Towed Home (the conclusion)

[floyds68]

Hey guys, its been a while.  Quick update for yall.  I have moved out of Oklahoma to Santa Maria California.  I finally got my 440 up and running 2 hours after the semi-truck came to Haul it out to Cali.  I took it for its first road trip on the motor.  I have had (as per the old guage) 40 lbs oil pressure all the time.  New high valume pump.   I kept my foot light all day and after about 70 to 100 miles I was getting on the highway and the top end got loud and I lost oil pressure.  I had oil, It wanted to keep running but the dry rocker noise and the pressure gauge didn't have to try very hard to get me to pull over within about 200 yards and call a tow truck.  I drained the oil and removed the filter and found the clues below.  They are not metal, they seem to be a hard plastic.  I found them in the oil filter.  I was going to remove the pan but I cant figure out how to get the steering crossbar off Do I need a special tool?  .  Any help or advice is appreciated and hopefully Ill be back on the site for a while.  More pics to come.

Forever in dept to the forum,   Floyd

[Rolling_Thunder]

ummmm   the only piece i can think of that is plastic in the engine is the spacer bushing on the distributor shaft...   

[floyds68]

bushing is good,  I can check that one off.  Its strange that I have two different colors plastics from the same place.

[chargerbr549]

I'm not sure about the dark piece you have in your hand but the yellowish piece you have could also be from the cam gear, if you still have the factory style "silent chain", eventually the the gear sheds its plastic teeth after it wears out and tries to plug the pick-up tube and unless the screen is ripped open the plastic usually doesn't make it to the filter. Just a possibilty,

Kevin

[floyds68]

thanks kevin.  I put new timing chain and gears in with no plastic.  ??

[RD]

did you have a broken PCV valve at one time that may have travelled through your oil system?

[floyds68]

PVC valve is a possibility.  Without looking in the pan and in the pickup Im at a standstill.  Should I take the oil pump off first and check that?  Still not sure about the brackets on the steering bars.

[Chryco Psycho]

an HV pump should be closer to 60 PSi hot & 80 cold
are all the pushrods in place ? no chance a lifter popped up & uncovered the oill gallery ?

[Plumcrazy]

thanks kevin.  I put new timing chain and gears in with no plastic.  ??

The light colored piece is probably from the previous timing gear or the distributor shaft.   The black piece is probably a piece of valve seal.

[floyds68]

lifters are all in place, I took the distributer out and so far everythung looks fine.  It seems like im gonna need to check the oil pick up.  Is there a way to remove the oil pan without taking the steering linkage all apart?

[RD]

lifters are all in place, I took the distributer out and so far everythung looks fine.  It seems like im gonna need to check the oil pick up.  Is there a way to remove the oil pan without taking the steering linkage all apart?

the steering linkage should come apart by removing the center link from the pitman arm and the idler arm.  The center link is connected to them via two 11/16" sized nutz (if my memory is correct, maybe 3/4").  You will have to remove the cotter pins that are ran through holes in the pitman/idler arm threads, then remove the two nuts holding the centerlink to the pitman/idler arm.  Now use a tie rod end/ball joint fork and separate the centerlink from the pitman/idler arm by hammering the fork to physically separate the two pieces.  once the centerlink is removed, you should be able to remove your oil pan and inspect your pickup.  hope that helps.

[floyds68]

Thanks RD, looks like thats the next step.

[RogerDodger]

thanks kevin.  I put new timing chain and gears in with no plastic.  ??

The light colored piece is probably from the previous timing gear or the distributor shaft.   The black piece is probably a piece of valve seal.

I found them in my oil pan. When you get the pan off you will find more in the oil pick up.

[floyds68]

Ill cross my fingers and hope that once I get the pan off the clog is easy to clear and I can get er up and running again.

[floyds68]

1. I got the steering bar off,  dropped the panand Inspected the oil pickup. 

2. Found some hair and a moth.  Sucks to be a moth.  Not the problem.

3. Got the oil filter off, why cant I turn the gear with my alan wrench???  This thing should turn easy.

4.  A piece of the oil pump drive shaft fell out of the shaft hole.  I feel better knowing the powerfull 440 couldn't turn it either. 

5.  So what happens when a tiny piece of timing chain plastic the size of a toothpick head squeezes through the pickup? 

6.  The Oil pump gears will smash it ALMOST completely flat.  But the pump stops, the engine doesn't, the shaft breaks, the oil stays in the pan, the lifters get loud and then the tow truck comes.

I may have known that something was wrong but my two year old just thought that this was what papa planned to do today

God I love working on cars!.

[RD]

glad you found the problem... what a relief, and easy to fix to boot!

[terrible one]

glad you found the problem... what a relief, and easy to fix to boot!

I agree! It could have been a lot worse. Cool Charger too!