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Connecting rod help...

JuggaloDan

JuggaloDan

New member
I just traded my Foxbody mustang for a 98 Grand prix GTP. As i'm driving the car home the motor locks up, So i get it trailered home and started to find out what happened. Turn's out one of the connecting rods broke at the crank, Crank looks fine but i do need to know where i can get a single connecting rod and wrist pin.
 


JuggaloDan said:
I just traded my Foxbody mustang for a 98 Grand prix GTP. As i'm driving the car home the motor locks up, So i get it trailered home and started to find out what happened. Turn's out one of the connecting rods broke at the crank, Crank looks fine but i do need to know where i can get a single connecting rod and wrist pin.
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999/1000 times the crank is shot. A new crank and rebuild is about 3x more than a good used motor with at least a 10x higher failure rate.
 


Aight i just got the new connecting rod in from cadillac dealership, I installed the piston to the connecting rod and i try to take the bolts off of the cap. I get a closer look at the cap and see that its one whole part, shouldnt the cap be cut when i get it or do i have it cut?
 
So I take it you figured out we have cross-bolted mains?

I have a feeling that this motor will not last long. I give it another 100 miles before it chucks another rod. The 3800's seem to be very picky about having the rotating assembly in perfect line. Anything wrong and it's bye-bye motor all over again. I'd be willing to bet that a new wrist pin and rod cost you at least $150 from GM, if not more. I was looking to do this when I shattered #1 piston on my 00 GT. After some research I said f-that and bought a used motor w/ 100-something K on it and dropped it in. Runs like a new car and I don't have to worry about breaking it.
 
Yeah i figured out the cross-bolted mains. Between gaskets and the rod and bearing i spent around 300, most of the money was for gaskets, only spent 60 for the rod and bearing with my discount. But now i have yet another problem to figure out now. I put the piston in and bolt it to the crank, then i noticed that the rod has a little play in it. It moves back and fourth not side to side. Does this mean i need a over sized bearing?
 
could you trade back for the Fox-body? check out car-part.com and pick up a used block with low mileage. L26's out of lacrosses go for about $300
 


JuggaloDan said:
Yeah i figured out the cross-bolted mains. Between gaskets and the rod and bearing i spent around 300, most of the money was for gaskets, only spent 60 for the rod and bearing with my discount. But now i have yet another problem to figure out now. I put the piston in and bolt it to the crank, then i noticed that the rod has a little play in it. It moves back and fourth not side to side. Does this mean i need a over sized bearing?
Click to expand...
It means you're f*cked.

Knock knock
Who's there?
Rod
Oh Sh*t
 
All the other posts were help enough. You can't expect to change one rod, epsecially after a lock up, and expect the crank to be unharmed. Even putting an oversized bearing in place is not going to help. The damage is done.
 
Well i wasnt really expecting it to run, more like hoping it would run... I guess i should just get another motor huh....
 


Jus go get the crank turned and polished then re hone the cylinder and install re ring kit and be done wit it wouldn't hurt to get it thermal clean wit new plugs and bearings abt 600 bucks worth of machine shop time
 
pushrod4life said:
Jus go get the crank turned and polished then re hone the cylinder and install re ring kit and be done wit it wouldn't hurt to get it thermal clean wit new plugs and bearings abt 600 bucks worth of machine shop time
Click to expand...

You also need to align bore the block/crank to make sure everything is straight. Heck, for $600 I could buy a complete running motor, change the LIM, oil pan, valve cover gaskets/grommets and injector o-rings and drop it right in. Plug and play.

Seeing as how we don't know if the crank is damaged, or if anything else got damaged in the process that machine work+all new parts/gaskets+your time= to much effort to rebuild it. You'd really be better off getting a low mile longblock and just swapping your parts onto it. Then you can try and rebuild it while you still get to drive your car. Or just tear the old one down and have a nice paperweight in the garage :D

Can it be rebuilt? Sure, most anything can if done CORRECTLY. These motors just take a bit more to rebuild to ensure they run properly. Should it be rebuilt? That's your call and your money.
 
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