1968 HEMI Stroker Drops Valve - Can It Be Saved?

[@nickpanaritis4122]

It may be a 426 or 472 C.I. Bore is 4.280. No way a 572. Just to let everyone know.

[@jimmyford796]

4.5” bore 4.5” stroke makes 572ci

[@gtsman6954]

@@jimmyford796 It's an original block 4.25 bore std, max .06 over.

[@JalopyTechnology]

Lighter valves, new springs and lighter pistons would all help with durability. Great engines....I worked at Mopar dealers from '68 until '72.

[@fortyshooter1]

Well maybe enough left in bores to clean up? Play hard Pay hard. Man what destruction and cost one valve can do!

[@nickpanaritis4122]

@@jimmyford796 ....That is correct.

[@Mike-Olds-1]

WOW that re-defines the term “valve float”

[@brianreynoldson1965]

Heck of a "post mortem " on a Hemi. When any internal combustion engine "goes away ", it always tells a story. This was a very interesting story. Merci, Nick.

[@davidedgar2818]

I've only seen that kind of damage in a turbo charged engine. It is astounding that those pieces flowed through all of those cylinders. WOW!

[@tomstrum6259]

What a Dude !! ......Nick makes 'em look like Lifting Aluminum Heads !!!

[@genesimons8368]

Could see that spark in Nick's eyes when he first mentioned figuring this engine out. The man enjoys a challenge! Such an interesting episode! Thank you Nick and George, you made my day.

[@onedayiwillmakesomecontent]

I can just imagine Nick doing this in the back alley, back in the day, with old school tools! So good to see a master at work!

[@I.Live4oldcars.prospecting]

Wow that's alot of damage. That Hemi is Hurting bad. First for me seeing a Hemi taking apart. I learnt alot.

[@NicksGarage]

Right on.

[@dewiz9596]

As per Clint Eastwood. . .”Every man’s gotta know his limitations “

[@NicksGarage]

Right on.

[@michaelmartinez1345]

@Dewiz , Great Movie !!! Magnum Force!!! One of my favorite Harry Callahan movies!!!

[@bobdavis3357]

Had to see this video again. Nick is the Man!

[@deanehammitt7604]

That's the craziest thing I've ever seen an engine do.

[@milliondollar2981]

To this day nobody believes me when I cranked up my 1970 roller cam 426 Hemi Challenger while it was idling in the driveway it dropped a valve💥 went through the top of the head and I noticed water pouring out of the headers! Pulled the head off and there was no valve?, don't know what happened to it? never found it, never saw it it, wasn't in the headers, it must have blew out on the ground. The head had a good sized hole right in the top of the dome and the piston wasn't hurt that bad, I got a good used head from Maurice Petty and ran it hard for years 😊

[@SHILO750]

My friend, you obviously know what you’re doing!!

[@mynameis9057]

I'm somewhat baffled as to how that broken valve made it to the opposite side of the engine. Race Hemis don't have single exhaust, so I don't expect it travelled to the other side that way, so it must've went out up into the intake manifold and visited all of its kin,then up and out of almost every cylinder . That's really one for the books I say!!!! I've seen my share of grenaded engines and rods through the block and such, but I've never seen a visiting valve like that ever before this!!! WOW 😮!!! Thanks for sharing this with us Nick.

[@glennk1931]

It is so devastating to see such an iconic engine suffer this kind of damage. Especially due to its age. I have loved Mopar cars since I was a teenager. The 426 Hemi was my all time favorite. When I was a kid in high school, there were a couple of Hemi cars in the hood. A 68 Charger, and a 68 Coronet. The sound of those engines even at idle was incredible. Hope this Hemi can be saved.

[@joedonnelly9487]

Oh my gosh!!! Another very intruiging vid from the Master....Dang... Mystery is a fair way to describe this one... Great job Nick!!

[@TeamJesus515]

Hemi karnage for sure. Nick please keep us posted on this one 👍

[@Sherlock067]

Wow that valve really moved around Nick. Never have I seen this before. Can’t wait to see in the crankcase next! Thanks Nick👍

[@NicksGarage]

Thanks for watching!

