Advice

[CzEcHy]

So 3 weeks ago I changed my oil. And about a week ago it was bone dry.

So I did a gasket overhaul and replaced a main seal, oil pan gasket, oil filter base gasket, oil pump gasket, and dist. Oring gasket. Oil leaks stopped.

Bad news is after all that money including my timing belt being done. The motor is making a marble type noise at high RPM and idles horribly even after refining my Carb. It started the day I realized the oil was bone dry.

Also had alot of metal shavings in my oil pan.

Added bars leak engine restore and the marble noise stopped but the idle is still horrible.

What in my motor could cause these symptoms?

And does anyone have a spare head on good condition I can buy to replace mine since its prob dying. Thanks

[AZmike]

You are leaking or burning oil at an extremely high rate. The head, cam, block, bearings, pistons, ring, and crank are likely damaged if you ran the engine for an extended period without oil pressure.

[CzEcHy]

Besides the noise and terrible idle, the car still runs at above 2000rpm the same.

And even the noise comes and goes, its not always there.


I dunno what to do, this is my only car and I can't afford for an engine rebuild time or money.. Junkyard motors are all trashed too, people take oil caps and valve covers so the rest of the motor rusts away..

[ShyBoyCA6]

Yeah seems like the block is toast man. I found shavings when we did the main and rods. Could be everything AZMike posted. Sadly it will sound quiet for now but then it will get louder in the 2000rpm or even at idle. I read that rod knock is caused by the crankshaft being unbalenced or oil not being circulated in the block for the bearings. When you found those shavings did you clean around the oil pump screening?

Either way you would need a rebuild.

[Blasney]

Running it dry and then discovering metal shavings inside the motor when you took it apart to replace the gaskets and seals tells me you need a new engine...or a complete rebuild on that one. Not what you were looking to hear, I'm sure...but it sounds to me like some serious damage has already been done, and it sure won't fix itself, or get any better by just driving it that way.

You can get a good used engine for that car at a reasonable price if you shop carefully. Seek out a reputable yard that offers some sort of warranty and do a careful visual inspection on the engine before you buy it. I worked as a shop foreman at a used car dealership for many years and bought hundreds of used engines from the better yards around town and had very good luck with them. Got a few that were bad, but the yards we dealt with exchanged them for us with no questions asked.

If you're not sure where to look in your area, stop into a local shop that does heavy engine work, or the service department at a local used car lot and ask who they buy used engines from. Getting such a referral can save you from blindly guessing where to go and increases your odds of getting a used engine you'll be satisfied with.