Good Cruise.....Gone Bad....

[LJS30]

Well guys last week I got my new BFG's finally installed on my car. So my wife and I decided to take the Dart out on the highway for a nice cruise to Palm Springs. Man it felt so good finally having some nice tires underneath this car. The handling and responsiveness was very nice. As we were cruising at 75MPH down the 10 East I decided to make a little pass around another car so I leaned slightly on the accelerator and boy did my mild 318 sound good as I passed at 90MPH. However as I slowed back to 75MPH I noticed a slight miss and then suddenly my oil pressure light went on. We took an off ramp, I checked the oil which was fine, and proceeded to drive home. As we neared our home I could hear something like a small clunk in my engine. The next day I took it to my mechanic who has had it since Thursday. Normally I hear from him very quickly but this time nothing. Usually that is not a good sign. I have a bad feeling this could be the end of my 318. Any ideas what it could be? Could my engine be done?

 

[rumblefish360]

If it is a rythmic bang/knock, that could be an oil starved crank. Your crank bearings would be shot. Re-grind the crank and get the bearings, re-assemble.
OR, drop in a 360. with the B&M flex plate for the external balanced engine to internal balanced converter.

Sorry to hearthis.

 

[Hemiroid]

It could be that a push rod had punched its way through a stamped rocker arm, this is quite common in a old drive train such as metal fatigue and wear.
If that happens a lifter may have gone up in its bore this causing a drop in oil pressure and then the oil light will come on, when you shut to motor off it will drop back down to the cam and when you start it up again your pressure will be back. If this is what happened a new set of rocker arms, push rods and your good to go.

Kenny

 

[Revhendo]

Yep, death rattle, you're screwed. Time for the 440 swap. (Hey, just trying to help).

Seriously, I would check the lifters. Had a similar issue with my 340.

 

[LJS30]

Thanks for the clues and encouragement guys. Hmmmmmmmm it would be disappointing if it had some major issue. However dropping in a 360 would be pretty cool.

 

[Burntorange70]

Sorry to here that. Hope it is not to bad. Good thing it got you back home. That's the last place you want to be stuck in the summer time.