$5000 budget Mustang

[Dan S.]

This is turning into the War and Peace of threads, the thread that never ends.

It was a crazy weekend, I'm still kind of in a funk. While on the road course at RTTS, the engine in the Mustang let go. While trying to lay down a decent time, in one of the faster parts of the course the engine locked up, knocking the side out of the block, laying 3 gallons of oil on to the track, and putting me into the wall.

While on the cruise Friday, the breather puked a bunch of oil out, only did it once, but it should have given me a heads up. Saturday while beating on it, it seemed a little down on power, but ran OK. When time trialing on the road course at about 6500rpm / 110 mph, in a long sweeping turn the thing let go.

Pulled the engine this morning, it appears #5 piston broke right at the ring land, throwing the rod thru the side of the cylinder. Looks like the heads made it though. I remember the guy I bought the engine from, saying he squeezed several times, maybe that weak'nd it,maybe not. I still want to have some fun this summer, so I guess I'll have to figure some things out.

Looking at the picture, it seems like the sheet metal damage is all in the rear.



Is it bad?