OK fellow gearheads... here's the scenario. My car, ('92 TBird 3.8L V-6) had a blown head gasket (it blew LOTS of antifreeze out the tailpipe). I took the heads off and found the problem at the #4 cylinder. (Driverside, front) Upon closer inspection, I found that the #4 piston comes within 3 mm of the top of the cylinder bore. All the other pistons travel to the TOP of the cylinder bore. I am assuming that some uncompressable antifreeze in the #4 cylinder during the compression stroke may have caused the connecting rod to bend. I know it's not broken because it still functions. I would just remove the oil pan and look at it, but the fine folks at Ford made it virtually impossible to drop the pan without taking a huge chunk of the unibody frame off first.

Question #1... do ya think the rod is bent???

Question #2... do I need to fix it??? (I would assume the answer is a big YES)

Question #3... do you think Ford SUCKS?!?

Tell me what you think!

Thanks

I think you are on target with your assesments. I've seen similar occurences where an engine hydro-locks and bends a connecting rod. Feel lucky that not enough anti-freeze leaked into the combustion chamber to cause the engine to completely quit. I've seen engines hydro-lock and blow the rod out the opposite side of the engine. I would say to find an inexpensive used or re-built engine and replace it. Lord only knows what else was knocked out of alignment in the process.

Agreed, and if there was enough pressure to do that in the cylinder, you can damn well bet there's at least bearing damage on that rod journal. I don't think Ford sucks, I just think that in some applications you have to pull the motor from the engine bay to perform serious service on it.

They do tend to do block the oil pans in for some reason, yet another reason for that tubular K-member. :)

Yea def invest in a tubular K-member. Allows you to get to the oil pan without having to lift the engine up! Well worth it!

Question #1... do ya think the rod is bent???

Probably

Question #2... do I need to fix it??? (I would assume the answer is a big YES)

Definately

Question #3... do you think Ford SUCKS?!?

No