Missing idler pulley???

[JAZZHP]

Am I losing my mind? Car's about to hit 100k and I'm planning a massive engine compartment refresh. So I'm inspecting the belt area to verify what type of tensioners & pulleys I need to replace, and I saw something that doesn't look like any of the pictures in my research. Not having ever done this job before I wasn't immediately shocked, but after looking into it deeper it appears that I've been driving for about 12k miles with my idler pulley completely gone, except for the bearing!!! Car seems to run perfectly fine--smooth at all rpms, no cooling or electrical troubles, serpentine belt is under tension, no squealing, but wtf??? Am I missing something? :jawdrop

http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q387/robtrumet2/Missing%20idler%20pulley_zps64yk5ejp.jpg~original (http://s349.photobucket.com/user/robtrumet2/media/Missing%20idler%20pulley_zps64yk5ejp.jpg.html)

[Vas]

Correct. Based on that image, the pulley is gone.

The hydraulic tensioner is what keeps everything in check so that is why you have not noticed any issues.

[wsmeyer]

+1

The part that is left does not turn so it must be generating a lot of heat and I would expect the belt to snap at any moment. You need to replace that ASAP.

[TheFinanceGuy]

+1

The part that is left does not turn so it must be generating a lot of heat and I would expect the belt to snap at any moment. You need to replace that ASAP.

This. It looks like there is already a grove in the belt.

[wsmeyer]

If it was me and I had to drive the car I'd put some oil on the back side of the belt. Usually this is a no-no because the oil will disintegrate the rubber but the heat will do it A LOT faster.

[JAZZHP]

I bought the car about 12k miles ago and have never noticed anything change about it's operation. Definitely was planning this ASAP, but now it's urgent. Hard to believe it lasted this long. I guess my tensioners are really working well. Last question... any thoughts on underdrive pulleys? I've read alot lately and I'm torn. Leaning toward stock as I don't track the car, but the kits are slick.

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[Vas]

I bought the car about 12k miles ago and have never noticed anything change about it's operation. Definitely was planning this ASAP, but now it's urgent. Hard to believe it lasted this long. I guess my tensioners are really working well. Last question... any thoughts on underdrive pulleys? I've read alot lately and I'm torn. Leaning toward stock as I don't track the car, but the kits are slick.

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It is a good idea to upgrade to metal pulleys vs the plastic ones that are on the car.

You can go with an underdrive set or stock size set of pullets.

ECStuning or Turner Motorsports are good choice.

[JAZZHP]

It is a good idea to upgrade to metal pulleys vs the plastic ones that are on the car.

You can go with an underdrive set or stock size set of pullets.

ECStuning or Turner Motorsports are good choice.

I already have the Turner set, minus the alternator pulley, in my shopping cart, but was looking for some other opinions. I have the stock HK sound system with no mods, and probably not planning any that would use more power, but I'm concerned about messing with the alternator. Should I be? I know there are other threads for this, so sorry for hijacking my own thread, but it's really about replacing my pulleys. I understand the alternator is designed to produce the required output regardless of the rpm, so as long as it can still do the job at a reduced rpm I should be okay with an underdrive pulley, but I want to be certain.

[Vas]

I already have the Turner set, minus the alternator pulley, in my shopping cart, but was looking for some other opinions. I have the stock HK sound system with no mods, and probably not planning any that would use more power, but I'm concerned about messing with the alternator. Should I be? I know there are other threads for this, so sorry for hijacking my own thread, but it's really about replacing my pulleys. I understand the alternator is designed to produce the required output regardless of the rpm, so as long as it can still do the job at a reduced rpm I should be okay with an underdrive pulley, but I want to be certain.

I have the same pulley kit on my wife's zhp and I opted out from the alternator pulley as well. I did not want to mess with the alternator just like you.

Great fitment on the kit and quality products. Worth in in my book.

