Now what the heck?!?!

[dfrazz]

Driving my '68 Charger (383 ci) home last night and all of a sudden 1 backfire and then another huge backfire and a big cloud of black smoke out the back! The engine immediately dies and I'm able to pull off the highway. I check for fuel, spark, and crank it a couple of times and more backfire and it will not start. I'm looking at the plug wires and distributor because it seems like a timing or spark issue and all seems ok. So I call AAA and wait for 3 hours (thats another story). While I'm waiting I pull the distributor cap, seems ok. Then I have a friend crank it and the rotor is delayed so I pull the distributor and several teeth on the gear are shaved off. Bingo, thats the problem but what the heck would cause this? I haven't touched the engine except for an oil change a couple of months ago.

 

[pnora]

Driving my '68 Charger (383 ci) home last night and all of a sudden 1 backfire and then another huge backfire and a big cloud of black smoke out the back! The engine immediately dies and I'm able to pull off the highway. I check for fuel, spark, and crank it a couple of times and more backfire and it will not start. I'm looking at the plug wires and distributor because it seems like a timing or spark issue and all seems ok. So I call AAA and wait for 3 hours (thats another story). While I'm waiting I pull the distributor cap, seems ok. Then I have a friend crank it and the rotor is delayed so I pull the distributor and several teeth on the gear are shaved off. Bingo, thats the problem but what the heck would cause this? I haven't touched the engine except for an oil change a couple of months ago.

If you have teeth off the drive gear you have big problems. That is not a known issue. You might be in for a tear down as where are all these pieces and what had been sucked into the oiling system. Pull the gear and post some pics of it and the cam/bushing area.

 

[PRHeads]

If you’re extra extra lucky, there aren’t matching broken teeth on the camshaft.

 

[pnora]

If you’re extra extra lucky, there aren’t matching broken teeth on the camshaft.

Right and what could of got in between them to break them. I have heard and seen worn teeth but broken teeth makes a guy go Hmmmmmmmm.

 

[RemCharger]

Bushing worn right out? Bronze gear? Chunk of crap got stuck in oil pump?

 

[rickseeman]

I've never heard of this happening. And if you replaced the bad parts would that keep it from happening again? I mean, what caused this. That's what I'm wondering. Lets hope it was a defective part and that replacing the damaged parts will fix it. The cam gear is liable to be damaged also. When you get the front cover off are the timing marks dot-to-dot? I've seen distributor drive gears so worn that I assumed sooner or later something like this would happen. It wasn't normal wear, but something wrong. Let's hope it's an easy fix, but I guess if you're not a motorhead this will be traumatizing.

 

[MoparMur]

Pull the oil pump off and look for valve seal material that got thru the oil pump pick-up screen. That'll jam it up instantly.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Yup, look at the oil pump... Far more likely to lock up then the distributor...

 

[pnora]

Pull the oil pump off and look for valve seal material that got thru the oil pump pick-up screen. That'll jam it up instantly.

All the ones I have ever seem snapped the shaft at the hex. Never wiping out the gears.

 

[RemCharger]

All the ones I have ever seem snapped the shaft at the hex. Never wiping out the gears.

Me too. But back to the situation at hand.

 

[autoxcuda]

Roller cam with bronze gear?

 

[dfrazz]

Roller cam with bronze gear?

Yes, comp cam 23-711-9 - in looking at the gear more today in the sunlight it looks to be just worn more than broken teeth. There are virtually no shavings that I can see, but will add some oil to flush any down to the pan then do an oil change eventually. I ordered a composite gear from BOP and may pull the oil pump just to be sure. I also notice the coil and wire were both carotid and #3 plug wire was a little frayed so all new coil, wires, plugs, cap and rotor. Good times!

 

[RemCharger]

Yes, comp cam 23-711-9 - in looking at the gear more today in the sunlight it looks to be just worn more than broken teeth. There are virtually no shavings that I can see, but will add some oil to flush any down to the pan then do an oil change eventually. I ordered a composite gear from BOP and may pull the oil pump just to be sure. I also notice the coil and wire were both carotid and #3 plug wire was a little frayed so all new coil, wires, plugs, cap and rotor. Good times!

It's called a tune-up!