Today my car overheated badly to the point grease was dripping off the engine. The engine did seize up but started a few hours later but now when running the motor sounds like a jack hammer and has the power of a 4 cylinder maybe not even that. What I'm curious is this to weren't there ever safeguards put in these engines to shut them down in overheat conditions? Yes this is a 305 TBI

How did you let it get that hot? No temp guage?
I dont think they would allow the computer to just kill the engine from temperatures, there would be too many people with tow bills when it barely overheated or temp sender went.

Nope, no auto shut down. It's up to the driver to keep an eye on the temp gauge or idiot lights.

wow.

nope temp gauge works ... Just tired and wanted to get home is all.

So look at the bright side. No your motor will never be the same. Yes you now have the opportunity to swap it out for something much more easily tune-able and maybe even a bit more powerful. I'm doing my motor swap now, it's not that intimidating. You'll be happier in the end as well.

Yes. It's called a "driver".

If that safety system overrides itself, well then, the car is pretty vulnerable.

Yes a car can run with a broken crank, sometimes; if the crank is broken in such a way that the pieces still force each other to rotate. I've had my own cranks to break that way; the car drove itself under its own power to the engine hoist.

STOP DRIVING THE CAR!!!!

Find out what's wrong with it, before you tear it up worse. The more it runs, the more it gets damaged. The more it gets damaged, the more it will cost to fix it, and the less likely you can repair things, but instead you'll have to replace them.

There re NO EXCUSES!!!! There is no "I have a big date", there is no "I have to drive to school", there is no "I can't live without my car", NONE of that. NO EXCUSE is good enough to keep the car from destroying itself further. Rent another car or a limousine or something for the one night, arrange with one of your friends to catch a ride to school, buy a bus pass, whatever it takes; but stop running the car and find out what's wrong with it.

So, there's not much to do at this point, but to put all that behind you, learn that lesson about turn the key off when the gauge skyrockets, and deal with the situation as it now stands. Crying about it, or us reaming you and making fun of you and all that, won't get your car back on the road. So let's move on.

It's not real likely that the crank broke, at least not during the overheating episode itself. More likely, it has a blown head gasket, or something like that. OTOH, it's possible for a blown head gasket to allow water into the cyl, and then the next time you started the car (as should NEVER have been done) it bent a rod or otherwise caused damage. That's what I mean about the more you run it, the more you tear up.

Do a compression test first, see if there's anything wrong with the top half of the motor. Come back and tell us what you find.

Take all the spark plugs out before doing that compression test too.

He's right, and his answer was a bit more mature than mine.

This sounds like a jb weld moment....

i did this t oa 2.8L v6 camaro cause the temp gage was broke motor = junk time for a new one by the time you spend the money to fix it you can buy a decent used one with prolly less miles than yours and have it put it : ) lol you musta been pretty tired i woulda pulled over and slept in the car!!!!

I've heard that "I just wanted to get home" line so many times. It ends up costing those people a lot of money and sometimes their car since they can't pay for the repairs.

will... I did that once I ran without coolant and it got so hot it killed.. so I took it and got it running agine and put coolant in it and ran it.. It souned like it was junk but I ran it for 20 min and it cleared up.. its still running today and this was a year ago.. Good luck with it..

Fan motor locked up on my car a few years ago on a boiling hot day, I didn't notice the gauge going up but I got home just as it started to ping badly, first sign of a hot engine, I got lucky and stopped it before any damage was done. As far as a broken crank I knew a guy that drove a Dodge truck with a knocking 318 for over a year, when he finally took it apart the crank came out in 2 pieces!!!

I had a 75 Impala 2-door hardtop that I did this to back in the mid 80s. It got so hot it started knocking, but I knew I didn't want to turn it off so I prayed and made it to a closed gas station. Luckily this was in the days before pay water and there was a hose hanging there. I watered down the radiator and misted over the engine adding water to the radiator when ever it would take it.

The thermostat would open and water would just vanish from the radiator as the empty block sucked it in. Seconds later, the water would boil in the block and just pound the radiator with boiling water and steam. Looked like Old Faithull errupting out and it anhialated the tanks on the radiator. I got it cooled down and it stopped knocking.

I replaced the radiator, but after that, the power level was down by a small amount according to the butt dyno. It ran fine decent enough though.

Years later, I wiped a cam lobe so I put an Erson cam and lifters in it. I even did a valve job with new springs for the cam. I was worried that it would blow smoke from worn rings, but it didn't. It ran, so I got the tranny rebuilt at circle-d and got a new exhaust system installed (2.5" single/hi flow cat for texas emissions). After the exhaust fix it ran better than ever, and always barked em in second cuz of the mild shift kit. It even passed a dyno based emission test with flying colors.

I ran the absolute dog-s**t out of that car for years after that. It was my DD while my IROC sat in the garage. I could whip a 5xx BMW from a traffic light every time, man they hated that. It died when Allison filled it with water in 2001.

