Christmas Eve, what a night for the SHO to break down!

[Runningjon]

My 93 MTX decided that it hadn't broken anything in a while, so about 1:00pm Christmas eve (on the way to my Grandmothers' for Christmas, of course) It broke.

On the thirty mile (all freeway at 70mph) drive to work that morning I had been hearing a soft clicking, that gradualy grew into a fairly loud banging and slight loss of power. It sounded to be coming from the top end of the motor, just above the timing belt.

On the way back to my apartment (another 30 miles) It kept getting louder and it barely had enough power to go 70mph. By the time I got ready to go to my Grandma's (120 miles away). I had no choice but to drive it at least to my parent's house (70 miles away) and borrow one of their cars.

I got almost 10 miles and then while shifting from 4th to 5th at 60mph, the engine stopped.

To make a long story a little shorter, It was towed home and now it sits in the garage. It does run, but it makes an Incredibly loud banging sound from the top end and has practically no power. The banging increases in speed with RPM's. I am thinking maybe the "Crank Cancer" from SHOtimes.com. If anyone has any other ideas before I tear it open this weekend I sure wouldn't mind hearing them. Thanks
Jon

 

[projectSHO89]

Incredibly loud banging sound from the top end .... maybe the "Crank Cancer"

Nope, don't think so. Crank cancer would manifest itself down low on the front end.

I think it's a very significant failure in the valve train. Depending on the exact origin of the noise, camshaft chains/tensioner if at the rear of the engine or a shim came out of its bucket and you now have a chewed up camshaft and bucket assy if the sound is elsewhere on the top. Possibly a broke valve stem.... You might get lucky and find it's only your timing belt that has nearly shredded and was beatiin on the inside of the cover. I'd check that first.

A visual inspection will probably show the problem very quickly once the valve covers or timing belt cover comes off.

Good luck.

Steve

<small>[ December 26, 2002, 03:00 PM: Message edited by: projectSHO89 ]</small>

 

[mygreensho]

id say its ur valves... cause if it were ur timing belt it wouldnt even run cause i think a severly shredded belt would slip so bad it would cause it not to even run

<small>[ December 26, 2002, 03:56 PM: Message edited by: mygreensho ]</small>