I got a ssp motor from my friends 1989 ssp lx coupe a few weeks ago. Engine ran great before we pulled it and dropped it in mine. I did head gaskets while it was out. Also converted the timing chain cover, water pump, alternator bracket, and power steering bracket. I put a gt40 upper and lower intake on it. I got it almost all back together and cranked it over and it started. Ran smooth but then heard ticking. Shut it off and the next morning it wouldn't start. My distributor didnt spin so I looked in the hole to the engine and turned the crank and the cam didnt move. So i took the timing chain cover off and the cam dowell was broke. So I took my upper and lower intake back off and pushrod and rockers. I looked at the lifters and all the keepers on the driver side were broke. Then I pulled the lifters out and the liters were all broke on the driver side as well. They broke where or connects to spin on the cam. Every one of them. The passenger side is perfectly fine. But the cam will not come out. I have got all the pieces of the lifters that I can with a magnet and head other pieces drop the the oil pan. My friend and I have never seen anything happen like that. Not to be all on one side. What could have caused this to happen?
Sn95 ssp fox swap gone wrong
- Thread starter Xzkittle01
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Well that's a good one.. did you guys remember to install the wishbones and spider in the lifter valley? The wishbones stop the lifters from turning and the spider holds the wishbones down in place.
- Mar 2, 2015
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Sounds like the rockers weren't adjusted right. That would put excessive load on the camshaft and lifters. Or, they were too loose and beat the heck out of the rollers and keepers....beating the cam lobes.
Regardless of why, or how it happened, now you get to pul the engine back out, and pull it all back apart. The oil pump is dead, since it got to suck up metal fragments. The bearings are probably embedded as well.
There was interference on that side...upside down Pistons maybe? When you remove that head, you'll know soon enough.
there was contact on that side. Broken pieces at that level don't just happen. If you adjusted the valves incorrectly, (too tight) you'd probably never have been able to get it start. ( just ask Iowa Nick..@95 blue stallion)
All the valves on that side are dead too probably if they've made contact with the Pistons.
It's a bad thing to be sure. for one side to be bad, and not the other, has me thinking you'll see the answer as soon as you pull the heads.
There was interference on that side...upside down Pistons maybe? When you remove that head, you'll know soon enough.
there was contact on that side. Broken pieces at that level don't just happen. If you adjusted the valves incorrectly, (too tight) you'd probably never have been able to get it start. ( just ask Iowa Nick..@95 blue stallion)
All the valves on that side are dead too probably if they've made contact with the Pistons.
It's a bad thing to be sure. for one side to be bad, and not the other, has me thinking you'll see the answer as soon as you pull the heads.
I dont understand how it ran smooth, but was ticking, then was shut off. It wouldn't start back up the next day and was took it apart where found was all the broken stuff.
With all that broken stuff, no way would it have even been running in the first place.
With all that broken stuff, no way would it have even been running in the first place.
Yup, over tightened my valves, and all it did was hold the valves open too long to allow compression to be created. No carnage, just a "why the F wont this start all of a sudden?" moment.
Im thinking Steve is on track with the lifters rotating in their bores. Sounds like they and the cam didnt get along on the one side. Sucks to hear, I know that is super frustrating after all that work.
Im thinking Steve is on track with the lifters rotating in their bores. Sounds like they and the cam didnt get along on the one side. Sucks to hear, I know that is super frustrating after all that work.
- Mar 2, 2015
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The valves too tight may not be the cause....usually they do cause an engine not to start....but he had one bank that survived. I've seen engines start and run with only one bank...it would've run like crap.
Since it ran ok... the theory would be that they were too loose....and some revving occurred causing the lifters to pop out of the bores breaking the dog bones. After that the lifters turned sideways and rode the cam lobes destroying the camshaft and lifters.
I wonder how long or how hard the OP ran this engine ? It takes time for carnage like that.
On my 347 I over spun the engine and a couple lifters broke the dog bones. I heard a very light ticking and drove 5 miles back to my shop. At my shop ( I was a little pissed with the tick )....so I sat in my parking lot and repeatedly floored that engine. The tick never changed pitch. Pulled the engine and had two dog bones broken, two flattened lifter rollers, and a moderately scarred E camshaft. The camshaft still came out without issue and so did the lifters.
Since it ran ok... the theory would be that they were too loose....and some revving occurred causing the lifters to pop out of the bores breaking the dog bones. After that the lifters turned sideways and rode the cam lobes destroying the camshaft and lifters.
I wonder how long or how hard the OP ran this engine ? It takes time for carnage like that.
On my 347 I over spun the engine and a couple lifters broke the dog bones. I heard a very light ticking and drove 5 miles back to my shop. At my shop ( I was a little pissed with the tick )....so I sat in my parking lot and repeatedly floored that engine. The tick never changed pitch. Pulled the engine and had two dog bones broken, two flattened lifter rollers, and a moderately scarred E camshaft. The camshaft still came out without issue and so did the lifters.
