K is fuxored....but what else is new.

[mpbiv]

So I took it over to this local place which does good work called Crawford Tire. Took a ride with one of their guys and explained what was happening. So the guy drives it, revs it up a little to see where its knocking. Since they deal mainly with tires and don't do much internal work, they send me to Wayne Crawford (I assume a family member, but he has his own shop which does all types of engine repair).

So I go down to Wayne Crawford today right after they looked at it at Crawford Tire. I ask when would be a good time to bring my car in, and he says unfortunately that he is backed up two weeks, but if I wanna bring the car by he can listen to it and give me a opinion. So I explain I have the car with me, so he says bring it around and I'll take a look.

So once I brought it around and started it up he listened to it, opens the throttle body a little to see where its knocking at, and tells me its definitely a rod knock and to drop the pan and check the bearings out, and not to drive it too much.

I am thinking great another rod knock! So anyways I just ordered some plastigauge from Jeg's and am going to be dropping the pan and checking all the bearings. I was told if its not too bad I might be able to polish it up and throw in a new bearing. However I was also told that sometimes these crank kits don't always come with the right size bearings, or that they don't grind all the journals the same amount (i.e. some are .010 and some are .020 ground), so that essentially it may not be balanced well. At this point I am not sure if either of these are the reason but if they are it will be the last time I buy a major internal part from a major parts chain.

I am glad I did find out though, because Wayne specifically told me this is not a wrist pin knock. If I had not had someone look at it I probably would have went along with the notion that it was a wrist pin knock, replaced the pistons, and gotten nowhere.

Cost of todays lesson = $0

Luckily I didn't spend a slimey dime to find this out, both places looked at it free of charge.

If worse comes to worse and this crank is crap now, I will take my old crank (which I luckily kept), have it ground and balanced and throw in some new bearings. Or hell, maybe I'll just scrap it and build a turbo shortblock and throw it in there with my TBI manifolds until I can get a wiring harness and proper transmission.

Who knows, I have to have plastigauge the bearings first and then I will go from there.

[CrazyMoparGirl]

TURBO TURBO TURBO

[FearThe4Doors]

me and you both need a new hobby

[mpbiv]

Yeah I need a new hobby. I have been pondering for the past few hours how to make this work out for the better. Good thing is that soon the new year will be here and that means tax return ;)

Scenario 1: throw on a new bearing (if possible)
Scenario 2: get old crank machined and throw it in with new bearings. Porbably more work than its worth, and I don't think I can do this without taking the block out again, which means more time money and hoist rental.
Scenario 3: give up trying to get this damn engine running right and just go straight for the turbo engine.

Personally I wanted to go with #3 a while ago but I couldn't justify it. Once I open it up and check everything I'll plan what I am going to do. I have a feeling I will be turning in my tag and cancelling my insurance again to save some money. Sad thing is I already did this once and then went through the trouble to register it and put it back on the insurance, and I never really drove it much :(

[mpbiv]

I should have stuck to RC cars ;)

[CrazyMoparGirl]

bob is always fixing his rc car lol

[mpbiv]

I am never having to fix my RC car, although I do need to get a new front drive belt. I have a RS4 Sport, but I have had it since they first came out and the drive belts were original. Last outing I stretched the front one badly and this particaular model did not come with a stock front belt tensioner. I'll be getting a new one in the next few days but other than that I haven't replaced anything on it, and its seen some heavy abuse for a street car.

Oh wait I did have to replace the 2spd gears once because the pinion came loose and chewed them up but otherwise even the gears take a beating without complaining.

[CrazyMoparGirl]

I know bob got a new clutch and is getting ready to rebuild the engine. Just about every suspension component has been replaced on his.

[flybyuin2.2]

hey AutoZone has plastigauge, i've rebuilt many engines and 1 thing i've learned(cheap rebuilt but more reliable) is to replace the rod where the knock started since its stressed and bolts are stretched, it can get pricey in the rebuilding dept. but... do it once or do it over again and again, also the 2.5 has a common wrist pin knock in which case its best to upgrade to floating pistons/rods out of a turbo car also like you said the Reman. cranks are hit or miss, i've used them before and the cranks being cut 20/20 is scary especially if you are going to spin the motor hard, besides them Reman. cranks have been welded on(if they cannot turn it on a spun journal)
if looking at steel cranks(2.2)there's also a problem caused if turned since it looses its hardness most cranks i've seen are hardened at max. of .008 so anything that's turned .010 or more you might as well call it a cast crank unless you have it hardened but this also adds more cost to the crank, so best bet is to find a standard crank and have it polished, hope i'm being a little helpful :)

[mpbiv]

Well here's the deal, I bought the whole crank kit with bearings included. The rod that had the spun bearing (#4) was replaced with a new one and all the others re used. I also added some new rings while I was at it and gave the cylinders a light hone for the new rings. All seals and gaskets were new and I am certain I torqued all the rods and caps down because I checked twice. Finished all of this and dropped the engine back in last summer.