[@michaelmartinez1345]

@Sherlock, I'm guessing here, but the broken valve appears to have made social visits in all but 2 combustion chambers before the engine finally quit turning... Maybe it is still in the intake manifold, maybe it fell out of the intake when it was removed.... What I'm wondering about now is what You are wondering about, damage to the bottom end... We'll find out!!!

[@eugenecastles7475]

A Monday afternoon, and a wounded Hemi in the shop for some TLC. I have never seen a dropped valve cause so much damage inside an engine. I expected to see what was left of the valve imbedded in the top of the piston, like what Nick showed from his brothers Hemi. Now I'm wondering what the bottom end is going to look like when Nick removes the rotating assembly, and what bits, and pieces are in the oil pan. Great video George!! I always enjoy the teardown videos, they are very informative. You just never know what will come through the door of Nick's Garage, the best KZbin channel on the net.

[@NicksGarage]

Thanks for the visit, Eugene. You're the best. We hope you have a great week.

[@eugenecastles7475]

@@NicksGarage We are in the middle of a Texas heat wave, with the daytime temps well over 100F, and the heat index around 115F. I think I finally got my computer issues solved. Thank you George, I hope that you have a great week too.

[@wickedcabinboy]

@eugenecastles7475 - If you look closely you might see small bits of the valve embedded in the no. 4 piston. I wasn't certain but we didn't get the kind of close up that Eric gives.

[@ImgoneButUrstillHere]

This has to be the only car channel that uses music just like they do in the movies lol luv it!

[@nickpanaritis4122]

Glad you love it!

[@shadvan9494]

I had something similar happen on an LS7 454 big block chevy in a drag boat in the early 90's. valve let go, broke in half, part of it embedded in the piston and destroyed the head and piston and broke the cylinder walls when the piston split. the other half was sucked up the intake track, threw the tunnel ram and crossed over to the other side of the engine wedging it between the good intake and open chamber causing the piston to smack and bend that intake valve. almost the entire motor was junk since it cracked both heads, broke the cylinder wall on one cylinder. If i remember correctly, i was only able to salvage the tunnel ram, and crankshaft from that engine. I also remember keeping the oil pan and oil/water heat exchanger. but everything else was junk.

[@ck4181]

Funny you mention the LS7 big block because the modern day LS7 has had issues dropping valves.

[@shadvan9494]

all Big Block Chevys are known for having valve train issues. having big valves combined with them being canted toward each other and angled push rods and heavy is a recipe for valvetrain issues. I was unaware that modern LS engines had this problem as well.

[@kurtzimmerman1637]

when a valve drops its always heartbreaking! happened to me 40 years ago! thanks for the video Nick!

[@NicksGarage]

Thanks for watching!

[@P_RO_]

If it's low RPM there's a slender hope of re-making a usable engine again. Anything beyond that is miracle territory.

[@BobbyTucker]

I had one drop on my Chevy 409/425 back in 1968, sleeves were involved there too.

[@wickedcabinboy]

@kurtzimmerman1637 - That ain't all a dropped valve breaks. Sometimes it's the bank.

[@Mike-ie6ee]

I'm glad you're okay Nick. This teardown made me nervous

[@dwightducker9891]

Nick you are a master. Your tear down videos are so educational. Thanks

[@NicksGarage]

Glad you like them!

[@Z-Bart]

Jim from Ontario you sent your engine to the right man. Nick will get her running top notch again.

[@BobbyTucker]

How does the saying go? "Horsepower is money, how fast do you wanna go"? lol.

[@tomtheplummer7322]

It’s not how fast you go, it’s how you go fast.

[@eribertoacedo9505]

Unbelievable that valve bounced all over the place!

[@nitr0junki3]

If you have only one takeaway from this video, it’s that “it doesn’t matter”.

[@coreyshort9461]

Take a good look around in the intake for the valve pieces....🧐

[@NicksGarage]

There were tiny bits all over the place.

