Nate S
Well-Known Member
Thought I’d start up a thread where we can spill our misfortunes with these old cars. I can think of 3.
Good friend doing his burnout at New England Dragway in a ‘69 sixpak super bee in the early 90’s. We didn’t know that the harmonic balancers with the groove have a cast outer ring but the flat outer ring ones are forged. Well, we had the cast one and it exploded. Took out the radiator and barfed antifreeze all over the starting line.
Another time I was driving a ‘68 satellite to work on the highway. Had a 318. Going about 70 heard a rod knock and within 100 yards it had blown the rod-but kept on running. With nothing to lose I kept on driving. About 5 miles later it did it again, blew a second rod and kept running, so I kept driving. A mile or two later I had to take my exit. When I let my foot off the gas and the engine slowed down it was so wildly out of balance the car shook like a carnival ride. Then it stopped. I opened the hood and oil was dripping from everything.
Another time I picked up a ‘67 charger with a 318 that had a knock. Still ran and you could drive it. Had apparently had this knock for years. I took apart the bottom end (from under the car) and found the crank was snapped in half in the middle of the second main bearing. Fit together well enough so it didn’t slip. I put in another crank and drove it for a couple years.
Good friend doing his burnout at New England Dragway in a ‘69 sixpak super bee in the early 90’s. We didn’t know that the harmonic balancers with the groove have a cast outer ring but the flat outer ring ones are forged. Well, we had the cast one and it exploded. Took out the radiator and barfed antifreeze all over the starting line.
Another time I was driving a ‘68 satellite to work on the highway. Had a 318. Going about 70 heard a rod knock and within 100 yards it had blown the rod-but kept on running. With nothing to lose I kept on driving. About 5 miles later it did it again, blew a second rod and kept running, so I kept driving. A mile or two later I had to take my exit. When I let my foot off the gas and the engine slowed down it was so wildly out of balance the car shook like a carnival ride. Then it stopped. I opened the hood and oil was dripping from everything.
Another time I picked up a ‘67 charger with a 318 that had a knock. Still ran and you could drive it. Had apparently had this knock for years. I took apart the bottom end (from under the car) and found the crank was snapped in half in the middle of the second main bearing. Fit together well enough so it didn’t slip. I put in another crank and drove it for a couple years.