[Shotimes] Rod bearings

[Carl Prochilo]

Rod bearings that are in an impending state of failure are a silent killer at
first.  This is why I believe people want an oil pressure gauge instead of
idiot lights, CMIIW.

This is what I observed on my 3.0L before it gave up the ghost last
September.
  1.. After the engine gets warm, and sitting at a traffic light with
transmission in neutral, the red Oil light flickers slowly.  Give it a little
gas and it goes away and usually stays off.  Engine is quiet as usual.  No
perceived loss of power.
  2.. Eventually after a few more drives this pattern will get worse and then
the light won't go off once the engine reaches idle again.  Engine is still
quiet.  No perceived loss of power.
    a.. At this point I decide to get an oil flush and change oil and filter.
No difference noticed.  Duh.  I ask some of the local people what might be
happening and they don't give much help and can't diagnose the problem.
  3.. At some point later, starting the car will sound like an old mid 70s
motor that has bad timing and you hear a knocking sound.  Drive the car, sound
goes away.  After engine warms up, you get same as 2.
  4.. Finally the coup de gras.  You drive the car, knocking sound doesn't
seem to go away.  It's really loud now but car still moves.  The noise gets to
be so loud that you just don't want to drive it anymore.  Now you have a real
decision to make about the car.
I'm not a gear-head, so throughout this whole time I have no idea what's
happening until it's too late.  You probably read this and say WTF was this
guy thinking, but I wasn't using the car a lot at the time and the drives were
all in the roughly 10 mile per trip range.  Of course I know better now but at
the time it was all new to me.

I don't know if after any point during this sequence if the motor could have
been saved if it had stopped being used and the rod bearings were immediately
replaced.  I do know that once the crankshaft has been compromised that the
repairs get to a whole new level of work.

Cheers,
Carl Prochilo
92 Ultra Red Crimson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce Malachuk" <bmalach1@nycap.rr.com>
To: "SHOtimes" <shotimes@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 12:59 PM
Subject: [Shotimes] Rod bearings


> Well with my center console out of the car and no sound deadening material
in
> place I can hear a distinct knock at 3500+ RPM in my car when driving. That
to
> me is enough readon to change the bearing, but I need to find the best deal
on
> all that I need to do the job.
>
> Price wise is there anyplace out there that carries everything and has
decent
> prices? Rockauto doesn't carry the bearings but carries the gasket set and
egr
> gasket to use as an oil pickup gasket.
>
> I wanna try and do this over the weekend cause I really hate the idea of my
> car knocking like that.
>
> Bruce
> 94 Opal Frost MTX
> 93 Black ATX - winter beater then parts car :-)
> _______________________________________________
> Shotimes mailing list
> Shotimes@autox.team.net
> http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo/shotimes