First I would like to say thank you, you have all compiled so much good information. I'm also sorry if this has been covered before. I tried scrolling threw and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for.
In march I pulled the trigger on an old fl350, always wanted a pilot, but the price was right. Seemed like it ran strong, replaced the shocks with some cheap Chinese fox knock offs, and was having a hoot. Then while going to check the mail(have a 1/2 mile drive way) I felt it go. About 4000-5000 rpm the piston skirt broke off. Ran for a out 5 seconds until I killed the engine.
Unfortunately I'm still waiting for the flywheel puller before I can split the case so I dont know the full extent of the damage. A large part of the piston has been pressed into the bearing opening on the butt end of the rod. The rest has been finely ground and dispersed throughout the engine.
I would like to rebuild and keep the stock engine, but I am not familiar with how tough this engine is. Cylinder wall appears to be serviceable, but I am lacking tools to properly measure anything accurately.
My concerns are;
Is my crankshaft most likely bent?
Should I be worried about scoring inside the crack case?
The top end had 3 head gaskets, is this normal?
What else should I be worried about?
Looks to be all stock.
Thank you