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I know my motor is toasted (update (pics))

BlackGT97

BlackGT97

New member
Been driving around for a about a week now on my topswap and xp cam setup..Scanned and all I got was about 1.4 degrees of kr total. Anyway today i was driving it and I came out of a turn and noticed that I had lost just about ALL power!! Could barley go anywhere and had to limp it home..I honestly believe that it is the bottom end of the motor but im not 100 percent sure..

Symptoms:

Something that sounds like a Rod knock
A screeching sound, not the belt
overheating
Oil light is coming on and off
No SES codes
Oh and smoke came out of the TB also
Noises are louder when i put my head down by the Passenger side tire
Boost is working


What I checked:
I checked all plugs, all looked good
Oil, no coolant in oil either
pulled both VC and checked all the valves to make sure they were working properly
Vac Lines etc. etc.

Any Idea what it could be??
 
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Re: I think my motor is toasted...HELP!!!lol

its rappin and squeaking at idle in park? if so its dead.

id take the sc belt off to make sure thats not the noise.

post a vid if you can.
 
Re: I think my motor is toasted...HELP!!!lol

Nvrmind lol Motor is now seized...Would a slipped bearing damage the cam in anyway shape or form?
 
Re: I think my motor is toasted...HELP!!!lol

your cam should be ok, check the cam where it rides in the bearings for scaring due to lack of oil maybe.

and you may want to try to turn the engine over by the crank bolt, maybe it will free up enough to get the torque converter bolts off.

if it wont turn at all you need to pull the engine and trans as one, then slide the engine with the t verter still bolted on to the flex plate off the trans pump. then un bolt it.
 
Re: I think my motor is toasted...HELP!!!lol

No, Im going to go with the l36 and do the same build. I'm not exactly sure what went wrong here but I will find out. No chipped pistons or scored cylinder walls so it's gotta be the rod bearings or something. I'm in the process of removing the oil pan right now. I can get the motor to turn over via socket on the crank pulley so It's not seized completely. But as I turn the motor it starts to seize up.
 


Re: I think my motor is toasted...HELP!!!lol

Oh and I still need that 3.8 pulley lol and possibly and LIM if you have one.
 
Re: I think my motor is toasted...HELP!!!lol

I'm sorry to hear this...

I'm wondering if something wasn't stressed to begin with like a rod, and it finally gave? I had a rod break and it ran for a little then it locked up. I backed the crank back a half a turn or so, started it back up and it ran a bit until that part of the rod hit the right spot and locked it up again.
 
Re: I think my motor is toasted...HELP!!!lol

Ya, im not sure man. I think Im going to tear it apart when I pull the motor to try an prevent this from the next build (if it was something I did). It was running fine for over a week and the all of a sudden BAM its time for a new motor lol
 
Pulled the motor and tore her apart. Looks like a spun 2 bearings. five out of six journal on the crank are bad and one journal has two chips in it smh..
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Now should I get a new crank and take everything to a machine shop and have them prep the block for a rebuild (inspect, balance rotating assembly, recondition rods, clean, bore/hone etc etc) along with the heads, and have them assemble the bottom end? or should I get a new L36 from the junkyard for $400. If I should just get a new crank, how much will all the machining cost me?
 


well its not a garage queen or a sunday driver if that is what your asking lol. Any idea on cost of machining anyway? I'm just scared of getting a bad block and having to do it all over...again lol
 
I was quoted on my heads just machining $160.00 I have to buy the valves,retainers,springs,etc. That's just magnaflux, hot tanking, smoothing cups, valve job and installing all the goodies.

With a block could be a bit more maybe 300 to 400? Not sure..
 


I always thought the bottom ends on 3800's were pretty strong. I think a low mile block would save you money. Dumping money into machining and such would be just a peace of mind knowing it's a little better. So you have to see what one out weighs the other.

For me personally junkyard. Now if I have a few grand in the upper end I think I would rebuild and what not.
 
I wonder what caused it to fail.... bad lim gasket at some point? Had the oil pan off mine at one point and checked a bearing for fun and I swear it was perfect (This was at 140k)
 
I did a quick scan of the thread, so if I missed something forgive me.
If you do rebuild the block, be sure and check the oil passages. I saw something about a new cam, did you replace cam bearings? If someone press them in and did not line up the hole correctly. If you do keep the same block, get some knowledge on the oil circuit and blow air or water and make sure something is not clogged or is clogging.
 
I believe it was low oil pressure but I have no evidence to back this up. I'm still not sure on whether to rebuild or get a short block.
 
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