[Tokyo Torquer]

I just got my engine back from the dyno operator yesterday. After we loaded it on the truck, I noticed a piece of red tape over the timing cover cam button adjustment screw. He said that when he took the water pump off, the adjustment screw fell out and was stripped.

Once home, the first thing I did was turn the engine over by hand to set the engine to TDC. It was very hard to turn and made a horrible squealing sound. I immediately pulled off the access cover to the Cloyes quick adjust timing cover to inspect. The cam button was crushed and in pieces. I can see 4 bolt marks/ gouges on the front of the timing cover where obviously the dyno operator, when he put on the his water pump on my engine, did not notice that the water pump bolts hit the timing cover when he tightened down on the water pump. This obviously crushed the cam button. Obviously, it was run/ dynoed that way.

With the pieces removed, she turns easier and most of the squealing sound when I rotate the engine is gone.. but still there a hint of the strange sound at one point in the rotation.

I am wondering what kind of damage this may have done to the engine.

thanks,

mike

 

[GuysMonteSS]

That really sucks !!!
Maybe you should call him and explain what happened,maybe he would be good enough to say bring it back and he will take it apart and see if there is any internal damage.If not,you may have to pull it apart yourself and check for damage.Hopefully its not too serious.
Guy

 

[nastynate]

Don't fell bad, you're not alone win it comes to someone else strewing up things when their suppose to have done it a million times. My engine builder that I fired and hired myself in his place assembled my engine 180 degrees out and had it time on the exhaust stroke. The engine ran but seemed to be down on power and beat all the bearings out of it including the cam bearings. All he said was there's noway I did that. I hope you get a better response than I did.

 

[M.Maner]

Mike,you have got to get in touch with the dyno operator before you do anything. Unless he's stupid he knows exactly what happened and the damage is on him. Be decent and see what he says.
Mike



Nate,can you explain how your engine builder assembled the engine 180 out?
Mike

 

[blown70]

That's crappy! I would pull the lifters and look at them and the dist gear too.No cam button could mean walky-walky.Hopefully any trash would have been caught in the filter or just sitting in the pan...Definately talk to the operator.Hopefuly he does the right thing.

 

[StevenS]

Sorry to hear this Mike. As the others said you must pull the engine apart to check for damage. You should call the dyno team and tell him to do it.

 

[Tokyo Torquer]

I definitely called the dyno operator this morning and politely and calmly explained what the issue was. He said he would look at the back of his several pumps and see which one his assistant installed..he said he would call me back. That was 3 hours ago and no call but the guys elderly mother is also in the hospital so much confusion. which is why it took me 2 weeks just to get my engine back from him.

I am most worried about damage to the thrust face of the block. There is a lot of time and money in that engine and I cant beleive he did that. I am not an engine builder for 40 years, but I know enough to make sure I can get a feeler gauge behind the pump.. and space it out till I can.

 

[StevenS]

Don't fell bad, you're not alone win it comes to someone else strewing up things when their suppose to have done it a million times. My engine builder that I fired and hired myself in his place assembled my engine 180 degrees out and had it time on the exhaust stroke. The engine ran but seemed to be down on power and beat all the bearings out of it including the cam bearings. All he said was there's noway I did that. I hope you get a better response than I did.

Never seen a engine start let alone be driveable 180 out.

 

[Wolfplace]

I just got my engine back from the dyno operator yesterday. After we loaded it on the truck, I noticed a piece of red tape over the timing cover cam button adjustment screw. He said that when he took the water pump off, the adjustment screw fell out and was stripped.

Once home, the first thing I did was turn the engine over by hand to set the engine to TDC. It was very hard to turn and made a horrible squealing sound. I immediately pulled off the access cover to the Cloyes quick adjust timing cover to inspect. The cam button was crushed and in pieces. I can see 4 bolt marks/ gouges on the front of the timing cover where obviously the dyno operator, when he put on the his water pump on my engine, did not notice that the water pump bolts hit the timing cover when he tightened down on the water pump. This obviously crushed the cam button. Obviously, it was run/ dynoed that way.

With the pieces removed, she turns easier and most of the squealing sound when I rotate the engine is gone.. but still there a hint of the strange sound at one point in the rotation.

I am wondering what kind of damage this may have done to the engine.

thanks,

mike

=
Hi Mike
Answered on the other site

 

[novaderrik]

Nate,can you explain how your engine builder assembled the engine 180 out?
Mike

yeah, i want to know what was assembled "180 out" that still allowed the engine to run at all. i've dropped distributors in 180 out, and all i ever got was a few good backfires and one carb fire..

 

[creeper72]

I assume there are also lots of debris now floating around in some bad places. Really sorry to hear this . I hope he turns around and makes it right.

Good Luck

 

[Tokyo Torquer]

I just got a call from the dyno operator. He suggested I dissassemble and let him know the damage I find and said he would not leave me hanging out in the wind.

mike

 

[novaderrik]

i'd say to take it to him and make him disassemble it while you watch.

 

[onebad82z]

i'd say to take it to him and make him disassemble it while you watch.

x2. That way there is no reason for him to add "well you" in any reason he has for this happening.

 

[Notalent]

i'd say to take it to him and make him disassemble it while you watch.

x3 and if not that, at least document your findings via digital camera /camcorder. Sorry to hear that bad news, hope you get it worked out without any problems.

 

[Mikeys69]

yeah, i want to know what was assembled "180 out" that still allowed the engine to run at all. i've dropped distributors in 180 out, and all i ever got was a few good backfires and one carb fire..

x2 l :yes:

 

[Rowdy]

When my 540 was originally assembled, I had a Milodon Pro Gear Drive on it, which required 3/8" water pump spacers. When I switched to a Cloyes Hex Adjust, I also installed the Cloyes cover with the adjustable cam button. With the spacers removed, my Stewart aluminum water pump wouldn't even fit around the timing cover. After a little grinding on the pump and cover, I noticed that the w/p cover bolts also made contact. I ground about half of the hex heads off and thought that I was good to go.

When I filled the radiator, it started leaking. It seems that two of the TC covers center plate allen head bolts were making contact also. So I whacked them too. All is good now.

 

[Rowdy]

=
Hi Mike
Answered on the other site

You're such a tease!

What site?
Link?

 

[zeke67]

=
Hi Mike
Answered on the other site

I'm following this, link please?

 

[nastynate]

I had a post a while back asking for help because my engine jus didn't have the power it should've had. Finally it started to knock and during disassembly I check the valve timing and found it then. The symptoms were hard starts back firing back through the carb, erratic idling loading up and no top end performance. All the bearing were toasted with only fifty miles on the engine. I reassemble it with a new cam and bearings. I went to the track last sunday and ran a string of 6.90's @ mostly 95-97 mph with only shade tree tuning. Hopefully with a wheel dyno tuning session I can find a little more et and mph. Oh yea, #7 piston had the the edge where it thins because of the valve relief on the intake side where it gets thin because of the valve relief directly above the wrist pin on top of the piston broken off. I've talked to a few circle track engine builders that have also in countered this before and said it would run but have no power. Being that it was the engine in my sig, there was sufficent potential power for this engine to run a little vs. a stock engine I suppose. Well thats my theory anyway.The engine would run in jus one position no matter how much I moved the distributer back and forth. It would also back fire out the exhaust on the side with the broken piston while it was cruising shooting leftover air fuel mixture not being completly because of insufficent cylinder pressure. I feel that it was firing before the btdc on the intake stroke which would explain why it would backfire through the carb and still run.