[holyc0w]

I already have the Turner set, minus the alternator pulley, in my shopping cart, but was looking for some other opinions. I have the stock HK sound system with no mods, and probably not planning any that would use more power, but I'm concerned about messing with the alternator. Should I be? I know there are other threads for this, so sorry for hijacking my own thread, but it's really about replacing my pulleys. I understand the alternator is designed to produce the required output regardless of the rpm, so as long as it can still do the job at a reduced rpm I should be okay with an underdrive pulley, but I want to be certain.

I don't think I've seen anybody note any issues with the underdriven alternator pulley. There are users that have had them for years and tens of thousands of miles. That said I went conservative and got the Rogue Engineering kit.

[JAZZHP]

I don't think I've seen anybody note any issues with the underdriven alternator pulley. There are users that have had them for years and tens of thousands of miles. That said I went conservative and got the Rogue Engineering kit.

This is the mystery for me. I read many people who express concern about the alternator pulley, but I have yet to find many stories from people who regretted doing it. Only a few stories from people who checked the voltage, but sound like they don't really understand what normal ops should look like. That said, since I'm not racing I probably won't miss it. Better safe than sorry.

[ZHPizza]

I already have the Turner set, minus the alternator pulley, in my shopping cart, but was looking for some other opinions. I have the stock HK sound system with no mods, and probably not planning any that would use more power, but I'm concerned about messing with the alternator. Should I be? I know there are other threads for this, so sorry for hijacking my own thread, but it's really about replacing my pulleys. I understand the alternator is designed to produce the required output regardless of the rpm, so as long as it can still do the job at a reduced rpm I should be okay with an underdrive pulley, but I want to be certain.
I had the same unwarranted concerns and used the chat feature to talk with someone at Turner before ordering.

He was like yeah dude no issues in the 20 years we've been using these ourselves and selling them to peeps.

And I'm like...but what if...like...I'm chillin with my bixenons and blasting my stock HK system and I got both butt toasters on high because it's a party...

And he's like dude...we live in the north...we ride or die by our butt toasters...no issues...

So I ordered and installed the alternator​pulley and I think you know how many issues I've had.

[danewilson77]

I bought the car about 12k miles ago and have never noticed anything change about it's operation. Definitely was planning this ASAP, but now it's urgent. Hard to believe it lasted this long. I guess my tensioners are really working well. Last question... any thoughts on underdrive pulleys? I've read alot lately and I'm torn. Leaning toward stock as I don't track the car, but the kits are slick.

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Unbelievable. First time I've seen an e46 function like this. PO had to have known.

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[Sockethead]

One would think that the plastic pulley would of exploded under speed, damaging other components. I'd have a good look around to make sure nothing else is damaged

[johnrando]

Wow. Glad it's been ok so far. I hv the underdrive pulleys, no issues... but I hv to look to see if I did the alternator as I don't recall.

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[wsmeyer]

I've got underdrive including the alternator and I don't notice any V dip even when operating the top at idle.

[BMWCurves]

All you people are making me consider TMS pulleys.

Be still my hemorrhaging wallet...

[san]

All you people are making me consider TMS pulleys.

Be still my hemorrhaging wallet...

+1
I've looked at that kit about 5 times since yesterday [emoji51]


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[JAZZHP]

Thank you all for the feedback regarding the alternator pulley. I trust you guys and am now planning to include it in my TMS order. They were having web site issues last night so I couldn't place it. BTW--I know this may seem like sacrilege to the BMW purist, but Autozone is offering a 20% discount on all online orders shipped to your home right now. I know that because I learned the Duralast tensioner pulleys are made by the same company that makes the OEM ones (INA), so I ordered those. Can anyone either confirm or deny this? Plus spark plugs (NGK BKR6EQUP) , trans filter & gasket, and an expensive part for my Expedition--saved a bunch of cash.

[JAZZHP]

Unbelievable. First time I've seen an e46 function like this. PO had to have known.

