Sofakingdom: "Because I SURE DID screw up a bunch of stuff, before I learned better. And it SURE WAS EXPENSIVE." Somehow, you've at least made me feel a little better about some things. Mike

I read every post in this thread. Not to be rude at all, but blueta89, you really are one of the more naive people on this forum.

Your engine is more than likely toast.
You were low on oil, your oil pressure was erratic, and you heard an audible noise.
The odds that you spun a rod bearing are pretty high.
Changing the oil and filter won't matter.
Flushing new oil through won't do anything positive.
Replacing the oil pump will not solve your problem.

I know it's hard to trust the word from people on the internet, but we know what we're talking about.
Come to terms with it, and move on.

for now... got it back from station... towed ... flatbed... after the oil change haven't turned it over except to get it out of bay... fresh oil at least in there still looks perfectly ok (for now)....
UNHAPPILY.... looks like have to try an sell... after I put a simple magnet next to a cup of oil from my filter.... that was eyeopener... I'm learning.... tooo bad this happened.... wish I really knew how... maybe just old and something gave way or cracked or fuel or coolant leaked into engine over time.... still really nice car....

Question:if I needed to move car in / out driveway and move let's say 200-300 feet down road... IF I did this while in cold morning or nite and not let engine get warmed up at all... so thick clean oil running thru it...
Will I damage it much or more - under these conditions and only running for maybe max of 1-2 minutes and moving car in 1st gear or better in Neutral... to get it down road a few feet... THEN shut it right off ???

Anyhow... pretty glad (at least about something) I did not go along with mechanic guy to replace and put in new oil pump...

OH yehhh... I went all the way and sent out my oil for analysis just to learn more and satisfy myself for some small money.
THANKS (to all the goood guys) on here for your help and advice....

Anytime you start that engine, or even crank it over, there will be metal to metal contact causing more metal shavings and MORE DAMAGE. Dont start the engine, leave it parked. If you have to move it, put it in neutral and push it around, have someone help you if need be. Put the car up for sale if thats what your going to do, and make sure you tell the person its sold "as is" with an engine knock. Hopefully you'll get someone experienced and they'll come tow it and know what they've gotten themselves into. In any case, dont run the engine, yes it'll cause more damage.

Why not use this as an excellent project to get your hands dirty with? I was put in your shoes two years ago, and you know what I did? It's in the signature! Just try it one step at a time, you'd be suprised at how simple this stuff really is. Don't be intimidated by it, especially since it's already broken. Pull things apart, take pictures, reference TGO for things. You'll have that car back on the road in no time at all.

in general - is it harder / need more skills / tools etc to work on the "top-end" or "bottom-end" of engine generally

which is the most headaches side of engine ?
which is prob more expensive in parts and labor time?

can anybody list the major parts of both "ends" of engine ?

----
well wish could keep it - do it myself ....

but lack of TIME - I reaaly like to do other stuff - and have to go to work every day - plus worse - have no good to park it in garage to work on it... maybe take me a year or more like some here do.... reaally sucks...
have no real tools .... guess have to prioritize things... job which pays me has to go to top of list... tooo bad...

thanks everybody

If you're going to sell it, price a rebuilt engine and get a quote from a shop to install it for you. You may find that the increased value of a car that runs is more than the cost to replace your motor. If you want to keep it, consider a new GM engine, around $1500 w/shipping, installed by a shop. Could still be cheaper than replacing with a another vehicle.

Someone who knows what he's doing could swap motors in the driveway over a weekend. The hard part with yours would be swapping the intake system (and maybe heads) onto your new motor. If you can't count on help, it's probably worth paying someone.

That's because the name "safety switch" is misleading. GM doesn't care if the engine trashes itself after warranty. GM does care if the fuel pump relay takes a crap while the car is in the middle of a busy intersection or on a railroad crossing. Can you imagine the legal feeding frenzy if just one person got killed because of this?

It's not a safety switch for the engine, it's a safety switch for the driver.