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Author Topic: Road racing pinto issues  (Read 5407 times)

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Offline sponge003

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Road racing pinto issues
« on: October 22, 2014, 01:42:53 PM »
Hi

We completed our first Lemons endurance race and overall did quite well for our first time. We ran 604 miles in 14.5 hours and were only off track 2-3 hours for mechanical issues.

The 2 issues we had were
1. Starter broke the mounting tabs and fell off
2. Second starter broke at the electrical portion of the main body and let all the smoke out
3. Oil leaks from everywhere that got progressivly worse as event went on.

The starter I am going to the smaller Ranger starter and will support the back end better.

The oil leaks I think I am building too much cranckase pressure and am thinking of putting electrical vacuum pump on it to try and get some vaccum in the crankcase.
I currently have header evacs on it and I dont think it is pulling anything.

I would appreciate any opinions on our issues thanks.

Paul

Offline sponge003

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2014, 01:58:43 PM »









Offline dick1172762

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2014, 06:32:36 PM »
The header evacs system does not work very well if your using a muffler. Use the Felpro one piece valve cover and pan gaskets and it will not leak. I've raced Pintos since 1973 and I have never built pressure up in the pan. I run a hose from the valve cover and one from the block breather just above the motor mount on the driver side. I dump the two hoses into an old Pinto windshield washer container with a single K&N 3" dia breather. V-8's run two of those breather with 350" so one is plenty on 144". If you really want to know, put a vacuum/boost gage on the dip stick tube and fire it up. Are the pictures before the race or after? Car looks GOOD like a Pinto should. Let us know as that's the way we learn.
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Offline Pinto5.0

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2014, 07:40:34 PM »
Does the evac have the 1-way valve? It really does little with a muffler on. I agree with Dick. Run a hose from the valve cover breather to a breather can or make your own & you will be fine.
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Offline sponge003

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2014, 08:27:42 PM »
the evac has the check valve on it.

Do you remove the PCV valve when you run the hoses to a breather xcan?

Offline dick1172762

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2014, 10:41:15 PM »
the evac has the check valve on it.

Do you remove the PCV valve when you run the hoses to a breather xcan?
      Yes. I tap the hole to a 3/8 npt and screw in an AN fitting. The hole is the right size for the tap as is. I use 3/4" id heavy wall clear tubing bought off of e-bay. I then run the hoses to the pass side fender well to the washer tank. I've got AN 8 90 deg bulkhead fittings there to hook the hoses to. The K&N breather is placed on a short piece of 1 3/4" tail pipe that is 1 3/4"od one one end and 1 3/4"id on the other end. One end fits the breather and the other end fit into the hole on top of the washer tank. Remove the screen in the hole, and glue the tail pipe in with some really good glue. The only hose clamp used is the hose to the valve cover which in my case is a turbo mustang aluminum one. With the one piece Felpro gasket it will never leak a single drop. All of this was got off of e-bay. When you do this it will show you what AN fittings are necessary. Most will be 90 deg (3) and straight AN (2). All will be AN 8 and will be the type that are pressed into the inside of the clear hose. Cheap and easy. Make sure you measure  close as the K&N filter will be close to the hood. Works for me.
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Offline sponge003

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #6 on: October 23, 2014, 07:54:59 AM »
AWesome information thanks!!!! ;D

Motor is coming out to replace all seals as they pushed out anyway so I will tap the block hole then. We dont have a washer tank but we can fabricate something up!!

Thanks again

Paul

Offline dick1172762

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #7 on: October 23, 2014, 12:15:52 PM »
What I do is seal up the engine and hook the air compressor to the dip stick tube. I then turn the engine on its side where the hole will be running down hill to the out side. Then I coat the tap with wheel bearing grease. Tap a little and remove the tap and clean it and re grease it. Keep doing this till you've got the tap all the way into the block. If you keep cleaning the tap you will be ok as far as trash in the hole. Then take a flash light and look for any trash that the grease didn't pick up. Easy job if you take your time. There is a baffle over the hole in the inside of the block. The baffle can be remove with out any harm as it is there to keep the oil from getting in the PVC. By the way the washer tank is one from a 71/73 Pinto and is 4" X 8" which gives plenty of room to hook the breather hoses to it. Biggest bang for the bucks is an aluminum flywheel. On my Pinto I gained 3 seconds on a 1 min / 30 sec track. You can go deeper and come out faster with an aluminum flywheel. Go to 4m.net for the best mini-stock web site there is. MUCH good stuff there about 2.3 engines. Good luck with your Pinto.
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Offline sponge003

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #8 on: October 23, 2014, 03:54:28 PM »
Thanks

Been cruising 4M for info already!!!

