Thread: 98gtp100,000 on body bad engine swap q on 160000 mi motor ? about engine bearings

If you took the bottom end apart, it must see a machine shop or else it will be a 10 mile motor.

Just throw the motor in and hope for the best really, no one can say how long it will last.

You could do the bearings yourself, its just that the block needs machine work before anything can go back together.

Welcome to the site

i work in a machine shop,

if you were to swap just the bearings, while measuring nothing, it will probly work fine.

if you were to just bolt the engine in the car and turn the key, it will probly work fine.

new bearings will still vary as much as a .001 new out of the box. that may help you, or it may fuk you over
if your not going to have the rods resized then dont bother with the bearings

Originally Posted by fox66669

im new to this I,m in the process of putting a 160000 mi motor in my gtp my ? is should i put rod bearings in it while its out of the car seance i know its the rod bearings that go bad
in the first place the engine runs great its in a roll over that I bought its all hwy mi and why do they blow the rods in the first place any help would be appreciated

its not so much the bearings that go bad, its the rods/rod bolt

Originally Posted by Seachicken

i work in a machine shop,

if you were to swap just the bearings, while measuring nothing, it will probly work fine.

if you were to just bolt the engine in the car and turn the key, it will probly work fine.

new bearings will still vary as much as a .001 new out of the box. that may help you, or it may fuk you over
if your not going to have the rods resized then dont bother with the bearings

I take it you havent rebuilt a 3800 from the ground up before.

Just slapping some new bearings in it without machine shop work on the block will just blow it up.

thats what i said

fox6669: so I guessing what some other ppl told me u just cant put rod bearings in it will have to go to the machine shop for that

Originally Posted by Fivefingerdeathpunch

You could do the bearings yourself, its just that the block needs machine work before anything can go back together.

what are you going to machine on the block that has any relevence to changeing rod bearings??

Originally Posted by Seachicken

fox6669: so I guessing what some other ppl told me u just cant put rod bearings in it will have to go to the machine shop for that



what are you going to machine on the block that has any relevence to changeing rod bearings??

the block NEEDS to be aligned honed for the crank. these blocks twist a bit.

Originally Posted by scottydoggs

the block NEEDS to be aligned honed for the crank. these blocks twist a bit.

yes it does, but that deals with the main line (main bearings) , i thought we were talking about the ROD bearings

a line hone matters none to the rod bearings

Thats the problem with buying a used engine, you dont know how well it was taken care of by the previous owner and you don't know how long it will last. It could last for the rest of the life of the car, it could last 3 days you never know.

it all should be done. the price to have it done and add new bearings, and bolts dont compare to a used block. or justify the price to just "freshen up" a engine. this is why most just find a good used block to deal with.

if it was a sbc 350, you could just slap new bearings in all day and it would have a good chance of running good for a long time.<< if just to re fresh it.

of course anytime you blow a rod or main bearing shop work will be needed regardless of what engine it is.


to the OP, the 160,000 mile motor, do a compression test on the cylinders, if they all have good compression drop it in. also check the lim gaskets, if plastic change them, do that before you drop it in if needed.

these engines if maintained run well over 200,000. and that just means changing the oil regularly really. every 3 to 5,000 miles. your choice. i buy oil on sale, and change it every 3,000 miles. runs me 25 bucks tops with a filter. money well spent.

Originally Posted by scottydoggs

if it was a sbc 350, you could just slap new bearings in all day and it would have a good chance of running good for a long time.<< if just to re fresh it.

to the OP, the 160,000 mile motor, do a compression test on the cylinders, if they all have good compression drop it in. also check the lim gaskets, if plastic change them, do that before you drop it in if needed.

its just as much a crap shoot for a 350, as it is a 3800, if you dont measure, you dont know

but listen to scotty, dont fix whats not broke, resealing the top now well serve you better the doing a "mechanics rebuild"