What did I screw up? fresh F engine died. (1 Viewer)

[zags]

So my son and I started my '70 FJ40 for the first time since a complete engine overhaul. It fired up and ran great for about ten seconds then died. No weird noises or sputtering. just like you turned the key off. I traced it to the distributor not turning. It has new timing gears, cam bearings, a reground cam and new lifters from SOR.

I pulled the timing cover thinking that maybe the cam gear broke, but it is okay and still in time. I tried to pull the distributor, but it won't budge. It rotates in the block freely, but will not move at all to come out. So now I am thinking something is wrong with the distributor drive gear. The only thing I can think of at this point is to drop the oil pan to inspect it and try to free the distributor that way. I thought that I would pass this by you guys before I do.

I little video of my disapointment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NxpiofKxST0#!

 

[inkpot]

Does the dizzy shaft rotate, or just the dizzy body?

 

[zags]

Just the body. The shaft is locked solid.

 

[waiting for time]

And it doesn't move when you rotate the cranck?

Did you see if there was oil pressure when it run?

 

[zags]

And it doesn't move when you rotate the cranck?

Did you see if there was oil pressure when it run?

No, it doesn't move.
I didn't have time to check the oil pressure, but it sounded like it built pressure. You can hear it in the video, and there was oil from the squirter on the timing gears when
I took the timing cover off

 

[waiting for time]

No, it doesn't move.
I didn't have time to check the oil pressure, but it sounded like it built pressure. You can hear it in the video, and there was oil from the squirter on the timing gears when
I took the timing cover off

The oilpump did turn then. Was it rebuild by a shop?

Sent from my iPad using IH8MUD

 

[zags]

The oilpump did turn then. Was it rebuild by a shop?

Sent from my iPad using IH8MUD

Nope, whatever is wrong is on me.

 

[waiting for time]

Sorry to hear, sounds like dropping the oilpan is a good idea.

 

[Pighead]

The only thing I can think of at this point is to drop the oil pan to inspect it and try to free the distributor that way.

Agree.

 

[zags]

Okay,
So I got the oil pan off, and the oil pump seems to be siezed to the distributor shaft. So far I have not been able to separate them. I will continue the beating and prying.

 

[zags]

My working theory is that the oil pump suddenly locked up. When it did, the cam tried to continue to turn the distributor shaft which twisted the ends of the distributor and oil pump shafts together before finally breaking the shear pin. Damn, it was a brand new Toyota pump too. Must have missed some debris somewhere, although I don't know how.

 

[Fast Eddy]

Sounds fairly minor compared to what could have happened.

 

[zags]

Okay, mystery solved.

I decided to remove the pump cover and the oil pump shaft fell right out. That shot my theory. With the pump shaft out, I was able to use a long punch to drive the distributor out of the engine. What I found was the distributor shaft had seized to the pump housing. Because the galling was only in a small area of the contact surface between the distributor shaft and pump housing, I think that there was probably a metal chip or something stuck in there that caused it to seize up. Luckily the distributor gear pin did shear which saved the cam. Yes Fast Eddie, it could have been much, much worse.

 

[apeterson]

Sucks man... Hope u can fix this

 

[Phares]

You should just scrap the whole program and sell the rig to me for a 1$ as a "project".

 

[zags]

You should just srape the whole program and sell the rig to me for a 1$ as a "project".

Oh, believe me, there are days.........

 

[cruiserjunkie]

Zags that sucks glad you figured it out. This time there will be no drama when she fires up

 

[crumbo]

I refurbished my distributor because the auto advance throw out bearings had seized. I drilled out the pin on the dizzy gear to get it into pieces and when everything was put back together I replaced the factory pin with a roll pin and it works fine....you may be able to rebuild that dizzy of yours if it was only the pin that sheared using this method once you determine what cause the initial failure... Good luck

 

[cruisernerd]

that's not that bad... more of a pita than anything. hopefully you can salvage some of those old parts.

 

[zags]

Well, the saga continues. So I replaced the oil pump and cleaned up the distributor and it fired right up. It ran great for about 40 minutes. I set the dwell, timing and idle mixture and speed to spec. It had good oil pressure and the temp gauge was right in the middle. It ran great with no unusual noises. Then it stalled, there was no knocking or missing, just a very small squeal that I dismissed a belt noise right before it died. When I went to restart it, it was locked up tight. Pushing the clutch in made no difference. I checked the starter, it was fine. I rechecked the distributor and oil pump and the are okay. I pulled the flywheel cover and tried t turn the engine, but it won't budge even a little. I loosened the belt and the water pump and alternator turn freely.

When I built it, I had a machine shop bore it and fit the pistons. I measured all of the new bearings when I installed them, including the cam bearings. I set the ring gaps to spec, and the rotating assembly turned fine when I assembled it. It has a reground cam with the correct bearings. Although this is the first F engine I have built, I have built dozens of engines over the years, so I am not a novice and have all of the correct tools. Is there a something about this engine that I am missing? WTF?