[@gcrauwels941]

It's almost like the valve head shattered into small pieces before migrating between cylinders. Some of the pistons looked like they had fragments imbedded on top.

[@stevepastore7970]

I just wonder if there was any damage inside the intake manifold from all that metal bouncing around? Great video Nick and George thank you!!!

[@marzsit9833]

if the manifold has a vacuum balance crossover it could still have some valve and piston debris stuck in the passages. without a crossover only cylinders 1, 7, 4 and 6 would have damage, but cylinder 8 also had damage so i suspect there is a crossover in it.

[@joeromanak8797]

We know pistons, heads and cylinders took a hit but I also wondered about collateral damage to intake manifold and exhaust ports. Will we locate the missing valve head? Is the internal damage worse than first imagined? Can this patient be saved? Tune in next week for the next exciting episode of “Dr. Nick Follows the Damage Trail”

[@newportbeach3621]

Anything can be saved if ur working on it . Nick knows his stuff wish you were close to me .

[@FrankBullitt390]

For Hemis Only was another premier Canadian hemi shop, but he has recently relocated to Florida and was having trouble finding staff last I heard.

[@NicksGarage]

Envious of their weather.

[@HiTechOilCo]

@@NicksGarage - You probably aren't envious of snakes, mosquitoes, killer bees, killer ants, alligators, hurricanes every year destroying homes, tropical diseases, flat terrain and swarms of illegal aliens. Count your blessings. :)

[@sampayette4921]

This channel really helped me grow closer to my dad

[@MM_in_Havasu]

Dang, that engine did a BIG potty! Ouch! Thanks Nick for a great teardown video!

[@rosewhite---]

what a beautiful engine! solid iron to last forever . hope we will see and hear hemis on the road for decades to come!

[@oldman454]

Out of the three factory big blocks there is nothing more badass in the 426 HEMI AND THAT'S A FACT JACK 🤤

[@lelandcox4089]

I watched some guys getting ready for an upcoming race and just warming up a big block Chevy. The motor was not being abused but it made a loud pop! We followed them back bo their garage and watched as they took the motor apart to see what happened. It appeared from the debris that the motor had dropped a valve head. The pieces traveled through the motor quickly and did a lot of damage! The parts on top of the pistons cracked the top of a couple pistons and cracked both heads! They took off the oilpan the next day and descovered a crack in one of the webbs on the block and a broken crankshaft. VERY EXPENSIVE POP!

[@burlboone4288]

Nick you never disappoint, I always learn something when I watch your videos. Thank you Nick & George 😊

[@nickpanaritis4122]

Love to hear it !

[@joeljenkins2876]

Looking at that hemi on the stand makes it easy to understand how it earned the nickname ‘elephant’!!!!! But, no matter, I’m sure Dr. Nick can save it!!!! He’s the hemi guru!!!!!

[@trybriguy1357]

I have in my tool box, a black hose that fits the spark plug that's been in there since 1972 when I first started working on motors. Not a tool but, a hose that fits over the spark plug. As I was working on pulling the spark plugs, I wanted to make sure I didn't put the wires on the wrong plugs when putting it back together. My mom was hanging clothes on the clothes line so I went over and I stole 8 clips. Just the right size and the hole in the clothes pin was perfect for the width of the wire. I labeled them R1234 and L1234 and I've used them for years!!

[@stephenhood2948]

When you turned the engine to remove the rocker shafts it reminded me of what happened to a guy I used to work with. He was cutting the exhaust off of something with a cutting torch, spraying slag everywhere. Some hot slag got in a nearby trashcan and caused a fuel filter in the trashcan to catch on fire and put pit marks all over the windshield of the Mercedes on the left next to him. You have to be careful. At that same shop I was taking the trans pan off of a Dodge Ram pickup and the pan was stuck on. I had taken all the bolts out and couldn't pull it off so I went to get a mallet, I should have put a couple bolts in the pan, the pan came off and dumped nasty ATF all over the car next to where I was working. You do have to be careful with things like that.

