Fastlane Classic at Hallett 6/1-6/2

[SSSammy]

Originally Posted by jdean

Sammy,

I hate hearing about your engine damage. Can't help but wonder why it chose to give up when it did, considering similar punishment many times before. You think new rear end = more Gs = oil pushed out too far? Anyway good luck on getting it back together ASAP.

Thanks, John! I will get a call from Keith Mon or Tues with the diagnosis. Ross and I are thinking it went like this: I had been getting white smoke out of the right side pipe. I was thinking a bad ring, #4 plug was fouled, engine was backfiring. What I forgot: white smoke is not oil, white smoke is coolant. Oil smoke is bluish. Anyway, new plug and backfiring is cured.

Next session, head gasket leaks more coolant into #4, coolant degrades cylinder wall lube at max rpms, eventually causing #4 piston to seize, breaking the rod, punching a hole in the water jacket, taking out all the bearings in the bottom end. When I came off the track there were 2 holes in the pan, and coolant/oil mix dripping. There had also been a fountain of coolant/oil mix spraying out of the dipstick tube ... As you know, this is the first symptom of coolant invading the oil side under high pressure.

So if this is the scenario, it's not really an oiling problem initially. We'll know soon.

Sam

P.S. I found out I'm a sixth generation Texan too! And here I thought I was just an undocumented Okie immigrant