My engine had about 13,000 miles on it. Here is what I think happened. My engine was experiencing detonation due to a compression ratio that was too high for my needs. The CR was 10 to 1 with closed chamber iron heads that had subsequently been milled another .020. The detonation produced excess heat in the head which caused an exhaust valve to stick. When the valve stuck, I thought the noise I heard was due to a loose spark plug. Unable to find someone with a spark plug socket out in the desert, I tried to limp to the first place I could find one. I never made it that far. After 30-40 miles of limping toward Vegas, the head of the valve broke off destroying my piston. Like I say, this is how I think it went down. The new engine will probably have a higher CR, but with aluminum heads, which should make it more detonation resistant. I'm thinking around 10.5 to 1. Wish me luck! And many thanks to all of you that have responded.
Art
quote:Originally posted by Danno:
Art, what exactly happened to your 377 and how many miles did you have on it?
Danno