"Ran Fine When I Pulled It", Yeah Right!

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MRL Performance

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Got some cores last week for builds. Couple of 440's and a 360. Started to pull apart the 440's and came across this little jewel. Guy said "It ran strong when I pulled it, no problems".

Ok Buddy, I guess my version of running good and yours are very different. Top ring completely GONE.
440 burned piston.jpg
 
I'm going to post up some fake craigslist ads.....
Car for sell. Been stored in barn for 20 years. Ran great when new.
 
Seller was NOT lying. A 440 on seven cylinders DOES still run strong!
 
I pulled a Commando 273 apart many years ago that did run fine when the car was parked, but it smoked badly. Four pistons had broken top rings, one of them looked like this...
273 pistons 03.JPG
 
MRL Performance said:
Got some cores last week for builds. Couple of 440's and a 360. Started to pull apart the 440's and came across this little jewel. Guy said "It ran strong when I pulled it, no problems".

Ok Buddy, I guess my version of running good and yours are very different. Top ring completely GONE.
View attachment 1715034520
Click to expand...

Well, that's why there are two compression rings... :poke:

The second one is still there.... :realcrazy:
 
That line is similar to the Barracuda I bought off eBay where the guy said it only had one rust spot. Which was true if you didn't count the other 50 spots.
 
When I called State Farm to insure an old beater truck, the agent asked me..."Does the truck have any dents or scratches?"
"Yes".
"Okay, where are they?"
"They are everywhere. It is a 34 year old truck!"
 
Kern Dog said:
When I called State Farm to insure an old beater truck, the agent asked me..."Does the truck have any dents or scratches?"
"Yes".
"Okay, where are they?"
"They are everywhere. It is a 34 year old truck!"
Click to expand...
could it be, that the guy was so dam dumb, he thot it was strong ?!
 
Wait, someone lied on CL in order to sell something?!!?!

The 408 that's in my Dart started out as a "full roller crate engine". Pulled a valve cover off in the guy's driveway and it didn't even have roller rockers. He was a little embarrassed to be caught lying and said "that's what the guy who sold it to me said?!?!" I cut him off at the knees and got it for a good price. Sold everything but the roller block and timing cover and ended up making a couple hundred bucks on the deal.
 
I had a stock 400 that ran just about perfectly around town. No miss, no unusual oil use, decent mileage and pick up.
Tore it down to do a build on it. Nearly every top ring was broken, and the cylinder walls had deep, uneven gouges all around the top and middle of the bores. Actually had to go .060 to clean it all up!
 
whitepunkonnitro said:
Nearly every top ring was broken..........
Click to expand...
Got a 383 like that once in a deal, pulled out as a "runner". When I fired it up there was a lot of clicking happening, not rocker train clatter. I was so pissed off I just trashed the whole damn thing and found another. They were a dime a dozen then.
 
The only thing more mystifying than how many people don't know a bad running engine when they hear one is how many people say that
famous bob said:
could it be, that the guy was so dam dumb, he thot it was strong ?!
Click to expand...

My neighbor pulled in one day with a car he had just bought and said how great it ran.
I said "Not bad for a V8 only running on 6 cylinders" (I could hear it from my house)
Lucky for him I popped the hood and found the 5-7 plug wires reversed.
This is exactly why I don't get involved in posts where the poster says the car runs great except for this or that, because a lot of people don't have a clue and will swear up and down it runs great.
 
TrailBeast said:
the 5-7 plug wires reversed
Click to expand...
Seen that a lot back in the day. Did it to myself too. One of the first things I looked for when someone told me "runs ok but just doesn't have the umph" it used to.
 
Isn't that why you call (& price) them cores? Looks like it was running after the piston gave out...lol.
 
I love all these stories. Seems like every pile O junk out there runs "strong" LOL No rings, no bearings, no spark, NO PROBLEM LOL Damn Mopars will still spank them (t)furds and chubbies HA

I LOVE MOPAR!!!!!
 
MRL Performance said:
Got some cores last week for builds. Couple of 440's and a 360. Started to pull apart the 440's and came across this little jewel. Guy said "It ran strong when I pulled it, no problems".

Ok Buddy, I guess my version of running good and yours are very different. Top ring completely GONE.
View attachment 1715034520
Click to expand...
WOW! no way that ran, a least not well
 
TrailBeast said:
The only thing more mystifying than how many people don't know a bad running engine when they hear one is how many people say that


My neighbor pulled in one day with a car he had just bought and said how great it ran.
I said "Not bad for a V8 only running on 6 cylinders" (I could hear it from my house)
Lucky for him I popped the hood and found the 5-7 plug wires reversed.
This is exactly why I don't get involved in posts where the poster says the car runs great except for this or that, because a lot of people don't have a clue and will swear up and down it runs great.
Click to expand...
SO TRUE Trailbeast. How many times have we read a thread where someone told us (as best they could) what the problem was and asked for help. Then when FABO members offer good ideas on what the problem may be and how to fix it, the author tells them, "No, that can't be it......." And they start acting like they know all about the problem. Then why ask for help. Quite rude if you ask me. I've be tempted to say, "Dude, do you have any idea how rude it is to talk to people like that when all they are trying to do is help you." There are polite ways to say, "Are you sure that might be the problem?" OK I feel better now.
 
harrisonm said:
SO TRUE Trailbeast. How many times have we read a thread where someone told us (as best they could) what the problem was and asked for help. Then when FABO members offer good ideas on what the problem may be and how to fix it, the author tells them, "No, that can't be it......." And they start acting like they know all about the problem. Then why ask for help. Quite rude if you ask me. I've be tempted to say, "Dude, do you have any idea how rude it is to talk to people like that when all they are trying to do is help you." There are polite ways to say, "Are you sure that might be the problem?" OK I feel better now.
Click to expand...

Yep, and video's don't help a whole lot either in a lot of cases because the actual tone is lost through the recorded video sound.

One of the things that annoys me is when someone asks questions like wanting to put a different rear end in their car and asking the people who put in all the sweat equity what all the shortcuts to making it work on the first try without any of the hassles the original person went through to find out.
I realize it shouldn't bother me, but I feel like they get all the benefit without having to put any of the hard work into it.
I guess I feel like they only deserve it if they went through what the rest of us did to get there.
Like I said, I know that isn't really reasonable but...
Kind of like everyone in the race getting a trophy instead of just the winner. :D
 
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I worked for a dealer in the early 90s that was owned by a dick ! We took in a super clean 87ish Chevy 4x4 truck and when my buddy Frank did the used car inspection he poured oil down the carb throat ! Of course if smoked like crazy. When he showed it to the owner he said to whiolesale it .... Frank volunteered to buy it for a song and "rebuild" the engine ...lol
Drove it home and parked it for a month and gave it an Italian Tuneup !!
 
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