Help!! I screwed up

[Lance Hogan]

Redmanbob,

I can not confirm that the distributor was completely seated. It is a "old junk" distributor that I was using that I thought was completely seated, but after all that has occured, I am second guessing myself.

[Redmanbob]

I don't think you have any issue with the rod/main bearings as of yet. The engine hasn't fired over or seen enough sump to get those pieces traveling very far if at all. JMO

An easy cheap primer tool is a 3" long thin walled 1/4 drive 1/4" socket and a 6" extension connetcted to a 1/2 inch drill. Takes the junk dizzy completely out of the equation and you can see down the hole to see if the oil starts coming in from the cam gallery.

[Bear 45/70]

The oil filter is suppose to catch all those pieces, that's it job. I would suspect the bearings are fine.

[krewat]

Originally Posted by Lance Hogan

On another note, I am concerned that when I rotated the assembly while checking the cam gear that I contaminated my rod bearings. Could this be possible??

Not likely - it would have to go through the oil pump and the filter before it would get to the rod bearings.

Weird that the entire bottom half of the dizzy gear is gone. Very weird. If the distributor locked up, it wouldn't be all the way around the gear, it would only be where it meshed with the cam.

[Redmanbob]

I think the dizzy was resting on the cam gear and when it tried to mesh it couldn't.. hence what we have here today "a failure to communicate"

[Lance Hogan]

Another question. Since I am pulling the motor and will be removing the intake and oil pan, should I remove the timing chain cover to see if metal entered that area?

[Redmanbob]

Frankly I wouldn't bother with the intake unless you turn it upside down. But I could be wrong.. basically there is just the boss for the dizzy which is ? .5" wide and when the pan is dropped you have access to clean that up if there is anything resting in there (which surely there is)

[77 Bronco]

I did the same thing to a small block ford (351W) and it ended up taking the cam gear with it. Engine ended up eating cams ever since then. Not trying to worry you. Just make sure you check the cam gear very closely.

[FFR428]

Question. When you installed the intake did you seat the distributor with it? In other words was the distributor installed when you torqued the intake down?

[Lance Hogan]

FFR428,

I had not purchased a distributor at the time the intake was installed. So, the distributor was not seated at that time.

[Lance Hogan]

Update:

I removed the oil pan and intake finding metal particles on top of lifters, on top of oil pump, and the top of the middle of my double sump pan. I believe all the particles are accounted for.

My next step is to obtain new intake manifold gaskets and oil pan gaskets and begin the reinstall process.

What a day!!

[FFR428]

Ok be sure to seat/install it when your installing the intake. Makes things easy in the long run. Also put a new rubber grommet on it if at all possible.

Good luck.

[77 Bronco]

How did the cam gear look? ok?

[Redmanbob]

I for the life of me cant figure how particles ended up on top of the lifters, even went out to reference a bare block to make sure I wasnt crazy. There is a journal between the gear and any upward access. The base of the lifters are subject to mess. And after looking at that.. hmm if you got it out, I dunno that I wouldn't pull the cam and lifters if not all of it apart and give it a bath. Probably just overkill but beats doing this same **** or worse a few days from now??????????

[77 Bronco]

I agree Redmanbob. Been there done that....never want to again.