[@Australia-ky7kx]

It was like a detective novel, a' who done it' escapade into a mechanical mystery. I've never seen a happy wander of a valve causing chaos as it travelled around the engine. But our inspector Nick solved the puzzle.

[@glenbrannon7224]

Thanks , enjoy watching you tear Hemis down and put them together!

[@jeffjankiewicz5100]

Wow, I forgot how big the "elephant" engine is. Definitely has malice in the combustion palace. That valve took a trip around the engine. I hope you can save it Nick. Thanks Nick and George for taking us along.

[@wickedcabinboy]

@jeffjankiewicz5100 - Another fan of Eric's, I see. That's precisely what I thought when he spoke of a dropped valve. Hope he posts a video of the bottom end as he dismantles it.

[@moosemanmagee4495]

My grandma said but don't kill you just makes you stronger! This engine sould be a beast in the end.

[@NicksGarage]

Your grandma sounds to be very wise.

[@pappy017]

Evenin Mr Nick an George! Have a Great Week!!

[@NicksGarage]

Thanks, you too!

[@BobbyTucker]

Hey Nick, I haven't read any of the other comments but I think many of us will agree, the owner of this Stroker Hemi drove it quite a bit after it sucked that valve, it had to happen that way unless he was in the upper echelons of the tachometer (Possibly 8,000 rpms or more) when it let loose. I sincerely hope there's no cracks in the block to deal with. I love your show, I want to get up there one day, hopefully, when you have an open house. Have a Great Day, Nick.

[@455buick6]

That wasn't driven anywhere I don't believe, high rpms caused all of the damage until it finally locked up after it managed to spin down

[@davewilkirson2320]

I have been through this several times. Strange things can happen when disentegration begins. It is always a mystery until the entire engine is opened. Sort of fun really. But can get really expensive.

[@teamshem3853]

When I was a young lad, my Dad bought a used motor home and he and I drove to the great state of Texas. Just outside of San Antonio a keeper came loose and the 318 sucked a valve at freeway speed. Cracked the block in 3 places.

[@rickyb2200]

Wow , Nick I've seen a valve head go go from cylinder to others , what a mess. But it's no problem for the King of Mopar. Thanks for letting us be part of the year down .

[@JS-tu1ti]

Nick, It is great watching you work. Thank you for making these videos. I enjoy listening to your thought process as you debug problems!!!! - J

[@windycityben4850]

That’s wild how that valve just bounced around from cylinder to cylinder! Looking forward to see what this customer does with this project.

[@netgnostic1627]

Nick, great video. Fascinating story this engine tells. I hope you'll make more videos showing the repair and rebuild of this engine.

[@nickpanaritis4122]

Glad you enjoyed it !

[@cpnolto]

Great content Nick. I was worrying about your Kowalski car if that spring launched across the shop! Glad you moved the engine stand.

[@Ghostdog4]

Friday night, blue sky but a rainy weekend predicted. Take my motorcycle out or watch Nick tear down a Hemi and sort out the problem?? No contest, I'm watching Nick.

[@darrenbrisson4336]

Love the old stories nick letting people know youre not new at this Canada's mopar guru

[@scottd4426]

What a wizard you are Nick ! knowing enough to turn the engine and which direction a broken valve spring is going to fly ! your a pleasure to watch work .

[@Cultofpersonality09129]

😂

[@nickpanaritis4122]

Appreciate it!

[@garylane6868]

I would check that intake for pieces of the valve and any other debris

[@tomnekuda3818]

I forgot just how monsterous those engines are!

[@NicksGarage]

They sure fill up a room!

[@timothyhays1817]

Hence, the Nickname the Elephant Engine.

[@stevelee5724]

They sure are monsters ! Especially when Nick leans on it you can see the size !

[@BobbyTucker]

One really remembers how monsterous they are when one opens up all eight barrels, lol. Reply

[@stevelee5724]

@BobbyTucker Gday Bobby. Yes Mate, wouldn't that be fun... Cheers from New Zealand 🇳🇿

[@Cultofpersonality09129]

Looks like it was a Craigslist rebuild when it was built.ring land and piston skirts everywhere. That oil pan is going to be full of metal. It’ll be a nice boat anchor for someone.

