A few weeks ago a friend of mine wanted me to drive his 66 coronet in footbrake class at a little 1/8 track. It's a 400 stroked to 512 with indy ez heads. I haven't been in it in about 6-7 months. Ran a 6.33 then with a 1.35 60ft. Was cool weather back then. Car is right @ 3600 lbs with me in it. Temp outside was high 80's to low 90's. Before the first pass I told him I was guessing it would run a 6.41 on my first pass. I had a 015 light and ran a 6.417. 2nd time trial we figured it would run a 6.40. It did and i had a 045 light. I Missed the bulb some... We figured last time trial would get a 6.39 out of it. Ran a 6.39 and i was 035 on the tree. Here's where it went bad. 4th pass was to be run for the money. We dialed it on 6.39. I ran a slower 8 sec pick up so i waited for my side of the tree to come down and i left with a 026 light and half track she just shut off, He said he saw some fire thru the headers as she died. I was thinking as i coasted it back to his pit stall that the valve train stopped. Pulled the dist cap and sure enough rotor didn't turn as we turned the crank. Got it apart and found this.....

2nd pic

Heads had 13 bent valves. No bent push rods!! Got to give a big shout out praising Smith Brothers push rods.

We thought it was bad luck. Turns out it may have been lucky it broke? He showed me after dropping the oil pan you could wiggle the pick up tube side to side. It was cracked and had to be sucking some air. Broke off clean when he tried to unscrew it.

We he had new valves put in the heads the shop found wear marks on the washers under the valve springs that came in the Indy heads. Shop said they wasn't hardened washers. Springs were wearing groves into them.

So Indy supplied un-hardened washers with their heads? Sounds like that motor was a ticking time bomb! Hope all goes well getting it back together!!! RandyB

Im not bashing, Just going by what the machine shop told him. Any of you with Indy's ever look at the washers under your spings???
He should have engine back together this weekend. Engine had about 180 passes since he built it. Bearing looked perfect, Cut open the oil filter and didn't see any trash in it at all. Engine has the 650 lift solid comp cam. From what he figured out was cam walking in and out caused the chain to break. He's going back with a cam button and a aluminum timing cover to stop the cam movement.

Carl..in no way was I blaming Indy for the failure of the motor! Not with what you showed,and just explained! Thank God you caught it before the pick-up tube broke off!

Considering what could have been I'ld say you guys got lucky.

Could have been much worse.


Glad it's not though

YES!!! Could/would have been a total disaster!!! He's VERY LUCKY indeed!

i'm a glass half full guy so i will say you got lucky.

I think you got lucky...

Evil Spirit...I was thinking the same thing myself! Never heard of a solid flat tappet needing a cam button!

Now that I re-read the post,it states .650 solid Comp cam! Doesn't state flat tappet or roller!

Who's chain ?

Just sayin...................

The cam is the comp 650 flat tappet. We never heard or thought of putting a button in with a solid cam either. But You could see marks on the timing cover where the 3 cam bolts were moving forward and hitting the timing chain cover. He was told that may have caused to chain be stressed and break. Chain was from Hughes engines.