Had some issues trying to drive the Bronco to Boulder today. Started to overheat a little bit and then I started to really lose power and then eventually as I pulled off the road, the truck shut off. It had built up enough pressure and heat the overflow tank for the radiator was boiling.

I let it cool down and re-started it to the engine sounding pretty bad. It was clicking and running pretty rough. It also appears my engine oil pressure has dropped drastically. I'm having it towed back to my house but thought if see if anyone had an idea of what is going on?!

Just when I think I've got this thing running reliably enough to take a short little day trip with it, it let's me down AGAIN! I'm a little pissed off seeing how I just have 532 miles on a newly rebuilt 351W.

Help!

Did you pull the oil dip stick? What color is the oil?

Ok- I feel a little foolish here but I changed the oil this morning after the 500 mile break in. I put in 6 quarts and it was full. I now have no oil and it looks as though it leaked it all out.

The only place I could think it would do that is the oil filter but it screwed on with ease and I tightened it with a tool fairly tight. It didn't feel as though it cross thread or anything so I'm not sure how it all leaked.

Any ideas? Should I try a new filter and put new oil in and try to fire it up again?

I would crawl under it to look for signs as to how the oil escaped.

Did the drain plug vibrate loose ?

Mine blew the front seal of the oil pan. The fan spread oil from bow to stern. It looked like a crime scene made of oil and antifreeze.

If you have the old filter laying around check to see if the rubber gasket is still on it sometimes they will stick to the filter housing.

[quote="Eck"

Any ideas? Should I try a new filter and put new oil in and try to fire it up again?[/quote]

You really don't have any other choice.

X2. That sucks. I suspect that 427 is right. The filter gasket sometimes sticks to the block when you remove it, so you wind up with 2 gaskets and a leak between them. You might pull the filter and check.

Bingo. Gasket was stuck. Pulled it- reattached the filter- filled with oil and truck started and built up oil pressure.

However- it sounds better than it did with no oil- it still has a little bit of a knocking/clicking sound that it didn't have before. I did not run it very long so I'm not sure if it will go away.

Any thoughts? Did I do some irreversible damage?

Unbelievable I damn sticking gasket could cause me this many issues today.

Use a stethoscope, put it above each cylinder. You could have roasted a lifter or something.

I had that happen once on my dodge 2500. It dumped almost 3 gallons of oil on my garage floor in less than 60 seconds. It was Easter Sunday. Thank goodness Walmart was open so I could get like 5 bags of kitty litter. What a mess.

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You may want to make sure your oil level is still correct and run it at about 1500- 1800RPM when you lost oil pressure the lifters may have partially collapsed. Running it at RPM for a couple of minute may pump them up again.

I would run it (low RPM) check to see if oil and water are mixing. Like cpldavis37 say's use a stethoscope or a 2 to 3 foot piece of pipe and listen around your heads exhaust man. intake. etc. try and determine if noise is on top or bottom of the motor. Depending on how hot it got it could be a bad gasket.

Here is where I sit as of this morning.

I ran it at low RPM to see if I could continue priming the oil through the engine. It idles no problem now. However-- I took it around the block and as soon as I drive in gear (any gear)- the clicking sound is there. It doesn't really sound like it is there at higher RPM's when in neutral, just when it is driving in gear.

So I am not sure what to do next other than take it to a shop to have it checked out. Does anyone have an honest mechanic (preferably close to North Denver/Wheat Ridge area) they could recommend? With having so few miles on this engine, I would really hate to do any more expensive damage.

I would also welcome anyone with engine experience to come by and take a listen. I could just be over reacting?!

My advice is to drain the oil and look for metal.

It could be a bearing. Go get an automotive stethoscope. When the engine is running listen all around the engine. Focus on the bearings and lifters. If the sound comes from the top I would think lifter problem. If it comes from the bottom I would think bearing. Does the sound get faster as you rev higher or is it constant?

Drained the oil and after pouring most of it off- their was some speckles in the pan.

Well you know there's a major problem. It doesn't really help to track it down any further. It has to come out and be taken apart anyway. Probably cam got wiped.

So just by looking at those specks-- the engine needs to come out and torn apart? No chance that its still clearing itself out from being a new rebuild? No chance the zinc treatment we put in the first oil is showing up?

I am about to put this thing in neutral and let it drive off a cliff. I cannot believe that a stuck oil filter seal would cause this much damage!!! It never got over temperature of 200 and the oil pressure was still registering around 20 or so. I thought I was actually being responsible by calling a tow truck.

I can't win with this thing...

So, what kind of repair are we thinking here? Best case: new cam, bearings and lifters?

Like viper said take it apart & most likely plan on a new cam lifters and bearing set. If you get lucky the damage stops there. worst would be damaged crank rods & new cam bearings ,but you wont know until you get eyes on the crank & rod bearings. Best of luck hope it's to the small side.

Not to start pointing at things to buy just yet, but there is a guy in the springs selling a new cam and lifters for 100.00. So, plan for that to be your bottom end price and go up from there.

http://cosprings.craigslist.org/pts/4555198838.html

Had an old work van that did that. Lost a hose and pumped all the oil out. Caught it when it was happening but was empty. fixed the hose and put some oil in it. No noises. got about 200 miles on it and once it had a load climbing a hill the damage was done. Spun a rod bearing.

I'd just pull it and take it apart. if there is no major damage to the hard parts you can be back together for a few hundred. DONT just parts in it. Tear it down completely and take it to get the block boiled or clean it really well yourself. All those specks are all over in there and will kill the motor again.

I'm completely in-experienced when it comes to motors. I bought this one already rebuilt. I know what it takes to pull it and put it back in, but have no idea what it's gonna require to tear the engine down or what really needs to be done. I have seen the cam shaft and lifters for sale for between 105-200 so the parts don't seem terribly expensive but the time and labor sounds expensive...

Anybody care to dumb it down for me?

It's not too bad to rebuild it. Just take it slow and put all the parts in order you take it out/off. There are a lot of books out there as well as a ton of knowledge I this group. I am sure that a bunch of us could help you along the way. I had to pretty much tear mine apart and put it all back together. We would help chip in and give you some help.