Sudden Failure

[Alexander]

I brought my 77,000 mile 1960 Thunderbird Golde Top to my friend at the service station to have the air-conditioner evacuated and recharged. I had the receiver/dryer rebuilt but had not done any other work on the A/C system, the system looks original from the compressor, hoses, condenser and dehydrator. The charging procedure went well and amazingly, the air-conditioner system blew ice-cold air.

As soon as he was done, he backed out the garage when suddenly there was a loud bang and the car stalled. He had thought that he had hit something. The crank cannot be moved but the drive shaft turns.
This engine and transmission after a long hibernation had been running well these past two years. The engine, in fact, ran exceptionally well - near silent. A few months back the right head was pulled off in order to put new studs into the exhaust manifold. The filters and oil on the engine and transmission were changed when I got the car and the oil and filter in the engine have been changed at least twice a year since. There is the normal amount of oil in both the transmission and engine.

My mechanic friend is not sure what happened, and he is almost always sure of a diagnosis. Does anyone have any idea what may have caused this?

Alexander

1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[tarps3]

RE: Sudden Failure

Here's just a shot in the dark, but since you've helped me so much, maybe I can help you.

Is there a chance that it's vapor-locked or that something "backfired" into your carb and screwed it up somehow? Is there a chance the fuel filter is clogged after sitting so long and the loud noise was just its last gasp before it became completely clogged.
I think you said that it wouldn't crank - maybe something seized up.

Like i said, I am sure you and your mechanic know much more about this than I do, but you never know. I wish I knew what to tell you.

Casey

[Alexander]

RE: Sudden Failure

The fuel filter is new and the carburetor was rebuilt. Today it was 68F; it was not hot enough to vapor lock. The odd thing is that the crank does not spin now. Smething is definitely seized up, but what?

The noise before when it stopped was loud but it was not metallic, so I don't think a rod was thrown.

Thanks for giving a try at what is wrong. The mechanic is as perplexed about this as we are. The mechanic says he has never seen such a thing in 30+ years in working on cars. He thinks possibly the oil pump on the engine seized. I will find out the answer hopefully tomorrow.

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[Guest]

RE: Sudden Failure

Reon
60 Golde Top
I had the same thing happen to me many years ago. I was driving home and the car was running very nice until I slowed for the driveway. Everything locked up and I came to a skidding stop. All the fluids were full. When I took it apart I found one of the rods welded to the crank, it seems as the oil hole for that rod was plugged and it froze up. It happened even when the car always had oil changes when I owned it, but don't know how it was cared for before I purchased it. That sounds like the same thing that happened to your Golde top.
Reon

[Alexander]

RE: Sudden Failure

Reon,

Unfortunately you are right.

Today, the mechanic took out the oil plug. There was some fresh antifreeze in the pan. When he pulled the pan, there was a lot of muck in the oil pickup and in the bottom of the pan.

The second from the front connecting rod on the passenger had cracked in half. The cracked end of the connecting rod leading from the crank had lodged itself into the side of the engine puncturing a small hold in the side of the wall breaking into the cooling passages. This is also why the engine would no longer turn.

The front two journals were shiny and looked like they were starved for oil. The mechanic was still surprised that this happened at idle. The damage would have been much worse if this happened on the highway at speed.

I have always done regular oil changes in the past two years. The oil light was never functional. I have learned an expensive lesson. Alway drop and inspect the oil pan on an old car that you purchase.

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top - in the ICU

[Guest]

RE: Sudden Failure


Glad you found the problem, sorry for the expense you have to endure. My 60 Golde top too had set for a number of years. It seemed to run ok, but had some sticky valves. I just about have it out and will sent it to the machine shop to have it rebuilt. I love to take long trips with my old cars and don't want it to stop on the road. Good luck on you job.

Reon
60 Golde Top

[Guest]

RE: Sudden Failure

Alexander,
sorry for your misfortune, at least you were in the right place when she pooped. hope your back up and running soon.

[Guest]

RE: Sudden Failure

Sorry to hear about your engine. In one post on the squarebird mail group you said that the oil light would never come on with the ignition key in the on position before starting. Did the light come on after that you have run the engine for a while and then have the ignition key in the on position again? My oil light does that. But it seems to work properly when the engine is warm.

[Alexander]

RE: Sudden Failure

The oil light would not come even when the engine was off and the ignition key was on the on position. I changed the bulb. I checked the wiring, but I could not find out why it was not working. I kept the engine full of oil. I thought I was safe. I only drove the car locally a few hundred miles.

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[Alexander]

RE: Broken Connecting Rod

This a picture of the connecting rod that broke on my original 352 in my Golde Top. Apparently the split in the rod was caused after the rod cracked inhalf and the broken ends met on the next stroke. The mechanics who have decades of experience have never seen a rod split in this way.

Don't let this happen to you, clean your oil pick-up screen!

http://www.squarebirds.org/images/connecting_rod_broken.jpg

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[JohnG]

Oil light...

hi
This fall the oil light on my car stopped coming on with
just the key on.

Its function is that when there is no pressure (or below
some threshold like 7 psi) it grounds out the wire leading to
it thus completing the circuit and turning the light on. So checking
the light is easy - take the wire off of the sender (right above
the oil filter) and ground it out. The light should come on. In
my case it did, indicating the sending unit to be defective.

I got another sending unit at an autoparts store (I can provide
a part number). They are almost universal. With a pipe adapter
I had even temporarily made use of one from a Nissan Sentra!

I am working on putting a "T" fitting in so I can still have
the red indicator light but also a gauge to get some readings
from.

By the way you can easily bench test a sending unit with a multimeter
and some air pressure (like a nozzle hooked to your compressor).
With no pressure, you should have continuity and about 0 ohmns;
with a little pressure where the oil would go, the circuit should
be broken and infinite resistance.

john
58 Hardtop

[tarps3]

RE: Oil light...

John . . .
stop using Nissan parts on your Bird.
I thought we had this discussion already!

Casey
'60 TBird hardtop
'64 Galaxie convertible:P

[JohnG]

RE: Oil light...

****...caught again!!