1977 308 Engine woes

I thought I had maybe a blown head gasket but it appears I may be in need of a long block... any suggestions on where to look? This particular piston (#3) no longer moves and there is a giant hole in the cylinder wall...

Thoughts?
Jeff in Kentucky...
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GT Car Parts in Phoenix had complete used engines for sale at one point.


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Thank you, I'll give them a call on Monday.
It really is too bad too since my car only had 16,000 original miles

 

At 16k miles... wow are these cars really that delicate?

 

Not typically, normally it is the sodium filled valves that are the issue... mine sat from 1992 until 2018 when it was put back on the road. I acquired it in 2021 and drove it at least once a week.... really fun car.

 

While you're in there, change out the sodium valves.

 

That was completed in 2018 to get the car back on the road (before my ownership).... We shall see if it was actually done once I get it out and torn down.

 

Take the engine apart before you go buying anything. The block might still be okay.

 

I plan on starting to pull it this week.... Good advise.... Thank you.

 

Exactly.
Teardown and inspect. Very likely just need new liners instead of a new block.

 

I'm confused as to what caused the failure then if the sodium valves were replaced before the failure

 

I really have no idea.... it appears a valve was dropped and caused more damage along the way.... I'm looking forward to pulling the engine and tearing down.

 

Turns out a wrist pin let go and caused all of my destruction....
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Ouchy. Looks like a forged piston too so we know it's been gone through once before. If I remember right these are an 18mm pin size, not very big, wonder what caused it to let go.....

 

Is that a OEM piston ? If not what’s the rationale behind swapping them out please ?

 

It is an 82mm piston that was changed before my ownership.... I'm unsure of the circumstances of why they were changed in the first place.... It is a very low mileage car.

 

I'd guess the zooomies, the 308 series engine has virtually zero dwell. That should really be accounted for when updating the engine. Or it simply has a bad part or incorrect rebuild step on that cylinder.

 

Without seeing the entire motor the only engine I saw looking like that broke a rod near the big end, crank came around and collected the rod, broke pin and rod out of piston and stuffed it through the cylinder wall. Block might be salvageable but nothing else below the head gaskets will be.

Bad break.

 

Well we certainly both have justifiable misgivings about Ferrari factory rods but my money is on this being an act of human intervention.

 

I do not believe "the pin let go" was the initiating event. Pins do not rip out of pistons. They get ripped out of pistons.

 

The rod was still intact, a bit scarred. I suspect it was an error in installing the wrist pin.... I can't find any evidence of another faulty part....
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Still stands, the piston let go of the gudgeon pin. As to why? Could be the last guys error or the piston had internal faults, kinda doubt that.. But never know. Heck the piston could have seized to the bore and the pin/rod just kept going.

 

The block might still be usable, the o-ring sealing surface would be the first thing I want to see but I suspect it would be okay because the hole is above that. A little dremel work to clean up the cosmetic carnage might be all thats needed.

 

Have to be a Chinese piston for that. Seen lots of seizeing pistons just drag a motor to a halt and not rip a pin out of it. And the liner has no indication it was sticking a piston. Does not really matter now.

We are not talking about a blown fuel motor here. Its 200 some odd HP.

 

Is there any play in the other small end rod bushings? Do the other pistons rock a bit on the pins? Like shown here?

https://youtube.com/shorts/rFbD17jbn0s?si=CKSvzeNpUWEDMrRk