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Dane, I bought it from a dealership, who bought it back from the original owner. It has passed two VA safety inspections since then, and been through my local dealership's "multi-point vehicle inspection" twice, most recently just last week, without anyone noticing. I can't say for certain that I bought it like this, but the rust on the bearing tells me it's been this way for quite a while.

While I've got your attention, I know you've posted extensively about 100k (or 60k) preventive maintenance, so here's what I'm doing. Step 1 (right now): all pulleys/tensioners/belts; water pump (Graf); thermostat (Wahler); expansion tank/cap (Behr); level sensor (Meyle); AT thermostat; fan clutch (Behr); OFHG (Viton); spark plugs (BKR6EQUP); power steering reservoir (have a ZF left over from my E36 project), and fuel filter (Mann). Step 2 (soon): AT fluid/filter; diff fluid. Step 3 (before summer): VANOS; DISA; CCV; intake boots/vacuum lines. I did brakes/rotors & fluid last fall. My radiator and hoses still look flawless--no dryness/cracking/bulging, so I'm willing to let them roll for a bit longer. I ordered a new valve cover gasket set, so I may include that in step 1. Did I miss anything important?

[san]

Dane, I bought it from a dealership, who bought it back from the original owner. It has passed two VA safety inspections since then, and been through my local dealership's "multi-point vehicle inspection" twice, most recently just last week, without anyone noticing. I can't say for certain that I bought it like this, but the rust on the bearing tells me it's been this way for quite a while.

While I've got your attention, I know you've posted extensively about 100k (or 60k) preventive maintenance, so here's what I'm doing. Step 1 (right now): all pulleys/tensioners/belts; water pump (Graf); thermostat (Wahler); expansion tank/cap (Behr); level sensor (Meyle); AT thermostat; fan clutch (Behr); OFHG (Viton); spark plugs (BKR6EQUP); power steering reservoir (have a ZF left over from my E36 project), and fuel filter (Mann). Step 2 (soon): AT fluid/filter; diff fluid. Step 3 (before summer): VANOS; DISA; CCV; intake boots/vacuum lines. I did brakes/rotors & fluid last fall. My radiator and hoses still look flawless--no dryness/cracking/bulging, so I'm willing to let them roll for a bit longer. I ordered a new valve cover gasket set, so I may include that in step 1. Did I miss anything important?

I would go with the OEM expansion tank. There are a few folks who had issues with aftermarket stuff.

Edit: air filter and cabin air filter?


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[JAZZHP]

I would go with the OEM expansion tank. There are a few folks who had issues with aftermarket stuff.

Edit: air filter and cabin air filter?

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Did the air & cabin filter last fall also. I consider those low-hanging fruit, so not much planning involved for that. As for the expansion tank, yeah, I've read about the problems with aftermarket, but didn't notice Behr among the culprits. Maybe I missed it, but isn't Behr the OEM supplier (according to TMS)? Or is "Hella-Behr" different from "Behr"? Behr has a pretty good rep with most things from what I've seen.

[Sockethead]

I used Duralast for one of my pulleys last year when I was in a pinch... it's been fine

[Dave1027]

As for the expansion tank, yeah, I've read about the problems with aftermarket, but didn't notice Behr among the culprits. Maybe I missed it, but isn't Behr the OEM supplier (according to TMS)? Or is "Hella-Behr" different from "Behr"? Behr has a pretty good rep with most things from what I've seen.
Nope. Modine is. Notice the M with a oval around it on the BMW ET?

[JAZZHP]

Nope. Modine is. Notice the M with a oval around it on the BMW ET?

This from the Turner Motorsport description of the tank I ordered:
"This is the most recent expansion tank design from Hella-Behr, the OEM supplier to BMW. It replaces the original BMW part number 17137787039." Maybe I misinterpreted this as saying Behr produced the original tanks. Confusing, the way they worded this.

