Need help fast!

[SilverBullit]

I was leaving college today after taking a final, and when I got into my car and started it up it was making a weird noise from the drivers side of the engine. I sounded as if the rockers were hitting the valve covers. It was pouring down rain so I had to get it home to investigate, its about a 6 mile drive. About half way home it lost just about all power and wouldn't hardly accelerate, like the timing was off really bad. Well I got it home and its not making the noise hardly, but is smoking really bad out of the drivers side exhaust pipe, and its white smoke. It won't hardly rev or anything. What's this sound like to you guys, I think it may be a blown headgasket. I hope its nothing else, please help me its my daily driver. I'm going to go pull the plugs and check the oil, etc. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks
Casey

 

[93 teal terror]

Yeah i'd check the oil and coolant for anything suspicious. Obviously its a problem local to one side so maybe you can pull one plug wire at a time and try to isolate it to one cylinder. I would also pull the valve cover on that side, its not bad b/c on the drivers side you dont have to pull the upper intake.

 

[SilverBullit]

Well I began pulling the enine apart to change the head gasket, and upon doing so I noticed the lifter retainer (spider thing) was very loose. I looked at the # 8 cylinder and the retainer had come up. I scared the pushrods and upon further inspection I pulled the lifters and one was very, very badly tore up and the other one had no roller tip. It had broken completely off, I looked into the bore to see if I could get it out and it was not there anywhere. I looked at the cam through the lifter valley and it was badly scared beyond fixing. So now I guess I'm going to have to pull the motor and assess the damages and find the roller tip. I think this is very bad and not sure if the cylinder walls are scared up or not. I'm going to had to get a new cam and god know's what else. Does anybody know of any good cams for my combo? I did have the Crower 15511 b/c of my speed density, but now I have mass air. I'm not sure if the engine is so messed up that I'm going to have to get another block and start from scratch. I was pondering the idea of a 351w, but I'm not sure how much that would cost and if it would be worth the extra ponies. Any help is greatly appreciated guys.

Thanks
Casey

 

[SilverBullit]

Someone has got to have some idea. What is the worst case scenario?

 

[SilverBullit]

Ok I've got a few questions. Does anybody know if you can pull the engine with the tranny still in the car and then put the engine back in also, is it more difficult than its worth? What are the differences in a 1986 engine block and crank and an 1988. I might me able to get one and would just try to swap everthing possible over to the 1986.

Casey

 

[jerry beach]

Yes, you can leave the trans in the car, but you will need to support it from underneath with a jack and a board, you cant just let it dangle. You should not have too many issuses switching to the 86 motor. Is this motor from a mustang? The firing order may be different, I am not sure right off hand. The heads are different. There may be some tuning probs if you stay with your current EFI setup... But I think it will work ok, if thats all you have to choose from right now and you need the car. I say go for it. Does anyone know if the headers will bolt up?

 

[matm347]

Don't get the 86, the pistons don't have notches and will limit your head/cam combo.

Im sure your block is OK, as well as most components. Pull your oil filter apart and see just how much metal is in it.

Worst case you will have to replace all bearings and an oil pump(cam and lifters being a given).

Check your pushrods, make sure they are still straight(roll on glass).

Pull your oil pump apart, if you see any flakes, go ahead and replace it.

Also check your distributor gear/pump drive shaft.

You can pull the motor with the tranny in the car.

 

[SilverBullit]

Thanks for the replies guys. How difficult is it to put the motor back in after you pull it with the trans still in. Does anybody have any good cam suggestions for my combo. I can't go really any bigger than like .520 lift b/c I clayed the pistons with this cam and I've barely got the clearance. Thanks again.

 

[SilverBullit]

Anybody now how difficult it is to put the motor back in with the trans still in car or can it even be done?

 

[NKau]

Yeah, I wouldn't think you'd have real problems outside of what's already damaged. If there's no real fine metal particles in your oil, I wouldn't have any reason to believe that your main bearings are damaged either. You should be able to get away with just replacing the cam and lifters if that is the case.
Stay away from the '86 motor, and if you have a friend or two to help you shouldn't have a problem getting the motor to mate back up to the tranny.