I have a problem that I am hoping some one can give good advice about. First I have to admit I am going to look rather foolish in this, but if it helps someone else with this problem, then will be worth it.
I have replaced my ring gear(again) on the 930 trans. Long story for another time. I had gotten to the point I was willing to give up on my quest for a distributorless ignition and was preparing to go to an MSD electronic system with a distributor such as the Digital 6AL or AL 2. I had talked to one shop about assistance. they are well versed in MSD equipment. I decided to get the car ready for the work and it involved removing the cam sensor arrangement on my car. This sensor is where the old distributor sat. With the TWM injectors in place, the distributor shaft will not clear the distributor hole to be removed. The only way is to remove the intake manifold first.
The water level in the system was lowered to the level of the tubes running to the front of the car. Then the manifold was taken off. The exhast manifold covers the rear most part of the manifold requiring the manifold to be turned up on its side about 30-45º and slipped out sideways while the distributor is lifted up as well.
Its either this way or the engine has to be pulled to get at it. When this was done, I could hear water emptying out of the intake manifold, and of course into the engine. The total was probably 100cc or less.
It was about this time, I was studying the MSD site videos to familiarize myself with their products, and discovered the problem I was having with the distributorless setup was a timing issue all along, and I believe I am on the right track now. The MSD approach was scrapped and the manifold and sensor reinstalled.That story will be followed up on later.
So now I have an oil pan with oil and water in it. All the oil was suctioned out as best as could be done then the oil drain plug was removed and the remainder of the oil and water removed. Very straight forward so far. Here is where the craziness starts. I have a Kevko oil pan.
You notice the drain plug is on the side of the pan and not the bottom. So a good quarter of an inch of oil remains in the pan when empty. I then lowered the back of the car and tilted it toward its right side to aid in drainage, which it did. This angle was not very steep so I thought I would help it out by boiling the water out with my map torch. The amount of water there probably would not cause any harm and would be forced out as steam once the engine got to operating temperature as I have seen steam coming out of the vent line on other fireups. I just worry the engine won't fire up and then I would have water circulated throughout the system. So at this point I have the drain plug out. I am distributing heat all over the base of the pan til I find the spot where I hear the water boiling, which is at the back of the engine. Steam is coming out the drain opening along with more oil and water.
The top of the engine has a vent hole in each of the valve covers. One has a 10AN line to a catch tank, the other has a push in plug in it.
After about two minutes of heat to the boiling water oil mixture, there is a rather large explosion!! It blows the torch out and after getting out from under the car I find the oil plug from the valve cover, all the way across the shop where it landed. I was not hurt, but you can bet it scared the pee out of me. I consider myself lucky to be alive at this point.
The car has been cranked a dozen times or so, and probably has several hours of run time that have used up at least two tanks of fuel. We have been trying to tune this engine for almost two years off and on with little success. Lots of spark knocking, back firing, spitting and sputtering on start up. Once cranked it runs pretty good.The one time I drove the car around the block it didn't have a lot of power on any hills. The oil has not been changed from its original break in 5W-30. Fresh oil will be used when it is refilled.
I have several questions.
1. What caused the explosion? Was it gas mixed in with the oil from washed down cylinders from all the attempts at starting??
2. What damage do you think I may have incurred from this. Anything at all? Nothing?
I am at the point that I am ready to crank the motor(again with a new timing map). My plan is to spin the motor without plugs to check out the oil pressure and reset the ignition parameters, reinstall the plugs and fire it up.
Do you think I need to pull the oil pan and inspect the innerds. I hesitate to do this because the bolts above the kickout are not able to be reached. The narrowness of the frame and the front trans supports are in the way. Would need to pull the engine to get to them. I would rather not, if possible.
I have seen first hand the damage one cup of gasoline will do when ignited, but I can't think of what would have been damaged with this incident. So I need more experienced people's advice.
Thanks,
Bill
I have replaced my ring gear(again) on the 930 trans. Long story for another time. I had gotten to the point I was willing to give up on my quest for a distributorless ignition and was preparing to go to an MSD electronic system with a distributor such as the Digital 6AL or AL 2. I had talked to one shop about assistance. they are well versed in MSD equipment. I decided to get the car ready for the work and it involved removing the cam sensor arrangement on my car. This sensor is where the old distributor sat. With the TWM injectors in place, the distributor shaft will not clear the distributor hole to be removed. The only way is to remove the intake manifold first.
The water level in the system was lowered to the level of the tubes running to the front of the car. Then the manifold was taken off. The exhast manifold covers the rear most part of the manifold requiring the manifold to be turned up on its side about 30-45º and slipped out sideways while the distributor is lifted up as well.
Its either this way or the engine has to be pulled to get at it. When this was done, I could hear water emptying out of the intake manifold, and of course into the engine. The total was probably 100cc or less.
It was about this time, I was studying the MSD site videos to familiarize myself with their products, and discovered the problem I was having with the distributorless setup was a timing issue all along, and I believe I am on the right track now. The MSD approach was scrapped and the manifold and sensor reinstalled.That story will be followed up on later.
So now I have an oil pan with oil and water in it. All the oil was suctioned out as best as could be done then the oil drain plug was removed and the remainder of the oil and water removed. Very straight forward so far. Here is where the craziness starts. I have a Kevko oil pan.
You notice the drain plug is on the side of the pan and not the bottom. So a good quarter of an inch of oil remains in the pan when empty. I then lowered the back of the car and tilted it toward its right side to aid in drainage, which it did. This angle was not very steep so I thought I would help it out by boiling the water out with my map torch. The amount of water there probably would not cause any harm and would be forced out as steam once the engine got to operating temperature as I have seen steam coming out of the vent line on other fireups. I just worry the engine won't fire up and then I would have water circulated throughout the system. So at this point I have the drain plug out. I am distributing heat all over the base of the pan til I find the spot where I hear the water boiling, which is at the back of the engine. Steam is coming out the drain opening along with more oil and water.
The top of the engine has a vent hole in each of the valve covers. One has a 10AN line to a catch tank, the other has a push in plug in it.
After about two minutes of heat to the boiling water oil mixture, there is a rather large explosion!! It blows the torch out and after getting out from under the car I find the oil plug from the valve cover, all the way across the shop where it landed. I was not hurt, but you can bet it scared the pee out of me. I consider myself lucky to be alive at this point.
The car has been cranked a dozen times or so, and probably has several hours of run time that have used up at least two tanks of fuel. We have been trying to tune this engine for almost two years off and on with little success. Lots of spark knocking, back firing, spitting and sputtering on start up. Once cranked it runs pretty good.The one time I drove the car around the block it didn't have a lot of power on any hills. The oil has not been changed from its original break in 5W-30. Fresh oil will be used when it is refilled.
I have several questions.
1. What caused the explosion? Was it gas mixed in with the oil from washed down cylinders from all the attempts at starting??
2. What damage do you think I may have incurred from this. Anything at all? Nothing?
I am at the point that I am ready to crank the motor(again with a new timing map). My plan is to spin the motor without plugs to check out the oil pressure and reset the ignition parameters, reinstall the plugs and fire it up.
Do you think I need to pull the oil pan and inspect the innerds. I hesitate to do this because the bolts above the kickout are not able to be reached. The narrowness of the frame and the front trans supports are in the way. Would need to pull the engine to get to them. I would rather not, if possible.
I have seen first hand the damage one cup of gasoline will do when ignited, but I can't think of what would have been damaged with this incident. So I need more experienced people's advice.
Thanks,
Bill