[fredo]

Same thing happened to my 1999 e46, missing pulley. I remember taking the car to my Indy for an oil change, my first time going there. He called me and asked if I planned to keep the car for a long time. I said yes, and he stated "you better start to take good care of it." And then shared the news with me.

The missing part was resting on top of the belly pan.

[JAZZHP]

With my ET still mounted in my car, I can't see any sign of the M on any spot visible to me. Perhaps it has already been replaced... Regardless, I'll take your word for it.

[JAZZHP]

The missing part was resting on top of the belly pan.

Lo and behold, I went looking for my pulley and there it is, sitting on the belly pan roughly under the steering rack. I'll attempt to fish it out tomorrow and see if I can deduce how it separated. I saw no evidence of trauma to any of the surrounding parts, including the fan blades, which is very close. Still mysterious how this could happen so cleanly without causing any noticeable hiccup.

[Sockethead]

If the pulley bearing dried out, it will create a lot of heat which probably melted the pulley just enough for it to separate from the bearing and pop off...that would be my theory.

[Dave1027]

This from the Turner Motorsport description of the tank I ordered:
"This is the most recent expansion tank design from Hella-Behr, the OEM supplier to BMW. It replaces the original BMW part number 17137787039." Maybe I misinterpreted this as saying Behr produced the original tanks. Confusing, the way they worded this.

The Modine ET I just bought from FCP euro came in with the BMW logo ground off and the BMW barcode sticker pealed off. I compared it with the stock BMW ET that I was replacing.

[JAZZHP]

Retrieved the missing pulley from atop the belly tray. Again, judging by the rust it appears to have been there for quite a while. Can't really tell if failure was caused by heat deformation, but it's clear the bearing separated. There is significant evidence of degradation around the outer surface--seems as the belt was leaving deposits on the pulley, so there was some heat at some point.
http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q387/robtrumet2/Found%20it%202_zpszppjudon.jpg~original (http://s349.photobucket.com/user/robtrumet2/media/Found%20it%202_zpszppjudon.jpg.html)

[Sockethead]

Looks like the outer race is still in the pulley. That thing must of been making a racket during failure

[JAZZHP]

Looks like the outer race is still in the pulley. That thing must of been making a racket during failure

Maybe during the failure event, but I've been driving it for a year (about 12k miles) without a single obnoxious sound from the engine bay. That's why I think it happened before I bought it (again, from a dealership no less). Started it up just now to see it in action and it still sounds perfectly fine, with the belt sliding across the inner race. I have other cars, so this can sit until my parts come in next week, but I took the opportunity to coat the backside of the belt with high temp silicone brake grease, just in case I need to use it in a pinch. Smooth as glass. I know--living dangerously, but I wanted to see if this made a difference to an already bad situation.

[Sockethead]

Yea that's what I mean, who ever it happened to must of heard it

[JAZZHP]

Well, Turner was very impressive, with one exception. After some website glitches I placed the order over the phone on March 29th and received it on March 31st--free shipping in two days. That's awesome. The downside is one of the items was mismarked in the warehouse. What was supposed to be the Bosch alternator pulley is actually a subframe reinforcement kit. Somebody had stuck the pulley's sticker with bar code on top of the reinforcement kit sticker, so it scanned out as if they were shipping a pulley. I've sent them an email and hope to have it resolved on Monday. My other dilemma is that now I have a subframe reinforcement kit in my hand that I did not buy, but maybe I want it--now that I'm looking at it. Depending on what Turner tells me, is it worth the effort on a non-track 2005? I'm sure it's a good preventative measure in any case, but I understand the subframe problem was at least partially mitigated by the 2005 model year. Your thoughts are appreciated.

[BCS_ZHP]

The sub-frame reinforcement was more for the early e46s, a subframe failure on a post-2003.5 car is very rare. Couple that with you don't track the car, also couple it with the fact that converts are more reinforced due to the lack of a fixed roof, and no, you don't need that kit.