[@ronwelch6548]

Every time I watch your show I always say, (man I wish I was there with you).

[@ThePontiacgto65]

This valve in the piston a true work of art😮

[@psk5746]

Gosh that is a physically huge engine. It also looks to me like the inlet port gasket surfaces are not parallel to the bore centre line. That must make sealing a challenge

[@chrismadaj8751]

My, My George, you got that cool music in the background NICK working on the VALVE Cover having a hard time made. me chuckle a little bit.

[@NicksGarage]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@victordjinn632]

@@NicksGarage I was thinking HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME, Sly & The Family Stone.

[@pauljanssen7594]

Basically the Piston chews up the valve and pieces of the valve float through the float through the intake into other cylinders, it looks like the exhaust valves were cupping. You usually see that on Intake valves.

[@bobdavis3357]

If ANYONE can save this Hemi, it's Nick!

[@tomstrum6259]

At 19:34, Looks like the Exhaust valve Seat Ring is totally Missing & Added to the total Loose bits Traveling about & Increasing the mechanical Interference Carnage !! .....Amazing how the relatively Small intake Plenum interconnect Tunnel opening let the debris move to Both heads !!

[@billsprague9783]

Nick, I just found your channel, I am really enjoying.what you do and how you do it. I have subscribed to your channel and rang the bell. Thank you for how you are educating the public.

[@nickpanaritis4122]

Thank you for your kind words!

[@myhemirr]

Years ago, I dropped an intake valve on #2 cylinder when power shifting 2nd gear at 7200 rpm. It poked a hole in the piston and head. The head of the valve was found in cylinder 3. Fortunately, it did not suffer the carnage that this Hemi did.

[@CORVAIRWILD]

I would have been faster, but I was admiring a gas powered cement mixer on the rear bumper of a pickup truck, in Madison wiscomma I'm on my way to a Corvette show in Wisconsin Dells

[@NicksGarage]

Right on.

[@mongrelhalfbreedobern]

The valve's farewell tour

[@brianemmanuelgrey9276]

Wow! Now those are seriously large valves to let a piece of metal that big pass around not only in one head, cylinder1 to cylinder8, but across the motor, head to head and is still no where to found. Where is the broken valve? Did it get pooped out the exhaust valves? With headers and straight pipes it maybe gone, or it could be any where in the heads to the headers to the muffler if there is any. Wild! Great show Nick! Gold.

[@ericball6000]

Dr. Nick, like you all ways say, you never know what is coming through the door next!, cheers.

[@theupscriber65]

Nick, I may have missed you saying anything about the rod bearings. I've had two engines drop valves. Rebuilt the top end of them and they were fine at first. But both developed a rod knock on the same cylinder that had dropped a valve several thousand miles later. I believe the piston smacking the valve slightly damaged the rod bearings and caused them to fail later.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

What a deal for that HEMI......Thanks Nick 👍 Shoe🇺🇸

[@paulbergin4239]

Definitely a fun episode to watch. Good work.

[@OlSgtLove]

Great video Nick , that ol part of the valve got everywhere. It would have also pass around the intake manifold too . Dr. Nick will fix the ol Hemi back up . Hello to everyone...

[@NicksGarage]

Good tip!

[@jacquespoirier9071]

disassembling the intake valves and inspecting their condition would give the final answer, this would de a good investment as would justify a close inspection of the intake manifolsd and headers ( or exhaust manifold ) to be sure there is remaining no metal chunks.

[@tomstrum6259]

Great Presentation & Fantastic content video !! .....Keep 'em Coming Nick !!!

[@fredcrook8228]

"Nick Vs. The Engine That Ate Itself" 😁

[@NicksGarage]

Haha! Horror movie.

[@BobbyTucker]

@@NicksGarage , What a thriller that would be! lol!

[@dennis-nz5im]

Zip tie the spring and wrap it up so it can’t expand fully until cut loose and wire it to a bolt in the front. Thus it can pitch the retainer and such but mitigate your loss

[@MrTonyBrooklyn]

NICE JOB AS ALWAYS NICK! LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FOLLOW_UP!

