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Carnage Photo: What Happens When a Piston Breaks and Lots of Boost Runs Free


Carnage Photo: What Happens When a Piston Breaks and Lots of Boost Runs Free

The crazed power that turbo engines make these days does come with a price. That price is the potential for big carnage. Take this photo for example. Our pal Jon Sandahl shot it at a recent drag strip test session. What you are looking at it is the underside of a small block Ford that is force fed by an 88mm turbo. The car runs in the 275-Radial class that is getting so popular all over the country. 

While on a lap with the motor working at full song, a piston broke and all that pressure supplied by the turbo was allowed to rush, uncontrolled right down the cylinder and into the oil pan. There was so much force behind it, the oil pan was literally blown right off the motor. That’s reasonably impressive!

Gawk for yourself below. Think you’ve got better? Send your photos of blown up junk to [email protected] and we’ll show them to the world!

Oil pan blown off 


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5 thoughts on “Carnage Photo: What Happens When a Piston Breaks and Lots of Boost Runs Free

  1. Robert

    Wow ! Imagine the “what ifs”? Car launches, piston breaks, boost blows off oil pan, oils get under tires and so on! If we see more of this, there may be rule changes requiring oil pan burst panels and engine diapers like top fuel.

  2. ollie

    a burst panel in the pan with a hose to an air filtered catch can might stop oil getting under the tires when an engine gets a gail force bast to the pan…

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