots & decided to pull the VC expecting to find a spring broken or bent push rod. Spun the motor for a few seconds never got any oil up on the top end. Looking a little closer I saw some black sediment in the oil pools. It wasn't shiny but gritty. Decided to pull the pan and found steel pig tail shavings all in the pan.
After some more digging it looks like the idler axel from the gear drive dug into the boss and just shaved it like a drill bit.
Right now I'm so disgusted I can see straight. When I set it up I made sure I had .050+ clearance, had a rigid timing cover and used a nylon cam button. The only thing I can think of is that the PRW water pump pushed the cover back into it....
Not sure where to go now...
This sucks!

 

[Ironbuilt]

Damn, sorry bro!!

 

[67charger383]

What gear drive was it?
One of these? I've heard the cheaper dual idlers can cause problems.

I run a Milodon 13000 gear drive on my blown 440 without issue and have another one for the 383 going in my charger.

 

[Ironbuilt]

What gear drive was it?
One of these? I've heard the cheaper dual idlers can cause problems.
View attachment 1110765



I run a Milodon 13000 gear drive on my blown 440 without issue and have another one for the 383 going in my charger.
View attachment 1110766

Sure, blown 440!! Must be nice.

 

[Mike67]

What gear drive was it?
One of these? I've heard the cheaper dual idlers can cause problems.
View attachment 1110765


I run a Milodon 13000 gear drive on my blown 440 without issue and have another one for the 383 going in my charger.
View attachment 1110766

It was a Jackson but there isnt any difference in a PRW,/ C.A.T./eBay special that I could tell, I have a
CAT that I compared it to.
Wanted a Milodon but didn't want $800 price tag...boy I sure saved on that deal didn't I?

 

[67charger383]

Sure, blown 440!! Must be nice.

 

[Beekeeper]

Dang Mike that stinks! What cover did you use?

 

[Mike67]

Dang Mike that stinks! What cover did you use?

It's a 440 Source item, it was made from .186 aluminium plate IIRC.
I'm pretty sure the water pump had something to do with it, I think I remember commenting that it was touching the cover when I put it on but I figured it would have gave the TC more rigidity to prevent flexing.
I had clearanced the axle along with the button and everything was within spec.Never thought to check with the pump on, it didn't appear to push back on it, it just looked like it touched it.
What's weird is that it never made any noise until today, haven't even driven the car, all been idle and some recent in park messing with the EFI.
Trying to decide to just rebuild this or go ahead and build a stroker.
SUCKS no matter how I look at it, was hoping to start driving it soon...

 

[Mike67]

Crappy pics, got oil on my lens. The oil was bar and new and doesnt have 69 mins of run time. All of the black crap is sitting at the bottom, the oil itself is clean, I think it may be the parkerized coating that were on my new rocker shafts.

 

[Cranky]

Oh man Say It Ain't So and it's just a dream!!

 

[Mike67]

Oh man Say It Ain't So and it's just a dream!!

I wish I could....

 

[eldubb440]

that sucks with sandpaper