[@nickpanaritis4122]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mrpurcountry]

I think I'd be checking for bent rods and crank damage. And there must be pieces of that valve inside the intake maybe still.

[@DJTruth_1970]

Dropped a valve on a race heminat 8000 rpm, lots of damage, saved block and heads. Indy redid the heads. 2 sleeves.

[@keithharris7365]

Awesome show how could one value do that and get out of the engine.hope block and heads aren't cracked goo job Nick and crew always learn something every time. Keep them coming and see you Friday

[@Fongolitus]

looks like it ate it and spit it out

[@cnchess]

Check the intake manifold for parts and chunks of valve... it was clearly bouncing around in the intake manifold to get to other cylinders. It may have left a trail of damage.

[@roberthutchison8416]

Do you think it could have migrated through the exhaust side? I cant imagine how it got in the intake then somehow got to other cylinders? Multiple at that? I just don't know how that happened. Would love a response but understand if you don't. Thanks .

[@fw1421]

I’ve never seen damage like that. Amazing!🙀🙀🙀

[@NicksGarage]

We could not believe our eyes either.

[@mikebaker9574]

You should visit the drag races more often lol

[@wickedcabinboy]

@@mikebaker9574 - Or "I Do Cars" on YT. Eric has shown us some spectacular failures.

[@Jerrystone-xe9cn]

Great video. Good luck rebuilding the hemi. It should be a monster once you are done with it . WAiting for the dyno blast

[@NicksGarage]

That's the plan!

[@tomcox2565]

That’s amazing how that piece of valve worked it’s way through the whole damn top end! And it still hasn’t been found.

[@mikecrawford5331]

Amazing how the pieces of that valve were able to get past the intake valves to get into the other cylinders was that happening during valve overlap? While on the compression stroke? 31:37 Had to edit question probably more likely on exhaust stroke? Obviously overlap is out the window with no valve.

[@jerseymike4755]

Great video Nick always learning from you. Such a shame to see a motor like this one getting destroyed. BTW where can I get the T shirt your wearing?

[@NicksGarage]

The shirt was a gift from a viewer. ❤️

[@edwardweisenburg16]

Awesome content !!!! Only on Nick's garage 😊

[@NicksGarage]

More to come!

[@ewconway]

Wow incredible…… the story of the floating broken valve….. amazing

[@NicksGarage]

Glad you liked it!

[@joelenglish7092]

Lots of damage. Like my chevy builder says, there is usually more damage after dropping a valve than you first see. Thanks for showing us Nick !!

[@NicksGarage]

Right on.

[@myleftthumb2294]

The valve covers on that thing are like the oil pans on most cars. Wow!!

[@johnjelinek-g7b]

I've seen this happen a few times back in the day, when a valve head breaks off it can migrate to other cylinders . Generally it happens when the exhaust breaks off and you have very large intakes . It generally will eventually stab into a piston dome . Also seen them fly through a cyl. and be laying in the pan . at high rpms all kinds of events can happen . I used to take a lot of time trouble shooting failures, so I could try not to let the problem exist in a future build . Actually I thought at first we would see a broaken valve spring . But this was caused by maybe a missed shift or something caused by a high rpm condition . I'd say well over eight grand .

[@darrinfry2251]

Love to see this 80 thousands over with bigger valves plus port work oh yeah .

[@jmflournoy386]

Whimpey pushrods for today' cams and valve springs and revs Keep the pushrods in order so you can check for bent pushrods and know which is which Note how nick removes in reverse of torque down order Sleeves and aluminum heads First aftermarket cam was "505' THEN 525 Then 550 - 590 they were actually more with the Hemi rocker ratios Now lids... Nice explanation Nick

[@brand-x7049]

Lordy, that valve must have shattered and blown shrapnel through the whole intake manifold... o!O

[@livewire4495]

Outstanding! Now that's entertainment. Drama Mystery Reveal I have always wanted to see a Hemi Tear-down