[JAZZHP]

The sub-frame reinforcement was more for the early e46s, a subframe failure on a post-2003.5 car is very rare. Couple that with you don't track the car, also couple it with the fact that converts are more reinforced due to the lack of a fixed roof, and no, you don't need that kit.

This is as I thought, but wanted a second opinion. Thanks Bruce.

[Scott ZHP]

With my ET still mounted in my car, I can't see any sign of the M on any spot visible to me. Perhaps it has already been replaced... Regardless, I'll take your word for it.

As mentioned above, Modine is the original supplier.

[BCS_ZHP]

Did you get this fixed yet? Tomorrow is Sunday and I'm around doing yard work, feel free to cruise by Fairfax Station (far end of Henderson Rd at 123, I'm near there).
Bruce

[JAZZHP]

Did you get this fixed yet? Tomorrow is Sunday and I'm around doing yard work, feel free to cruise by Fairfax Station (far end of Henderson Rd at 123, I'm near there).
Bruce
I did! The new pulleys look (and work) great. I've got a few pictures to post when I get back to a computer, but here's one in the meantime.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170409/6cdc8eda25aa69bf312e85a4c0887830.jpg

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[JAZZHP]

Did you get this fixed yet? Tomorrow is Sunday and I'm around doing yard work, feel free to cruise by Fairfax Station (far end of Henderson Rd at 123, I'm near there).
Bruce
And yeah, we'll have to get together some time. I'm out of town this weekend, as usual, but we can work something out. Watching a Red Sox farm club in Greenville SC at the moment. [emoji4]

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[Aeternalis]

I definitely recommend purchasing and installing the dust caps that go over the idler and tensioner pulleys to get the most life out of them. The idler pulley I replaced just last February already has rust on the exposed surfaces of the bearing. I just replaced my tensioner pulley two weeks ago and fitted a new dust cap onto it as well.

Idler cap: 11281730349
Tensioner cap: 11281727159

[JAZZHP]

I definitely recommend purchasing and installing the dust caps that go over the idler and tensioner pulleys to get the most life out of them. The idler pulley I replaced just last February already has rust on the exposed surfaces of the bearing. I just replaced my tensioner pulley two weeks ago and fitted a new dust cap onto it as well.

Idler cap: 11281730349
Tensioner cap: 11281727159

This is also good advice, thank you. I have only one of the originals left. I have already added these to my next ECS Tuning shopping cart.

[JAZZHP]

Are the caps different for the mechanical tensioner on my AC belt and the hydraulic tensioner on the main belt? I know the pulleys are different.

[Aeternalis]

Are the caps different for the mechanical tensioner on my AC belt and the hydraulic tensioner on the main belt? I know the pulleys are different.
I believe the tensioner (11287512758) for the AC belt is a complete item. That is, there is no separate dust cap or pulley that can be serviced.

[BMWCurves]

You can get individual caps for different pulleys. Look them up in RealOEM.com.

[JAZZHP]

I believe the tensioner (11287512758) for the AC belt is a complete item. That is, there is no separate dust cap or pulley that can be serviced.
I replaced just the pulley on my mechanical tensioner, and reused the old cap. Saw no reason the replace the whole unit. Got the pulley from AutoZone (gasp!).

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[Sockethead]

You'll be fine with that. I have the same one in my car

[BCS_ZHP]

Are the caps different for the mechanical tensioner on my AC belt and the hydraulic tensioner on the main belt? I know the pulleys are different.

There are different size caps in one of the drawers of my tool box, can slap it on when we meet, don't get it too hot enjoying Henderson Rd and Yates Ford Rd.

[JAZZHP]

Well, the car just suffered a hard breakdown on Henderson Rd. Sounds like something bad happened in the vicinity of the valvetrain. I didn't touch that last week, and all fluid levels were/are fine. Awaiting diagnostic at my indy after being towed. Just crossed 100k miles last night, so maybe it was a timed failure...