Offline pinto_one

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #9 on: October 24, 2014, 12:43:42 PM »
Looks cool, I was going to try the lemons a few years ago and the rule book says you can not have over 500 bucks in the whole can, but you can spend over that in a fresh motor , the one you are using is a stock one with many miles on it or a re ring job, I know on the 2.3 if you have a ton of miles on it driven easy and then run the crap out of it you lose the top ring and blow by gets very bad and gets worse, if you got a good straight cylinder bore and ring seal you will not have hardly any blow by,
76 Pinto sedan V6 , 79 pinto cruiser wagon V6 soon to be diesel or 4.0

Offline dick1172762

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #10 on: October 24, 2014, 07:56:21 PM »
While you've got the engine out, please change the rod bolts if you haven't already done so. ARP bolts will give you that piece of mind because the stock bolts will be the first thing that breaks. Cheap insurance.
Its better to be a has-been, than a never was.

Offline sponge003

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #11 on: October 24, 2014, 10:41:49 PM »
While you've got the engine out, please change the rod bolts if you haven't already done so. ARP bolts will give you that piece of mind because the stock bolts will be the first thing that breaks. Cheap insurance.

Already done!!!!

Offline pinto_one

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #12 on: October 27, 2014, 12:37:42 PM »
what year 2.3 engine are you using , I know the early ones had piston skirt cracking problems,  which were know top also lead to high blow by , then later all the inside engine parts fitting loosely in a 5 gallon bucket ,  one cheep fix if you can find them is the old 79 to early 80,s  turbo pistons , they had a carb and not fuel injection , they were 9 to one and forged TRW,s with the ford logo on them,  put them in a baylner boat I use to have that came with the 2.3 engine , which use to eat pistons , ( at least the way I ran the boat, Fast and Stop ) that cured it and also used the turbo 2.3 oil cooler off the 84 up T-Birds , good luck on your next race ,
76 Pinto sedan V6 , 79 pinto cruiser wagon V6 soon to be diesel or 4.0

Offline sponge003

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #13 on: October 27, 2014, 01:13:35 PM »
No idea year of engine

its a conglomeration of block and heads that came with car

Offline amc49

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #14 on: October 29, 2014, 10:50:15 AM »
The early 2.3 had the rods with boss for the oil spit hole but the hole was not drilled. The hole lubes skirts to not scuff them, the early engine problem. The scuffing then lead to too loose and later cracking. Check the rods for the oil spit holes......... ....

Offline sponge003

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #15 on: October 29, 2014, 11:52:52 AM »
The rods have oil spit holes on one side of the rod

All the holes are pointing in the same direction

Offline sponge003

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #16 on: December 20, 2014, 07:16:59 PM »
I think I figured out the oil leak issue and vibration issue

OIl leak - the check valve for the evac  system was bad so the exhaust was pressurizing the engine

starter failures were due to Vibration - bellhousing had a HUGE crack in it, going to a T-5 transmission

Offline amc49

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #17 on: December 21, 2014, 07:18:38 PM »
Header evacs only work at higher rpm, for more complete evac including the lower rpm range you add vacuum from intake but crank seals then must reverse to seal the case. Two types of one way check valves there too, if using ones intended for a smog air pump with positive pressure they are sprung too firm at the reed and do not aspirate with a header like the extremely light sprung ones used with pulse air systems with no smog pump. Those type reeds are much easier to pulse air through and they seal easier on the pressure pulse as well.

On American Motors V-8 cars I could hit 13-15 Hg. in crankcase much of the time even slow driving on the street with header mufflers using a double end system like that.

Offline sponge003

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #18 on: February 12, 2015, 08:34:33 AM »
We just ran barber motorsports track last weekend.

Car ran great and we took second in our class.

Oil leaks solved by running breather tubes to overflow tank, simple and very effective.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

Offline dick1172762

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Re: Road racing pinto issues
« Reply #19 on: February 12, 2015, 08:50:07 AM »
Glad it worked out ok for you. How did the lite flywheel work out? What throw out bearing did you end up using?
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