Thoughts on cause of intermediate shaft problem

[jimfoo]

Now it may, or may not be related to this problem, so I just want to be sure.

[TylerDurden]

First thought: "Well, that sucks..."

Next thought: How much play was in the bearings?

[jimfoo]

On the shaft? None that I could feel. Hoping it was just a metal piece that caused the shaft to be pulled backwards when my main cap/bolds let go, which caused the hole...

[CRSMP5]

the rod hit it.. when poking hole in block.. that broke the flange off..

[TylerDurden]

If that's the case, perhaps there's a witness mark.

I was thinking along the lines of asymmetric load on the flange, causing long term stress fracture.

[CRSMP5]

try using one to install a bearing.. pops it right off 1st smack.. takes no force at all to break it.. think of how a side ways hit would load it.. back in 94 the im shaft bearings becme junk and needed honed to fit properly.. trying to figure out what was going on i broke one..

[theman53]

My 84 had that broke off and it ran for 100,000 after I saw it. It was broken before I bought it. I could see its cause. The PO had pried on the IM pulley and broke pieces off of it. I think he pried on it in the block and it got worked at that time.

[jimfoo]

Just for the record, the rod did not break. the engine ran just fine after the hole happened, just that there was a bit more oil leaking than normal, and a bit more smoke as all that oil hit the exhaust... 

[CRSMP5]

   thats interesting... ok what ever vibration cracked th eblock to loose that chunk.. in sure did not help that shaft to not break... id also pitch the crank.. something major wrong there..

[theman53]

nah the crank is probably fine, the chunk was his main cap coming apart. This was #2 of 3 right now that I can think of that had the main cap leave the block.

[CRSMP5]

that hit it then.... 

[fatmobile]

Was the timing belt running to the outer edge on the injection pump sprocket?

[jimfoo]

I have no clue on the belt, but I think it was fairly centered