[becketadams]

Evening, all. First-time poster. Looking for help and/or advice.

Long story short: Tried to start up the 1968 Galaxie 500 at my home in Washington, D.C., this evening. Horrible engine noise and failure. No idea what happened.

It is about 50 degrees outside, so the engine was struggling to start. It would fire up but then quickly die down, even if I gave it just a tiny bit of gas.

So, on the last attempt, I fired it up and then gave it much more gas to rev the engine to help warm it up. I didn’t quite floor it, but I put more weight on the pedal than before. Much more.

The engine was firing up loud as usual, then there was a terrible clanging, banging noise. Not quite a pop like a backfire, but like something snapped. Then the driver’s side of the car felt like it dropped about an inch or two. I quickly turned the car off, and then the engine slowly died making a terrible, agonizing sound. I haven’t attempted to start it up since then, and really don’t want to until I get a better idea of what just happened.

I am new to owning a classic and have been working hard to restore this ’68, so I’m obviously really bummed about whatever just happened.

If there are any users who may have suggestions for what went wrong and how I may fix it, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[Action]

Welcome 2 the FFO!

You stated the drivers side fell? Did it?

Hard to say what happened based on clanging and banging.

I the engine oil & power steering fluid (if equipped) full?
Transmission fluid on the stick when the engine is off?
If yes crank the engine, just to hear if it cranks normally.

How about a picture of under the hood from the drivers side?

Action

 

[becketadams]

Welcome 2 the FFO!

You stated the drivers side fell? Did it?

Hard to say what happened based on clanging and banging.

I the engine oil & power steering fluid (if equipped) full?
Transmission fluid on the stick when the engine is off?
If yes crank the engine, just to hear if it cranks normally.

How about a picture of under the hood from the drivers side?

Action

Welcome 2 the FFO!

You stated the drivers side fell? Did it?

Hard to say what happened based on clanging and banging.

I the engine oil & power steering fluid (if equipped) full?
Transmission fluid on the stick when the engine is off?
If yes crank the engine, just to hear if it cranks normally.

How about a picture of under the hood from the drivers side?

Action

Welcome 2 the FFO!

You stated the drivers side fell? Did it?

Hard to say what happened based on clanging and banging.

I the engine oil & power steering fluid (if equipped) full?
Transmission fluid on the stick when the engine is off?
If yes crank the engine, just to hear if it cranks normally.

How about a picture of under the hood from the drivers side?

Action

Hey, thanks so much for getting back to me. Sorry for tardiness.

So, I guess I have to out how new I am to this. I cannot for the life of me find what went wrong, though I did find these two bits unconnected under the hood. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Action]

Those two bits (hoses and valve actually) were connected to an air conditioning compressor at one point.

Action

 

[becketadams]

sigh, yeah. friend already pointed that out. feel silly now. still a lot to learn, obvs.

 

[Action]

No worries. There are many things I have had to learn more than once to get it.

Action