[fredo]

Sorry to hear, man. Hope it's an easy fix. Pls keep us posted.

[danewilson77]

Sorry to hear, man. Hope it's an easy fix. Pls keep us posted.
+1

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[BCS_ZHP]

Any noises or abnormal things you noticed before the breakdown?

[JAZZHP]

No signs of impending failure. I was cruising smoothly and happily on Henderson Rd. at about 40 mph and I suddenly lost thrust. That's when I started hearing the cacophony under the hood, and saw the SES light. I pulled into a driveway within 10 seconds and stopped the car. Something broke, I'm thinking. My Indy can't look at it until Monday. My cheap code reader couldn't pull anything (just showed an error).

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[JAZZHP]

First thing I looked for were obviously belts & pulleys. No problems there. No oil from the OFH (I replaced the gasket). No coolant from the new reservoir. New water pump sounded fine. All the banging was coming from somewhere aft of the VANOS, which I haven't touched. I usually blame myself first when stuff like this happens, but this time I'm not sure.

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[BCS_ZHP]

Do you recall the code your reader read?

[ZHPizza]

First thing I looked for were obviously belts & pulleys. No problems there. No oil from the OFH (I replaced the gasket). No coolant from the new reservoir. New water pump sounded fine. All the banging was coming from somewhere aft of the VANOS, which I haven't touched. I usually blame myself first when stuff like this happens, but this time I'm not sure.

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Since you recently did the OFHG, I would check the oil line running to the vanos. It's possible that it got screwy in the process and starved the vanos or something.

[JAZZHP]

Since you recently did the OFHG, I would check the oil line running to the vanos. It's possible that it got screwy in the process and starved the vanos or something.

Wow, really? Is that common? I only disconnected the rear banjo fitting, so as not to disturb the line any more than necessary. Reconnected it and torqued to specs. Could something have gone wrong with that?

And my code reader couldn't pull the codes, just an error message. My indy has a better one.

[JAZZHP]

$h1tballs. My indy said today it sounded like something he wasn't equipped to handle, so I went out there and opened it up. Valvetrain looked clean, and plugs 1-5 looked normal. But #6... !! Crap!
http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q387/robtrumet2/20170426_161514_zps4vlklbt6.jpg~original (http://s349.photobucket.com/user/robtrumet2/media/20170426_161514_zps4vlklbt6.jpg.html)
http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q387/robtrumet2/20170426_161517_zpsb0o8wnzm.jpg~original (http://s349.photobucket.com/user/robtrumet2/media/20170426_161517_zpsb0o8wnzm.jpg.html)
http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q387/robtrumet2/20170426_155624_zpsruymbymf.jpg~original (http://s349.photobucket.com/user/robtrumet2/media/20170426_155624_zpsruymbymf.jpg.html)

VANOS looked a little burnt--is this normal, or could that be a clue as to what happened? My theory is that there was valve contact in #6, the valve broke off and bounced around, thrashing this plug and probably everything else in the combustion chamber. I'm open to suggestions.

Should I start a new thread for this?

[danewilson77]

Vanos is typical.

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[BCS_ZHP]

$h1tballs. My indy said today it sounded like something he wasn't equipped to handle, so I went out there and opened it up. Valvetrain looked clean, and plugs 1-5 looked normal. But #6... !! Crap!
http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q387/robtrumet2/20170426_161514_zps4vlklbt6.jpg~original (http://s349.photobucket.com/user/robtrumet2/media/20170426_161514_zps4vlklbt6.jpg.html)
http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q387/robtrumet2/20170426_161517_zpsb0o8wnzm.jpg~original (http://s349.photobucket.com/user/robtrumet2/media/20170426_161517_zpsb0o8wnzm.jpg.html)
http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q387/robtrumet2/20170426_155624_zpsruymbymf.jpg~original (http://s349.photobucket.com/user/robtrumet2/media/20170426_155624_zpsruymbymf.jpg.html)

VANOS looked a little burnt--is this normal, or could that be a clue as to what happened? My theory is that there was valve contact in #6, the valve broke off and bounced around, thrashing this plug and probably everything else in the combustion chamber. I'm open to suggestions.

