So Im home and my friend who lives at my house asks If I could take her to her sisters house. No biggie I say and we hop in the s14. Im doing 40 in a 45 a few cars behind a silverado when I see a black object appear from under it (it was small enough he just drove over it not touching it).
Not having enough time for any manuvers I think nothing of it thinking it would clear the underbody... It looked plastic as well, so I proceed to go over it (directly in the center of my car). Keep in mind I only have a 1.5 - 1.75 drop and can still clear a decent amount of debris.
Then I hear it bounce about 5 - 6 times under my car!!!! Now Ive ridden over things before and heard them bouce, later checking for damage, but this one was different.. I knew something was different about it but what... So, I let off the gas and pulled my next right, about 150 feet away if that.
I stop fast, immediately put it into park, and jump straight out, looking under the car. All I see is all of my 15w-50 mobil 1 super syn gushing out as if the drain plug had just come out... It was that bad!!! Immediately agian I hop in the car and cut her off, while checking for a low oil pressure light (which wasnt on). I then look behind the car to see the massively thick trail of oil I had behind left for that short block.
Total time from impact to shut down was at the ablsolute most 15 seconds!!! I had managed to rip a hole in my oil pan that I can probably stick my thumb in yet shut it down faster then the engine could loose pressure.. It was still purring for the 2 seconds it idled before I cut it. My friend said she had never seen someone react that fast.
So I follow the trail after pushing her into the grass, to see what I nailed. Picture this, a piece of steel 1/4" thick, 4" L angle (4" both ways of the L), about 5 inches long with a welded on eye bolt is what it was. The thing weighed nearly 3 pounds if not more as well.
Crazy as I didnt see any smoke but knew something didnt sound right...
Any way I figured with me having an auto-x on sunday (gonna call this one off too just to be safe!!) and am starting a new job on tuesday, Id take it to deland nissan where my best friend and the only mechanic I would trust with my car works. I could swap out pans on my own but it just wouldnt have worked out right.
So I tow it there (pulled the chin for good measure before tow
) and we push it into the shop where it will sleep at night (he treats it in the same manner I treat his Z when I help him... like it was his own, thus it sleeping inside safe and above prying hands reach ) We proceeded to lift it and inspect the damage....That mother-****er was on a mission!! It shredded the diffuser in 5 places within a 1" area like it was paper, The corner went into the pan at the very front (good as we think it missed the pickup) putting a hole I could put my finger in, then put a small dent in the transmission pan while nailing a fitting disrupting the seal on it, then it gouged the underbody in various places and nicked 1/2 way through the fuel tank before leaving!!! I mean I have 3 weak exposed areas and it nailed every single one...
So sat I get my pan and itll be put on then. The peace of mind knowing itll be done perfectly right as if I had done it, in a timely manner, and with no hassle to my already over stressed self Is worth the labor charge of 180$ which we may get cut
The pan was at cost plus 20% so it only cost 90$ as well Ill try to get images of the trophy L angle tommorow, as well as on car damage! Ill also take a picture of the pan when its off on saturday and post them all.
Cliffnotes: do to my leet speed I managed to shut down my car fast enough to avoid any additional damage frome a massive gouge in my oil pan from satan sent debris.
Images to follow...
On the bright side I know I take 100% perfect corners even under extreme emergency conditions, as indicated from the oil. I mean I wish I had my camera as it was that good
I knoticed that, told the tow driver, and we both had a laugh. Also The pan may be salvageable with some hammer and mig work. This will gave me a temp pan to mount oil retun and oil temp bungs into for when I turbo, thus allowing me to modify my new pan at my leisure.
Good times eh?
