Try and guess what happened to this Chevy Small Block 350-

http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~bzipp/pig/lowerend.jpg

I had a buick V6 that looked like that. I don't know how it happened as I didn't own it then. But it looked nasty!

CAST IN MEXICO?

Timing belt go? That's kinda what happened to a V6 out of a PF that a friend of mine had. I know nothing about SBC's.

It's the pedal in the middle you want next time :D The one on the right is not to be used when attempting a sudden stop.

Originally posted by McSoo
Timing belt go? That's kinda what happened to a V6 out of a PF that a friend of mine had. I know nothing about SBC's.

Yea it shows!:flipoff2: :rolleyes:

CAMSHAFT!

Had a buddy have the same thing happen to him. Was spinning his small block at 6500 rpm and the cam let go and did the exact same thing.

CRANKshaft broke at speed. I've done that too, but in a Ford.

Got NOS? :D

Did the thrust bearing let go and it wiped out both of those journals???

Saw a 69 Camaro once that blew the engine so bad a wrist pin came through the block and punched through the frame!
The car had been stolen off a classic used car lot by a couple of teenagers.
The engine was replaced with a new 350 target motor and I grabbed the cam before it went to scrap. I figgured if it grenaded the engine that much it had to be good!:D

Originally posted by Lloyd
CRANKshaft broke at speed. I've done that too, but in a Ford.

I would agree with Lloyd here. I have seen that happen (or the aftermath) and it is not pretty.

Crank let go, counter-weights took out the mains and drug the rods along for the ride...

Fell out of the back of your truck on the freeway? :D

Or tried to rev it like a Mazda rotary for too long! :eek:

I was going to say that the crankshaft bering froze up and thus the crank broke up and took out the journals.

Originally posted by The Rockslut
Did the thrust bearing let go and it wiped out both of those journals???

Small-block Chevy thrust bearing is on #5 main - you can see it in the photo and it looks fine. It appears to me that the crank fracture took off at an angle between the #2 main journal and the #3-4 rod journal just behind (or at) the counterweight. As the front part slowed and the back part kept going it rode up on the tall part of the break, driving the #3 main saddle back, spun the counterweight into the #2 main, and squished the #4 piston as the whole assembly spread. Looks like the #3 rod is tweaked pretty good too, but we can't see that piston.

At least that's what I think. :D

so are you going to tell us? my vote is for over revving and the main caps letting go

Did anyone else notice there's no rod on the #6 piston?
I want to see a pic of the crank and #1 & #2 since thye're all missing. While you're at it how's about a pic of what's left of the pan too!:D

And the answer is....

jdjanda!!! Winner- The engine was trashed upon impact. A buddy of mine had an El Camino that was souped up for dragging. He had the 350 pushing a little over 400 hp, with the drivetrain and accessories to boot. Anyways, I was following him down a windy road at night (hwy 193 from newcastle to lincoln) when all of the sudden, his throttle stuck open- he left a 150 foot drag mark- his foot was on the brakes, but it kept accelerating. He wrapped it around a tree, and got a ride to the hospital in the med-evac helicopter. It took three guys, and two tow trucks 3 hours to pull the twisted wreckage from the tree. My friend is allright, and that is all that matters. But he's got another story to tell.

So the engine is trashed. The freeze plugs blew out, the cam and crank both broke into pieces, rods and pistons cracked and bent, the bellhousing shattered into pieces (the largest being about 2x3 inches), everything is pretty much scrap. I think he was able to salvage the rocker arms, his guages, seatbelts, tailgate, and some other little stuff. Not much though.

Just thought I would share...
Zipp.

Making yourself a 3 bolt Chev :p

when all of the sudden, his throttle stuck open- he left a 150 foot drag mark- his foot was on the brakes, but it kept accelerating.

Didn't think to kill the ign:flipoff2:

Originally posted by Jettech

Didn't think to kill the ign:flipoff2:

Yes he did. But he was doing all he could just to keep it on the road- he flipped the switches to his ign, fuel pump, and accessories- but it was already too late- the road it was on is just too windy and crazy.

We all like to think that we would react accordingly in a high pressure situation- but since we were not the ones sitting in that driver's seat, we don't know how we would have reacted.

So any idea how many RPM's before it let go?

Killing the ignition doesn't always work when the engine is pulling at WOT at least on carburated rigs. I suppose it still has enough heat to partially light off the mixture.

How do I know this?? When I was 16 my "friend" reached across the floor of my moms '77 Impala and mashed my foot down on the gas with his foot. I killed the ignition and the car continued to accelerate.

Originally posted by Explorer
Killing the ignition doesn't always work when the engine is pulling at WOT at least on carburated rigs. I suppose it still has enough heat to partially light off the mixture.



Ever see a diesel "run away" to the point that pinching off the fuel line won't even kill it 'cause it's now running on the cankcase oil?
Now that's NEAT!:D

One mechanic even went so far as to toss a grease rag down the intake to try to stop it but the rag promptly blew out the tailpipe as a shower of flaming scraps!

Ever see a diesel "run away" to the point that pinching off the fuel line won't even kill it 'cause it's now running on the cankcase oil?

LMAO! :D Actually, yes, I have seen this happen. We had a new operator barrel roll our log skidder and didn't shut it down on the way over. It kept chugging along untill it burned off the oil with no major damage resulting.

Funniest part was that it wasn't "chugging along". It was a Olds 350 Diesel in a Caddy. If I remember right the govenor broke or something so this baby was running at like 7 grand for about 2 minutes which was long enough to burn up all the oil in the pan, which finally siezed the engine and it filled the entire shop with enough blue smoke that you couldn't see your hand infront of your face. No small shop either, about 30 service bays and a 20' ceiling!:D

Actually I head a story about a semi mechanic working on a Detroit Diesel that ran away and the only thing he could think of to do was block off the intake which he did with a 3'x3' piece of 3/4" plywood. From what I heard it was one motion, plywood slapped over the intake and it kept right on going down when the perfectly round 2' hole got sucked out of it instantly! Guess everyone that was in the shop got showered in burning embers when the splinters came flying out of the stacks.