Should I start a new thread for this?

Here's a thought/idea -- ask your Indy to pull/check the DISA, probably only an hour of labor. If the DISA flapper lets go/breaks it can potentially get ingested in the intake system, maybe a piece of that butterfly flap broke and went thru the intake valve on cyl #6, a couple strokes of the piston and it hit the spark plug mangling it like your photo. It's just an idea/hypothesis, I've never heard of one single valve breaking off into a cylinder on a BMW but guess that's possible too.

[JAZZHP]

The bigger question at this point, regardless of what caused this mess, is whether the likely expense of removing and probably rebuilding the head, and maybe serious work to correct other damage inside the cylinder, is worth the effort versus replacing the engine. It only has 100k on it, I didn't expect to see anything this serious go wrong if everything was otherwise working well and treated well.

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[wsmeyer]

If a valve breaks the engine usually seizes as there just isn't enough room in the combustion chamber at TDC for any piece of a valve. That being residue from a burned piece of plastic from a broken DISA sounds plausible, especially how common it is for those to break.

Is the car manual? If so the noise you heard might have been the dual mass flywheel thrashing around as the engine stumbled on 5 cylinders. If you've never heard it thrash before it is rather unnerving.

[slater]

just seeing these plug carnage pics now... yikes. is it melted? hard to tell from the pics. what does the top of the piston look like if you shine a flashlight down in there?

[JAZZHP]

What little I could see through the plug hole looked like a dark, dirty mess. I couldn't make out any specific shrapnel, bit if it was a piece of plastic DISA valve then maybe all is not lost. I'm out of town now, but I'll pull the DISA in a few days to see if that's likely. I may see if I can get a scope to get a better view before making a decision.

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[Sockethead]

Harbor Freight has relatively inexpensive scopes... even cheaper with the 25% discount from the monthly flyer...

[Dave1027]

Car seems to run perfectly fine--smooth at all rpms, no cooling or electrical troubles, serpentine belt is under tension, no squealing, but wtf??? Am I missing something?

I must be missing something too. How was your car running "perfectly fine--smooth at all rpms" with a spark plug in that condition?

[JAZZHP]

I must be missing something too. How was your car running "perfectly fine--smooth at all rpms" with a spark plug in that condition?

#6 ran perfectly smooth for the entire year that I owned it, until all hell broke loose and it ran for about 10 more seconds sounding like it was flying apart until I could pull over. That's when the spark plug got damaged. Something broke loose inside the #6 combustion chamber. The most popular opinion seems to be the DISA valve came apart and got into the chamber, then the plug got beat to death by the shrapnel.

[JAZZHP]

Harbor Freight has relatively inexpensive scopes... even cheaper with the 25% discount from the monthly flyer...

Been shopping at Harbor Freight a lot lately--I'll definitely check this out.

[JAZZHP]

Well, I'm struggling not to throw up after seeing what happened to my #6 cylinder. DISA was fine, completely intact and functioning normal. I bought a scope at Harbor Freight, on sale--great deal. What I saw with the scope I don't even want to say. I'll give you some hints, and if anyone guesses I'll post the pictures, but it's too painful right now. The hints are that it was 100% avoidable, 100% my fault, and as an airline pilot who understands basic aircraft maintenance procedural requirements I should definitely have known better. Suffice it to say the head and top of piston are trashed, so I'm thinking an engine swap would be a better option than a rebuild. And since my cams appear quite clean (see earlier pictures), swapping them into a low mileage 330 non-ZHP motor is probably the most economical way to go. I'll expect a few recommendations for an M3 motor, or an LS1, but I don't see that being economical or practical, given the reason I bought the ZHP in the first place was to avoid the M3 mechanical concerns, but I will consider this. Either way, I still want to throw up, as I just discovered the carnage an hour ago. CRAP!!

