Bruce,
My oil pressure gauge on my Tic Toc Tac is normally at the halfway mark
when
idling, and slight above that when the throttle is open.
Lately, I've been hearing a slight banging noise coming from the driver's
side of the engine (350) doesn't seem like a rod knock and is heavier
sounding
than the tap-tap I would expect from the a bad lifter.
The oil pressure gauge is only at the one quarter mark when idling and
just
BELOW the halfway mark under throttle. I'm also hearing more of a knock
when
under throttle.
I'm affraid you are losing a rod bearing. You need to make a decision very
quickly as to a course of action. When the rod bearing spins, extremely high
heat will be produced. The steel backing to the bearing can weld itself to
the rod and/or crank. The rod will lock. If you're lucky, the engine will
just stop and lock up. If you're unlucky, the rod will snap when the engine
locks and destroy the block. I've had one Olds 394 and one Olds 425 spin a
rod bearing and simply lock the engine when slowing down for a stopsign and
for a stoplight. Everything was repairable on the rebuild for the 425. For
our '59 Olds Super 88 wagon, the car and her 394 were junked, the engine was
rebuildable but ignored for other vehicle related reasons, but the rear axle
housing was saved and used under Thunder on her first suspension iteration.
However, another 425 shelled her block out when a rod bearing failed while
cruising at 55 MPH. The rod broke and went through the side of the block and
the oil pan. That cylinder's piston was beat to death and disintergrated,
destroying the combustion chamber in the head. So, be very careful and act
quickly.
Milton Schick
1964 442 Cutlass
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
