Well, i bit the bullet this weekend and went out in the cold to see what i could find out about the engine. my plans were to pull it out and tear it down on the stand, but half way through stripping it down, i realized that i wouldnt be able to get the torque converter bolts off (the engine IS seized up, and you cant get those off without rotating the crank...why do i forget little details like that?) so plans changed, my options were either pull the engine and tranny both and tear it down like that on the garage floor, or tear it down just enough while it was in the truck to free it up. to make a long story short i started taking it apart in the truck and found out that a connecting rod had snapped and was twisted up on the block. i pulled it out and it now spins free as a bird! =) amazingly there seems to be no cylinder damage and it seems to be just that one problem (i havnt pulled it yet all the way to inspect it further however). now the only question is how in the heck did that happen? i had heard that the 460 rods were supposed to be pretty beefy...yet this one snapped in two, right down the middle. question #2...suppose i tear it down and find everything to be in great condition minus the rod, would it be a smart move to replace just the one rod? or would that throw it out of balance? any thoughts?

 

I wouldn't worry as much about balance, but more about if there was any metal floating around inside my engine. If you feel confident (lucky) that there is nothing wrong with that particular cylinder or the rest of the motor, slap a new rod/bearings in and go.

 

You canget away with putting one rod in but if i was you i would tear down the whole thing, make sure nothing else is screwed up and theres no metal in there. Rebuild it and go from there.
Anthony DiPietro
79 F150 Ranger

 

Hey Bud, I think you should replace all the rods and have them resized..If you are in Washington state, I have a complete set you can have for $25, to help you out..email me if your interested.. a68firebird(No Email Addresses In Posts!)

 

 

You asked what could have caused that ( rod distruction).
Well, a rod bolt that's not torqued to the right specs. could
be blamed. Lack of oil pressure could have spun a bearing a thrown a rod. etc...

I would pull it down, have that crankshaft checked, look at the rest of the main & rod bearings for wear and damage, etc...
It's better to do it right while you have the engine disassembled.

Dre'
1978 F-150, 460ci(750cfm,Edelbrock Performer,Dynomax Ceramic Coated headers,etc.)Auto-C6,3:70.1 - 9" Posi.