Blown 2.3

[RangerFabWorks]

my 2.3 blew on me. it had 78,000 miles. it was original. it puffed a little smoke on a cold start up, used 1 quart every month. but ran like a top. so i just put 200 dollars in tune up crap to the engine, finally got my carb tuned, advanced the timing to spec. drove it in the morning and it felt great. had the windows down, was cranking eric clapton, but on my way to work and i had a typical ny driver behind me. so i wanted to see how see was performing, mind you i didnt beat on it so to speak and ive done this a couple times before. so i normally shift a 3,000 rpm, well with this nice driver, i wanted to dust him a little, so i rev out 1st gear to 4,000, everything is fine, so i get a little more brave with 2nd, rev it out to 5,000 rpm, everything is cool, im as far ahead as you could be with a carbed 2.3 and a 4-speed. i shift to 4th, and i noticed it starts slowing down. now i had the same problem once before, but it was bucking in 4th, so i pulled over and let her cool down and it fixed itself that time, well thsis time, im slowing down a lot, i look in my rear view mirrow to see a big cloud of blue smoke. GREAT, so i take an exit ramp, drive another 3 mile to the nearest gas station, and i notice is only hitting 3 cylinders. so im thinking i bent a valve. im 10 miles from home, i cant get it towed. so with 3 cylinders and the balls of a horse, i drove it home. so i start it up the next day to move it to tear the head apart. now its got no oil pressure and it stalled and blew the oil dipstick out and a puff of blue smoke filled the engine compartment. so i start it up and move, go to tear the head apart. and no bent valves, WTH? so i pull the head off, blew the number 2 piston to pieces and the pieces went to the oil pump and locked the pump up. how does this happen? i thought you could rev these engines to 6200 rpm? the only thing i did different, was i have 20-50 oil and i put that lucas crap in with it. i dont think the lucas did that? does anyone have a clue as to why this happened? the engine was not a shot, knocking old motor, it still had life in it.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

and if anybody needs any parts off this thing let me know. im selling the enigne and trans with everything but the p.s pump,

 

[RangerFabWorks]

anybody know? maybe wicked-sludge?

 

[a-5 freak]

That sucks... i thought you could bring it up to 6,000 and any higher youll blow the engine. Are you going to scrap the entire truck or are you just going to drop in a new engine?

 

[RangerFabWorks]

no the truck is too nice to scrap. if you go to the v8 conversions forum, im gonna drop a 350 chevy into it. im gonna upload pictures of it soon.

 

[a-5 freak]

Wow! good luck with that!

 

[RangerFabWorks]

yeah thanks. its not gonna be as hard as you may think. i have all the tools to do it. and i ca nweld up all the mounts i need.

 

[canyoncritter]

just maybe to much advance on the timming.....just cause you dont hear it ping dose not mean its not happening.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

just maybe to much advance on the timming.....just cause you dont hear it ping dose not mean its not happening.

its possible but i think it would have pinged, if the gas was not burning correct in the combustion chamber, it "pings" or detonates. for it to destroy a piston the way it did, there would have been some indication. thanks though

 

[93Ranger4x4]

I will never use Lucas oil ever again, i believe it caused the demise of the original 3.0 in my ranger, was starting to smoke a little bit, so i figured i'd add some lucas oil to it, 2 weeks later MAJOR smokeage, then it died altogether and wouldnt start back up, through another 3.0 in it, tore down the old one and i found the rings in the oil pan.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

ouch that sucks

 

[Derek The Great]

Running too lean and a lil too advanced maybe? That sucks but I'd like to grenade a motor once.. I have a 94 with a 5 speed and 3.73 rear gears and stock tires/rims and once i went to 35mph in first doing a burn out, didnt sound healthy but its doin jus fine nowadays. I dont have a tach so i have no idea what rpm it clocked..

 

[RangerFabWorks]

not sure with it being a 5-speed, but you probably clocked about 4500 rpm. its not like the motor was free wheeling like mine was at that speed, yours had the stress of keeping the "tire" peeling out. mine was just spinning free with the road. hope that makes sence. i just woke up for work.

 

[RangerFabWorks]

and derek the great, in a weird way, its kinda cool to grenade a motor, i first though i just bent a valve, bent when i saw the piston. after the pissed off-ness, and the sadness, i was like, hell yeah, i blew my first motor, then i was like, damn, i just blew my first motor, now i dont have a car............

 

[shadetree]

The oil smoke indicates you had a problem with the rings, probably broken, and the broken ring caused the piston to fail. It could also have been a broken piston in the ring area. Or, the piston simply failed. Cast pistons shatter. Forged pistons normally melt but can also break.

With the timing issue, you don't always hear detonation, and certainly not pre-ignition.shady