I just put my new motor back in. I do the complete install myself. Fire the car up, and it's running great. I let it idle for about 30mins(water temp to reach 180), check for leaks. No leaks, I'm ready to go for the first drive. I head on out onto the freeway and cruise at about 80mph. After about 20 miles down the road I give it a little gas, build very little boost(about 8psi) then BOOM. Oil shoots out of the hood, huge smoke screen out the back of the car. The cab of the car fills with smoke. I thought maybe the car was on fire. I get off the freeway, take a look under the hood. Oil is pretty much covered everything under the hood. Then I looking for what happen. I see this crack, right at the oil feed line meets the block. I thought to myself, how could this happen?? To double check its coming from there I buy some oil and start the car, sure enough oil shoots out of the crack like crazy. So I tow it home.

I know that I didn't over tighten the banjo bolt for the feed line. I have picture of the motor before I even installed it. There was no visible cracks, or sign of a issue at an idle since the first start. Only under a partial load(5500rpms) driving the car for this to happen.

Has anybody had this happen, and what would cause this?? Best way to FIX it??

 

I think you DID over tighten it.... It my not have broke right as you tightened it but that crack IS from over torquing.

-J

 

Over tighten bolt. That was my first thought. But then I was thinking how could that be, it's a steel housing and I didn't tighten that tight. I wanted to see if anybody has had this happen by "over tightening." What did they do to fix it. Doesn't make sense to me that a banjo bolt tighten down would cause this steel housing to crack, just seemed weird. It would be like tighten down a head bolt and it cracking the head(not breaking the bolt first if it was tighten to tight)

 

The side housings are cast iron and they do tend to get brittle over time (not that cast iron is all that strong to begin with). I had the A/C bracket holes crack on an old housing before.

 

Not sure how old the cast iron housings are. What did you do when the bracket holes broke? I'm looking to fix this crack. Beside pulling the motor out and sending it back to pineapple to have the housing replaced what can you use to fix it?

 

Clean the paint off and remove all things in the way and cover the rest .Remove the banjo bolt and plug the hole .Find a good welder and have them weld it with nicad rod .If you try to braze it the heat might conduct to the water o-rings and fry them .Or a new iron .If some jerk tells you to try J B weld do not waste your time . What a shame with everything looking so fine . Do it right and be happy .

 

Your oil line does not look stock....? Is it possible that the fitting (the blue anodized one) right behind the banjo is slightly cocking the banjo, and thus created a stress crack?

 

One hole was unusable, the other was usable. As many bolts which hold that thing in place, one missing wasn't going to hurt. Garfinkle has just probably given you the best suggestion.

 

It's not stock. It has a -4 AN fitting on one side and the banjo bolt on the other. But it has been used on this car for the last 6yrs, without any issues like this. The blue anodize fitting is not resting on the housing in anyway. I'm not sure what you mean by it being slightly cocked would do anything.

 

I would agree with you two. thx!

 

How do you recomend keeping welding particals and drilling and taping particals out of the oil passages?

 

I feel the same way.... If it were my car I'd be pulling that engine out.

-J

 

Well the motor is coming out. I was breaking it down. Getting ready to weld....and here is what I found. Much more damage....so its going back for a new plate.

 

How much oil pressure you running!

Sorry: thats some real bad luck on a very good looking motor!

 

oil pressure, well looking at the block. About 15,000psi!! I'm not worried about, it will be fixed. Then I'm back at it again!!

Thx!