First drive of the season after being laid up since last October. Warm
up in driveway... all seems well, oil pressure good, temp. fine, etc...
Low speed ride around the neighborhood, again all seems well. Next, a
longer but easy drive - back roads, 40 mph tops. Engine is purring away
when a sudden metallic clatter noise develops. Pull over, oil pressure
25psi at idle, temp well below to mid-point on the gauge. Pop the hood -
no external signs of trouble. Decide to limp home and drive about 2
miles at less than 20 mph. Clatter continues... Home: Pull the valve
cover and start engine - no value problems noticed. However, little if
any oil weeps from the holes in the top of the rocker arms. The push
rods are wet with oil as is the rocker shaft. Tried to pin point the
source of the noise by listening with a dowel - not conclusive. Pulled
spark plugs and did a compression test - 135-150psi. It seems the the
problem is not with the top end or rings. I had a friend listen and
observe and he thought it might be a stuck wrist pin causing the piston
to slap against the cylinder wall. Would something like that come on
suddenly? Or, have I had a stuck wrist pin right along and now the
piston skirt has broken off??? Any ideas on where the problem lies? I
guess the next thing to do is drop the oil pan...
Scott Donnelly
SV
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