When I asked Wayne, the person that listened to it, if it was possible that this was a wrist pin knock, he said it definitely was not. I did at one point think it was but my symptoms never matched up completely with how a wrist pin knock was described.

The engine never had a wrist pin knock before the rebuild and it only has about 1k miles on it now, only the last 500 of which it has been knocking. I suppose I should have checked the local parts place for Plastigauge :doh:

Oh well, I also ordered a 2 5/8 Sport Comp tach at the same time (MoRice). I wanted to wait on getting a tach but with all the trouble shooting I have been trying to do lately it would be useful. Also seems the only spec I can find for the oil pressure is at a give RPM and since I have no tach I have not been able to check it accurately.

[mpbiv]

Oh and one of the reasons I am not using floating rods is because I have a tall deck NA block so the TII rods are not long enough :(

[mpbiv]

Holy Groovy Copper Bearings Batman.

http://plaza.ufl.edu/mpbiv/pics/killed%20another.jpg

I haven't even tried to plastigauge the oil clearnace. This doesn't look good, and the crank has grooves in it too. Boy do I feel incompetent right now, this bearing has barely 1k miles on it. I am not sure how exactly it got this way.

[CrazyMoparGirl]

Low oil?

[mpbiv]

My crap ass haynes manual says lack of oil next to a black and white illustration that looks similar to the bearing. So I suppose thats why although I am not sure why there was a lack of oil. Tomarrow I will get under there and look at it some more but I am probably going to pull the plug on the TBI once and for all like I said I would weeks....months...years ago.

Luckily fate turned my way. My grandma decided she wanted a new intrepid but she wanted to give us her old one. Once we pick up the old Intrepid (first gen) fron NC, I'll be driving my dad's 97 Hyundai Accent for a daily driver until I can finish the K.

I am also lucky because even though I didn't forsee this happening I was already researching what parts and info I would need to convert the K to turbo so I am pretty much set in that aspect. I have also learned a great deal from all my screw ups with the TBI engine: trying to finish too fast, trying to cut corners, not replacing stuff I should have, etc, mistakes I could have avoided.

While I am kind of pissed and upset that my first rebuild didn't turn out as intended, I am trying to be optimistic and take advantage of the opportunity that I have now.

[FearThe4Doors]

so... whatcha doing with that CAI now... >=-)

j/k

thats major shitty with that rod.. I wonder if the time you lost the oil had something to do with it? did you use tons of assembly lube, and prime the engine good?

Are the little oiler things in the caps worn or plugged? Did you put the rod in backwards?!?

[mpbiv]

The rod that bearing came from was definitely installed the right way because it was one of my factory rods and it was never taken out of the piston. So it went back in the same way because I put the piston in so that the valve reliefs were facing correct. The only one that could possibly in backwards is my #4 rod because it is new and there is a possibility the machine shop pressed it in backwards but I doubt that. I'll probably pull the rest of the bearings today and check.

I did use a lot of assembly lube on all the bearings. It could possibly be from that oil loss on the highway, it could also be from the time my oil pressure light was going on. At one point when I started the car the oil pressure light was flickering on and off. I didn't let it run for long. I couldn't figure out what it was so I dropped the pan and took the new pump out to check and make sure it was still in spec. When I put it back in and tightened everything down it never did it again. This was before I had my oil pressure gauge, only had the dummy light. I am getting the feeling that maybe by the time that dummy light comes on, your screwed.

Ah well.

[FearThe4Doors]

it's because you were missing the Purple Horney Muffler!!

http://66.118.73.78/howell/ProductImages/PurpleHorney.jpg

http://66.118.73.78/howell/ProductAvail.asp?Product_ID=12

[mpbiv]

Yup that could have caused it too. Oh BTW I am not sure what I will do with that CAI housing thingy. I'll probably sell it cheap (real cheap) and ebay the K&N separately. I'll probably also part out the engine except for a few parts. I'll definitely keep the head and exhaust manifold, as well as the cam, all parts which might find future use on a turbo engine :)

[CrazyMoparGirl]

I think that someone forgot to check all the bearings and did a bit of half assing.

[mpbiv]

Half assing is my middle name, especially when I have the parents breathing down my kneck about timelines and estimated completion dates. Its really fucking annoying when someone is always on your back asking when you think you'll be done. What do you mean check all the bearings, they worked fine when I put them in. Awe FUCKIT, I have the plastigauge for next time anyways.

[CrazyMoparGirl]

I know what you mean. My Father in Law is always down our necks about what we are doing with what. He is annoying!!!!!!!!! And then he let my trailer full of car parts get towed away to the county dump. Mt friends wife is the same damn way, but worse. I practically have to have written permission to come over anymore.