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Engine trashed...or is it? UPDATE

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Cheapsnake

Jedi Trainee
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On my way up to a job about 20 miles north today and I notice my temp doing a slow creep north as well. It usually does this until the thermostat pops for the first time and then settles down to normal. This time, however it just kept going until it became apparent it wasn't going to go back down. I called my wife (thank God for cell phones) to bring a backup vehicle and pulled into the nearest driveway and as I did the engine was noticably straining and finally quit just as I coasted to a stop off the highway. I tried to start it and the starter could just barely turn it over, closest thing to a seized engine that I've ever experienced.

Wife picks me up, I get to the job and return to the car about 3 hours later and it starts right up with no bad sounds or anything else out of the ordinary. However, I didn't delude myself into thinking it would get me home without problems so it got a free ride home on a flatbed.

So now I've got to find out the reason for the overheating and if there's any significant damage to the engine. Even though it's running now I can't believe a near seize can be anything but bad. Next week I'll do a complete physical on the thing and that will tell me what I need to do or not do.

Actually, I'm not all that bummed by this turn of events since I've got visions of new hi compression pistons, hot cam and some port work on the heads. In a way, I almost wish the thing had done a spectacular blow and saved me the indecison. Stay tuned for the rest of the story.

Tom
 
Re: Engine trashed...or is it?

Overheating can do strange things, such as loss of power and shutdown. I would pull the thermostat and check it in boiling water, as it is probably stuck shut and then do a compression test to see if you have any head gasket issues looming on the horizon.

If all is well, change the stat after flushing and drive it until you have all the parts you need for the major o/haul.

JMHO
 
Re: Engine trashed...or is it?

I sure hope that nothing broke. So what are you looking at doing for the rebuild? I love my 10.5 to 1 pistons I got from Ted and the cam from Woody. I took mine out for the first real test drive since the swap. A State trooper followed me into the gas station (still get the sick feeling in my gut, probably left over guilt from my younger days) amd came up and just talked to me about the 8, popped the hood, he said he had a Miata and said he would like to let his wife have that and get a "more manly" car he could play with, something with a V8 like a TR8
 
Re: Engine trashed...or is it?

The old cast iron blocks and heads can take alot of abuse and high temp. There is a pretty good chace you didn't hurt it if you didn't loss any water out of your raditor. A cheap way to pick up comp. on your six is to deck the head. You'll have to do the math, but my sons 6 had that done last year and it makes a world of difference. You have to buy shorter rocker arm rods.
 
Re: Engine trashed...or is it?

PATR8 said:
I sure hope that nothing broke. So what are you looking at doing for the rebuild? I love my 10.5 to 1 pistons I got from Ted and the cam from Woody. I took mine out for the first real test drive since the swap. A State trooper followed me into the gas station (still get the sick feeling in my gut, probably left over guilt from my younger days) amd came up and just talked to me about the 8, popped the hood, he said he had a Miata and said he would like to let his wife have that and get a "more manly" car he could play with, something with a V8 like a TR8
Click to expand...

mehheh... Statey weren't "Fast Eddie" (Butch) N***** by chance? All the troopers in your area would have to know him: '67 E-Type Jag owner. He oughta be retired by now, tho. I stepped onto the PA 'pike in the Elan once, got IMMEDIATELY pulled over by a Trooper, he wanted to know how I kept it from eating valves! His bro had one and couldn't keep it running long. We natter'd beside oncoming traffic a few minutes but he stopped us just to chat over the car... Asked him if he knew Butch, he said: "Figgers you'd know eachother." Some of those fellas are really into cars.
 
Re: Engine trashed...or is it?

Typicaly severe overheating can do several things to an engine, The biggest and most severe is of course complete siezure. Next would be warpage of the head and possibly block {depending on HOW HOT the engine got.} Then there are the piston rings, severe heat can and most time relieves the temper causing inadequate pressure against the cylinder wall thus causing an inadequate seal resulting in oil consumption. {a comprehensive compression test can give you an idea of ring condition}
The only real way to tell is get the engine running again. If it does`nt consume coolant {no water loss} likely the head and block are ok. Next would be keep an eye on the oil consumption , if it is the same as previous to the overheating condition. Then you escaped any damage typicaly caused by overheating. Lastly check your bolts and nuts on the engine for tightness especialy after driving the car for a while, overheating can cause the bolts and nuts to come loose. If you are going to rebuild anyway, this fall might be a good time to start.
Just my thoughts and experiance on the overheating problems I have encountered
Kerry
 
Re: Engine trashed...or is it?

OK, pulled the thermostat and chucked it into a pot of hot water and it didn't budge, there's my problem. Picked up new one and it's all good now. I haven't had a chance to check compression but I took it out and it runs strong so if any damage was done, it's not too apparent.

Darn, I had Woody's number on speed dial for those 10.5 pistons.
 
Re: Engine trashed...or is it?

Hello Cheapsnake,

your first post is a classic failed thermostat scenario. Really you should have stopped before the engine got as hot as it did. Still it sounds as though no serious damage has occurred.
As it is a six cylinder TR engine (or so it seems from other comments on this post), how do you get high compression pistons as the originals are flat anyway? Normally the head is machined to increase compression?

Alec
 
Re: Engine trashed...or is it?

Actually, it's a TR8 with a 3.5L V8. The stock engine has a very low 8.15 CR with dished pistons. As such, the engine has a lot of potential that remains untapped with a higher CR. Besides that, higher CR engines just sound cooler.

And yes, if I had any brains I would have stopped before it got so hot, but then, if I had any brains I wouldn't be driving an LBC.

Tom
 
Re: Engine trashed...or is it?

And yes, if I had any brains I would have stopped before it got so hot, but then, if I had any brains I wouldn't be driving an LBC.

Tom [/quote]

Well put...
 
Re: Engine trashed...or is it?

Well since nobody else is going to point out the obvious I will stick my nickle in....RE-TOURQUE THE HEADS!!!!!(Or just drive on till the gaskets blow-out).
It cant hurt and it may very well help a lot!!
MD(mad dog)
 
Re: Engine trashed...or is it?

I agree with MD Canaday. If the first occurence seems not to have hurt anything. Retorque the head bolts is good insurance. Just a little extra time, may save an overhaul.
 
Re: Engine trashed...or is it?

Sometimes one has to point out the obvious and retorqing the heads hadn't occurred to me. So yes, it will be done and thanks for the heads up guys!

Tom
 
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