[ZHPizza]

Must have been something awry with the spark plug change but I can't think of what you could have done wrong???

[wstr75]

My guess is the air filter was missing and something got sucked into through the now open air box where it found its way to the #6 cylinder.

I understand your pain as I, too, have had similar experiences arising from either not thinking through the situation or forgetting to complete a task. One that stands out in my mind is when I owned a beautiful 1974 Mercury Capri (the German made version) and left a wrench on top of the motor. When I slammed the hood shut the wrench ruptured through the hood sheet metal. Another time, when I was 17, I kept putting STP into my 1963 Corvair instead of judiciously adding a proper amount of oil (Corvairs were notorious for leaking copious amounts of oil). This stupid move led to a hole in a piston. Both are lessons still playing in my head many decades later.

Good luck with your engine swap. BTW, what kinds of aircraft are your certified to fly?

[JAZZHP]

Another hint: I had not yet changed the plugs--those holes were never opened.

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[san]

Did you fill with low octane fuel? I think the car will adjust accordingly and it shouldn't be a problem but just a guess...


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[Sockethead]

I left a wrench or something on top of the garage door opener and now I have a nice dent in the roof of the ZHP.... or the time years ago when I mounted a fire extinguisher in my boat on what I thought was a bulkhead only to discover two sheet metal screws sticking out through the side of the hull just above the water line... or the time I hurried through a brake job on my Taurus then heard a loud grinding noise because I put one of the pads in backwards...

we've all done something embarrassing at one time or another....

[JAZZHP]

Thanks Socket. I don't mind admitting my mistakes, I just hate that I still make them, especially when they're this costly. This is one that I've joked about many times, but never really took seriously because I gave myself too much credit. Now I've killed a perfectly good engine. Last hint and I'll stop wasting everyone's time: I had removed the MAF to give myself more room while working on the pulleys and OFHG. I can almost hear you guys gasping when you see the pictures of what the scope saw.

[ELCID86]

Oh no. Sorry to hear. Please reveal the photo... LS swap could be fun!?

[JAZZHP]

Alright, Shawn. Since you said please. Surprised nobody guessed after my hints, but here ya go--read 'em and weep. I almost can't bear to look at them again yet. I feel like such an a-hole...
http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q387/robtrumet2/Cars/20170505_192236_zpsfdirdopf.jpg~original (http://s349.photobucket.com/user/robtrumet2/media/Cars/20170505_192236_zpsfdirdopf.jpg.html)
http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q387/robtrumet2/Cars/20170505_192436_zpsrpbwudyg.jpg~original (http://s349.photobucket.com/user/robtrumet2/media/Cars/20170505_192436_zpsrpbwudyg.jpg.html)
http://i349.photobucket.com/albums/q387/robtrumet2/Cars/20170505_192621_zps4wnfpogz.jpg~original (http://s349.photobucket.com/user/robtrumet2/media/Cars/20170505_192621_zps4wnfpogz.jpg.html)

[PdZHP]

Ouch

[slater]

Bummer, man.


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[ZHPizza]

Oh no.

You drove it for a while before any issues, right? I wonder if it just got stuck in one of the pockets of the intake elbow for a while and slipped loose.

[JAZZHP]

Yes, I drove it nearly 200 miles before it found it's way into the combustion chamber.

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[Sockethead]

What is that? a torx bit?

[slater]

What is that? a torx bit?

yep...

[Johnmadd]

Oh man :facepalm

[ELCID86]

Yes, I drove it nearly 200 miles before it found it's way into the combustion chamber.

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So sorry Rob. I hope John or someone can help you find a good donor candidate.