My engine builder guy typically lets me bracket race one of his cars. Last year I got to run a 416 powered '65 Dart and it was great to get back in the seat.

Tonight, I got to run his '70 Hemi Charger, and on the second pass, I missed a gear. Well the engine isn't happy, and man do I feel bad. He's pulling plugs tomorrow, I guess we will find out, if I just bought a slightly used 472 Hemi....It didn't want to turn over after the pass....Ouch.

Hello Bummer,

Maybe it is just a minor problem that is relatively easy to correct. Hoping for the best

Damon

That sucks to hear!A friend of mine tried to get me to run his back up engine a couple of years ago while I was building one for my car and was down for a while.I refused to use it,and he went ahead and ran it later,scattering it after a couple of passes.I know I would have felt responsible even if he said I wasn't,had I been the one to scatter it.
Hope it all works out for you.

It sucks too. It was running way awesome with some carb tuning I did, I knocked over 2-10's off his pass when I got in the car tonight, and it was really starting to show promises. He was surprised how well it responded to some of the minor changes I did. We were tickled such a mild motor was moving such a heavy car so well, this sucks.

Not to mention, the big Mopar drag shootout is this Sunday he was going to race it in....

The good news is, I have all the parts here to fix it but a block as mine is down. So if I bought it, (read, its not in my budget!!) it would certainly go a bunch faster in my car that's 600lbs lighter.

R.E.V L.I.M.I.T.E.R

How fast did you spin it up to?

Hey sorry to hear that man. Hopefully it won't be anything too bad.

I had something similar happen to me when I let a freind drive the Cuda I bought from you , except he made a series of judgment errors rather than just missing a shift on accident. Hopefully it turns out that it's nothing serious.

Well, he called this morning and #7 spark plug is Toast! Still in one piece, but smashed. Not good. Engines comming out, piston is dinged for sure and a valve is bent for sure. So seat, guide, and probably a piston and a pair of push rods. Its maken me kinda not so happy.....

We talked a bit more, and he thought that when I did the burn out is where it may have over reved and not the missed shift. I didn't think about it, but he is probably right as I let off the line lock and mashed the pedal it probably went over 6700 at that point and maybe higher as I usually don't watch the tach as I leave the box. Not to mention the steering was giving me hell, so I had my hands full. Whereas when I missed the shift, I only saw about 6000 max on the tach, so I am not sure, but a rev limiter either way would have been great to have.


On a lighter note:

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Hey sorry to hear that man. Hopefully it won't be anything too bad.

I had something similar happen to me when I let a freind drive the Cuda I bought from you , except he made a series of judgment errors rather than just missing a shift on accident. Hopefully it turns out that it's nothing serious.

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Good to hear from you Chomie, what did you do to my old car? I am affraid to ask, but I do miss that car a bunch, so I kinda have to ask. I put so many passes on that thing, its incredible. That was one of the most feared cars in my bracket class, and guys would avoid it when lining up. I put the class champ on the trailor a few times with it. He never said anything, but others would tell me they wouldn't run against it if they had the choice.

Sorry to hear Randy

Hopefully it's minor

Rickster

Should find out tonight or tomorrow morning how bad. The #7 plug is done, but I don't think it put a hole in the piston, so the only other thing I am worried about is a cracked head. I think the valve only bent, and didn't break off.

Hello,

Sounds like the timing chain may of had an issue. I'm sure he will pull the cover and check. Might not be related to the driver?

Damon

A Rev Limiter is simple security. Hopefully he learns from this..

Ask him to check the valvesprings. I don't know what's inside that motor but my 438" Street Hemi sees 7000-7500 with no problems. I'm not so sure you hurt it, it may have been wounded or weak already, but the water you're in could be treacherous, so to speak, and maybe paying 1/2 of it or more would be the right thing to do. Either way, the problem needs to be found for the your sake, his sake, and of course your relationship. There's darn few people I'd let drive my car...

i remember when i was a kid, and rev limiters were for sissies. all that translated to was i was lucky.

but these days, a rev limiter has saved my butt more than once. one time i didn't notice that a new throttle return spring had the end sticking out a little too far, and stuck the throttle 1/2 way open when i was working on it. it took a second or two to realize what was happening, and by the time i could respond, it was at the rev limit. might have done the same kind of damage without it.

i hope all turns out well for you.

Well, I got the full report on it today first hand. #7 is where it started and it migrated to #1...

The total damage is one head is toast, block now needs an overbore, crank needs turned, two pistons are complete toast, valve spring seats/retainers were beat to heck....I never killed one this bad. Looks like it will have a rev limiter next time out.

If your engine builder isn't smart enough to put a rev limiter on his high horsepower hemi he probably shouldn't be your engine builder .

No way 6700 rpm caused all that carnage. It either hit 10 grand or it was seriously wounded before you took the wheel. Just from what I gather from your posts and your equipment, I'm pretty sure you know the difference in the sound of those 2 numbers. JMHO. What heads does it have on it?
There was a thread on here a while back about some MP heads I think that were losing valve seats.

Kevin

Hell, I accidentally shifted my stock bottom-end, stock max wedge head, flat tappet cam 440 at 6500 on the first pass because I had my shift light set for the 493 and if you're gonna hurt a motor at that rpm, that would have done it...