so i had noticed my car backfiring slightly yesterday so today i thought id go get some carb cleaner because usually my carb is the issue.....wrong.....valve spring retainer came off and now the olds is down fml

 

If you've holed a piston, you'll generally blow a lot of smoke, and be blowing smoke out the breather.
A compression test will make it pretty obvious.

The real question is: How did a valve keeper come off, and what position is the valve in now?

- Eric

 

i dont even know how it came off i was driving and it just started clacking im going crazy cause i just got my license and idk what the heck im gonna do about work dang it im pissed

 

If you just beat it up but didn't hole it, you may get away with a new valve and some judicious smoothing of the piston crown - not a high-quality repair, but it should get you to work for a while, while you figure out your next step.

- Eric

 

im hoping for the best but this just puts me in a bad spot

 

Well tlmy olds is back to project mode I got the line on a 455 guess ill go that route sad day for me ill keep posted i feel bad 😞 right now my focus is getting me a set of cheap wheels while I rebuild

 

what do you mean by valve spring retainer??the half moon keepers??take a pic.if one came out which i have seen,why it happens is beyond me but if so it can be replaced on the car.

 

Yeah, I'm still not sure what's really going on here either.

- Eric

 

Ok so valve did go through piston....one of two things happened either me having occasional play time did it or when I had the heads off before cause of head gasket and stuff I didn't get a retainer seated properly ill upload pics later but the break is super clean no jagged edges etch its like someone sawed it off in still confused too bear with me I'm trying to solve the problem

 

here

 

Oh.... Crap.

Are you sure that the failure was in the valve keeper?

I have not seen every possible engine failure mode (by far), but that does not look to me like "keepers fell out, valve slipped into combustion chamber, piston hit valve."

It looks more like "valve head came off, beat the crap out of piston, keepers fell out of valve stem because there was no tension on it."

Grab the 455 if you can - even if it's worn, it'll do the job.
You'll need to check the "Big Block Omega" thread, though, for installation details, as the X-body was never equipped with a BB originally.

- Eric

 

My thing is with the 455 it has to run,and the guy said it sat 20 years or so I'm Leary and I wanna grab it but I don't wanna spend 300 on it and be in the dame boat

 

Couldn't you just have that head fixed or replace it with one and replace the one rod and piston ? I'm sure between a used rod and piston and 1 head you will be in it 300 with new gaskets.

 

I agree as long as the cylinder wall wasn't damage you could do a piston/ rod

To bad your not closer, I am about to pull a tired 330 that I would sell cheap to good home