Plug of metal pushed out of the cylinder wall by a bolt

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lee g

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Had a lot of help off this site assembling my first Mopar small block. Had a friend helping me yesterday and as he was bolting on the timing chain cover he accidentally inserted a bolt that was too long in the bottom right portion of the timing chain cover. I heard a tink noise as I heard metal hit metal. A little small plug of metal from the #1 cylinder had fallen out and hit the support leg of the engine stand. Luckily it's below the bottom of the oil ring at the bottom of the stroke.
The motor is a 1971 casting .40 over. I would have thought the bolt would "bottom out" before this would ever happen. He said he had just started to feel like it was close to the bottom and it was just starting to pull up the timing cover when it happened. There's one thing for sure that I will never put a stroker kit in it now.
Anyone else ever have anything like this happen?
 
Ouch. As long as it is just a small chunk from the bottom of the bore it should be ok but without seeing where it came from I can't say for sure. If it got into a water jacket you may be in trouble. Have any photos? tmm
 
Not into the water jacket and it is towards the bottom of the bore. Didn't take pics but me and several others looked it over hard. Just wondering if any one else has had this happen.
 
Never had it happen. If you weren't going to post pics, why even ask our opinion? Just run it and hope for the best.
 
is it the bolt on the drivers side of the timing cover ?

the second one up from the bottom ?
the same ones that hold the p/s bracket ?
(best guess with out pic)

If so, that bolt goes into the water

pour some water into the block

you have a leak,

I bought a block that happened to
had to sleeve the cylinder

003-1-1.jpg
 
Well, two things can happen. Either it runs fine with no effect, or it goes away real fast. That cylinder has been compromised for integrity. Will it last? Only time can tell. Oh, and I would not let that person help me anymore...... You're better off doing it yourself.
 
If it were me and it's the bottom of the bore - not into water - I'd use a file or rotary file and smooth the edges, make sure there's not a "bump" around the fracture (making the bore too tight) and run it.
 
Rusty Rat Rod, didn't have a camera on me or my phone.
Dragin Mopars, yep it's the second one up on the drivers side. Didn't think the cooling Jacket would be that low but thinking about it more It would make since for it to. Didn't do a water test but since the motor is at my brothers house (he has a shop/building and I don't ) he is going to test it for me this week by pouring some water into the water passages and see if water comes out of the bolt hole or the oil pan.
Got my fingers crossed but it may be back at the machine shop next week.
 
He had to have put a fair amount of torque on that bolt to get it to break through the cylinder wall.
 
moper said:
If it were me and it's the bottom of the bore - not into water - I'd use a file or rotary file and smooth the edges, make sure there's not a "bump" around the fracture (making the bore too tight) and run it.
Click to expand...

MOPER SMART!!!! If nothing else is damaged and you clear the pistons and rings then you should absolutely deburr the whole area that is broken. A stress crack can form in a microscopic crevice. After you grind/file the whole area that was broken then smooth it down real good with some med/fine sandpaper. You can't get it too smooth. The trick is to leave behind a surface that has NO SIGNS of a crack/fissure left over from the original break. Of course if it's in a non-stressed section of the block it's not as important to get it super smooth.

If you've ever seen someone drillstop a crack in cast iron you'll know what I'm talking about. Cracks (no matter how microscopic) can travel, with or without luggage LOL!!

Good Luck!!
Treblig
 
I think you can look to sleeve that cylinder. JMO.
 
lee g said:
Rusty Rat Rod, didn't have a camera on me or my phone.
Dragin Mopars, yep it's the second one up on the drivers side. Didn't think the cooling Jacket would be that low but thinking about it more It would make since for it to. Didn't do a water test but since the motor is at my brothers house (he has a shop/building and I don't ) he is going to test it for me this week by pouring some water into the water passages and see if water comes out of the bolt hole or the oil pan.
Got my fingers crossed but it may be back at the machine shop next week.
Click to expand...

If water shows up at the threads in the bolt hole all you have to do is to use aviation thread sealer (when you install the bolt) like what I used on the two outside header bolts into the water jackets of the head. If that thread sealer works under the high heat/pressure condition on the head water jacket it should work with no problem by the timing cover.

Treblig
 
For the cost of a sleeve, I believe that's what I would do, if nothing more than peace of mind.
 
lee g said:
Rusty Rat Rod, didn't have a camera on me or my phone.
Dragin Mopars, yep it's the second one up on the drivers side. Didn't think the cooling Jacket would be that low but thinking about it more It would make since for it to. Didn't do a water test but since the motor is at my brothers house (he has a shop/building and I don't ) he is going to test it for me this week by pouring some water into the water passages and see if water comes out of the bolt hole or the oil pan.
Got my fingers crossed but it may be back at the machine shop next week.
Click to expand...

I would not dump water in it if it was the second bolt hole up.
Pop the soft plug out and look, no use getting water all over everything, but I have a strong feeling you have #1 cylinder with a hole in it to the coolant passage.
 
What are we talking here block wise ? is it a 340 ? if it's a teen or a 360 I would just grab another block and start again .
 
I will be tearing it down hopefully next week and take it to the machine shop for a sleeve on the #1 cylinder. I spoke with the machine shop that has done other work for me and he is going to cost me $150.
 
did the same thing back in 85 the 340 block was .060...used that hole to degree in cam...put pointer there....

pan was full of water the next day...tried to use moroso block sealant...and anything else.......ended up sleeving the block...
 
It's a 360 and yes it's through the water jacket. I am going to chance it and just sleeve it. I have a lot already invested into and hate to throw it away for scrap.
 
As long as it's done right there shouldbe no issues with leakage.
 
lee g said:
It's a 360 and yes it's through the water jacket. I am going to chance it and just sleeve it. I have a lot already invested into and hate to throw it away for scrap.
Click to expand...

So you took the soft plug out and looked at it?
 
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