so my car is FUBAR. Spun rod bearing?

[eclipse13]

I was on the way home and i heard what sounded like my lifters hitting the valve cover. So i idled into my appatments b/c i was basically there. I called my dad, explained what i heard and he told me to check the oil. I checked it and there was no oil on the dipstick . So he brought me some oil and I was like 2.5 quarts low. After we put it in he cranked it. It sounded fine at idle but anywhere above that it knocks really bad. He said he thinks it is a rod bearing, and I fully trust his judgement. Has anyone had any experience with this? How hard and expensive is it going to be to fix? I think my dad wants me and him to fix it because i just got the damned car back from the shop a week before this happened. So I cant afford anymore shop visits.

 

[dr1665]

I'll give you the cheapest option (which isn't the best one mind you). I was (sort of) in your shoes back in September, but my problem turned out to be a wrist pin lock failure, which led to wrist pin movement, which resulted in severely craked Wiseco marshmallows, er, pistons and she's still waiting on new pistons to be finished. Here's what you can do...


First, you need to figure out where all your oil went. Replacing bearings and not fixing the oil problem is just going to be bad.

Get a new set of rod bearings from Satan. Mine ran me about $25, but I had a connection at the time, so I don't know what they actually retail for. You'll need to drop the cross member and the oil pan. You be the judge of what you can and can't work around while you're under there. Remove the rod caps from the connecting rods and take a good look at them for scoring, scratches, uneveness (one side being shiny, the other dull), that sort of thing. This might be a good indicator of where the problem was occuring.

If your dad is fairly sure it's rod knock and wants to fix it, he'll understand that the ideal thing to do is pull the engine, strip the block and freshen it up with all new bearings etc., but if you're on a budget, this might buy you a little time. If things look decent on the journals (where the bearing rides on the crankshaft), you can install the new bearings (be sure to have the proper specs handy - PM me if you need a link to the Factory Service Manual), reassemble your undercarriage and only have to pop the hood to add your oil.

THIS IS BY NO MEANS A SUBSTITUTE FOR A PROPER REBUILD. If you are really tight, I've heard Howell Automotive sells stock rebuild kits for about $300. Keep that in mind. There is a right way to do things and there is a wrong way to do things, but this is what to do if you have no other choice.

Good luck to you.

 

[DsmBoi50]

sounds like a rod bearing to me. same thing happened to me. i drove it for a long time while i built a new one. You can drop the pan and side new bearings in as long as the crank isnt damaged, but i dont recomened it.