Home | Mailing List | Specifications | Care and Feeding | Modifications | Vendors | Literature

 

How to Pick up a Dead SHO

new 1/28/2004, updated 2/1/2004, June 13, 2004


***********Warning to Dail up's - One of the pictures is over 400k rest are safe*********

Last weekend, I accompanied Eric to Morton, IL to pick up his latest driveway decoration. While whisking through the Illinois countryside, a few simple guidelines occurred to me.
First you need a capable tow vehicle

BIG ASS COUNTRY PICK UP.jpg (72001 bytes).

Then, you have to have native scouts, who know the terrain and can navigate the back roads to get you to your destination In our case local natives pointed to a Don Mallinson, don't know why.

100_0369.JPG (434276 bytes)

Next, you need friends who are willing to brave bone numbing cold and wind to help you push the carcass onto the dolly. Preferably larger male species. Along with a sage supervisor. That supervisor, again that Sage trail boss Don Mallinson, and his son  Ken Mallinson, came to the rescue in frigid temperatures. Me, I'm the manly man hiding behind the camera. (Pick your battles)

100_0371.JPG (1027434 bytes)

Lastly, you will need ballast to keep your tow vehicle on the road in 25MPH plus crosswinds on the way home.

BALLAST FOR CROSS WIND.jpg (44998 bytes)

Hmm Think that about covers it.
Ohh wait, you're wondering why it had to be towed??? Behold
batttered head.JPG (338875 bytes)        better battered head 1.JPG (230500 bytes)        better battered head.JPG (363019 bytes)        

Sorry Scott, Eric just took the lead. I'm not sure he's honored to be there.

U.L.

_______________________________________________________________________

How odd.. I got some theories here...

1) The destruction pictured happened when the engine was being started. Hence I want to think that the valves are more brittle when cold and just snapped off, rather than just bending like normal when a cam fails. If the car has been run in the last hour or so the valves will be warm (and hence not so brittle) even on startup. This is obviously a rear bank cam failure and hence the exhaust cam stopped.

2) We still do not know exactly what caused the carnage in my motor, possibly the carbon issue on the secondary intake valve as both of the cams in my car in that bank were fine (cam failure 8 K prior for previous owner in the other bank).

3) Both of us with valves stuck in pistons have been rear bank cylinders. I don't want to see any more of these valves stuck in pistons, but it may be interesting to see if any trend of front / rear bank carnage appears. Granted this is only two now so there is no real data set at this point in time. I can't think of any reason why the rear would do it more than the front but you never know.


Eric... Feels good don't it. It would feel even better having to fix it if it was some type of damage you had done when you owned the car by pushing the motor too hard or finding it's limits with mods.

Eric is more than welcome to hold the trophy now. He paid less for his car than mine, but he knew he had valves in pistons. I was expecting a dead cam, oh the surprises... And as far as pistons with valves in them.. I'll show you mine if you show me yours :-)

Scott
OK whatever, it was a fun trip none the less. And yes, Scott K has had to pass the "trophy" to Eric. Glad I'm not part of this other than transportation.

U.L

____________________________________________________________________________

From: "Carter Fuji"
What the heck ate those valves??? That would be the worst 
sprocket failure I have ever seen!

Carter Fuji 

____________________________________________________________________________

The rear exhaust cam was silent as Craig Smock pulled his babied 96 into the driveway on a cold winter evening in Illinois. When He went to start the car in the morning He had No Warning of the pain about to be inflicted. The Rear Head Slave sprocket cut loose and the camshaft stopped rotating. The pistons, however, did not. (I HATE IT when this happens!)
As discussed with Scott K. last night, Apparently hot valves in a running motor have some measure of flexibility that ice cold valves do not. Three exhaust valves broke off from their respective stems upon first revolution impacts with pistons. They were then Re-installed INTO the Pistons via interference with the newly destroyed Cylinder head. 
The motor never even got started. If you look at the OTHER exhaust valves you can see that they are NOT bent, Meaning either the cam stayed totally motionless (My guess) or the engine never completed a full revolution.
Either way this motor is WAY toasted. Just glad I had this knowledge BEFORE I made an offer on the car.

It's gonna be a few weeks before the formal Autopsy but I will post pertinent info as it is discovered.

Regards
Eric Lehmann
97 Blah Blah Blah....
_____________________________________________________________________

6/13/2004

Well he did it again. At 1:45 CDT Saturday, June 12, 2004 Eric added one more living breathing SHO to the family. I know of the hard work and dedication he has shown to this project and, well just check out the happy dance. That says it all.

Congrats to Eric for saving another one.

http://www.venom.org/shofiles/96MWG

It is a 2.5Meg file, just letting any dial ups know.

This is how it spent most of the spring.

Thanks to Scott for hosting the video.

U.L.


Contact Information