> I think when I cranked it with liquid
> gas in the cylinder and it tried to compress
> it, I may have bent a rod
My gut tells me that it would be hard to bend a rod
with just the torque of the starter motor, but I guess
it's certainly possible. I would think that if the
piston came up and found the chamber full of fuel, it
would just lock up and not turn any more. But again,
although I could certainly be wrong here, I wouldn't
think the torque of the starter alone would be enough
to bend a connecting rod.
I once "hydraulic'd" a brand new BMW 530i that I
incorrectly hooked up the injection on. That was a
modern high-torque starter, and although the engine
locked up instantly, it didn't bend anything. (It
scared the willies out of me though, as it wasn't my
car!)
Plus, if the rod were bent, I'd think it'd be
clattering away under almost all conditions. Then
again, it clearly seems like the hydraulic lock
damaged SOMETHING, because it's probably not a
coincidence that the noise cropped up now. I'm sure
you'll get better feedback from others on the list...
I hope it's less major than you think, and I wish you luck,
=====
Paul Misencik
1971 MGB Vintage Race Project
Huntersville, NC USA
www.sopwithracing.com
Learn the truth at www.misleader.org
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