I really miss that car, but the body was rotten (northern rust belt car). Handled good, killer brakes (for tailgaters ;0) and people wouldn't pull out in front of me. Oh didn't I mention the patchwork coloring from replacing various body panels over the years. Man I miss that car.

Its the ugly ones that wont die. I just sold my beater 86 chevy pickup. Thing had 225K on the original 305. Ran like heaven, looked like hell.

Well, I sent it to a local buick dealership today but haven't heard back from them. If it needs a new engine though just going to junk the car.

Well the news is broken crankshaft. Luckily they only charged me 75.00 for diagnosing since they just cut open the oil pan. The mechanic at the buick dealership bought the car from me so at least it won't cost me more. Let him have it for 400.00, so that was better then selling it to pickapart. And as for those talking about I've heard those excuses yada yada work 14 hour days and see how little you care about a cars welfare verses just being home. Besides not like I cant afford to finance another car.

So are you going to stay in the family? When my 3.1 was killed by a taxi, I moved up to a 350.

No, probably going to buy a newer mustang.

I think I now understand where your screen name comes from...

And whats that supposed to mean? I don't see what the big deal is. both cars have doors, made out of metal, have four tires and a radio. As long as it gets me to work thats all I care about and that it's reliable.

I was referring to 2 things...

The car is broke....
And your abandoning a F-body for a Mustang...our arch-enemy!

Ahh finally your leaving us. Good riddance.

Love you to transV .....

as is true of all people we are our own worst enemy. I've scanned mustang forums before, just deserves will be served lol. i have nothing against ford or mustangs, nor anything special in my heart for chevy or pontiac, it's what's behind the wheel that matters. On that note i hate poor drivers and there's plenty of them in every make and model on the road.

sounds like the mechanic might have got a good deal, did you even look at the crank when he opened it up. Fords are not going to hold up any better then chevy if you drive them at 300 degrees . GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SWITCH

Maybe the Ford will automatically shut off at 300 degrees...

Now thats funny..

lol

No the mechanic didn't get as good as deal as it sounds. Yeah body and interior were nice. But needed tires, brake job, and some other repairs. But what does a long block cost 800.00 or so. I got the better deal. Why, it's a deal that gets me more then pick-a-part would offer and I leave the dealership and don't have to pay another tow bill or deal with the car again. So you see convenience out weighs practicality.

I need a dependable car and if it means car payments so be it. My job and hauling my son around is more important then keeping a firebird on the road. Go out and work 12-14 hours a day 6 days a week and tell me how important it is to keep that old firebird on the road. Me I'm just going to look for a newer replacement and have no headaches.

Yes I looked at the crank. The mechanic pointed it out to me and the block was damaged as well. It broke in front of the second main cap this in turn caused the front main to elongate causing the crank pulley to wobble. So it's not like he got a car with a rebuildable motor. He just inherited my headache is all.

Replacing a car, when needed, is understandable. Single father of a 6yr old here...

BUT, I think what concerns everyone is 2 things...

#1....You continued to drive the car after you heard the knock start..."because I was tired" It could have been a minor repair, instead of finding a new car, had you just pulled over.

#2...."probably going to buy a newer mustang" LOTS of choices out there, yet you choose Mustang. If $ & your child are #1, then you'd choose a 4-cyl/6-cyl small car, not another "muscle" car.

Yes, you could get a V6 Mustang....Why not a V6 Camaro?

I hate to think the worst of a mechanic, but...... It ran, but you think it had a broken crank? Did you tell this to the guy at the dealership? I smell a bad deal goin down. We mechanics are notorious for buying cars real cheap when owners dont want them. Throw a little cash into it and double your money. Some less than honest guys will lie to the customer to get them to part with something. The whole thing just seems fishy to me. I couldnt see a mechanic paying 400 dollars for a car with a toasted engine.

I am just curious if he cut the hold in the oil pan because he was trying to find a quick diagnosis to what was wrong because the customer doesn't have the money or if he is just an inexperienced mechanic. Grant it, you have to pull the motor to get the pan off. But isn't that liike knowing you have a problem with you steering column and using a torch to cut a hole in your door so you can see it. Now you have two problems instead of one. It it wasn't a broke crank, then you would have to pull the motor to replace the pan.

Well, bash all you want but today I bought an '06 Mustang. Suprising as it sounds I don't miss the firebird a bit. Yeah sure the mustang doesn't have the annoying rattles the I've come to accept from my firebird but hey I think I will manage to really enjoy this car. Best of all it has nice cold a/c and everything works on it.

Congrats on your purchase of your Mustang. I don't think anyone on here is really bashing you per say. I do like the looks of a couple them, and they are performance beasts. But, on the other hand, if the mustang's crank decides to break 1 week after the drivetrain warranty is up, Are you going to buy another car? I will give you $400 for the mustang! Will make a nice flower pot if I don't fix it up.

GM TRUE AND TRUE ALL THE WAY THROUGH!!!

On the plus side, the mustang will introduce you to a whole new set of troubleshooting, in case you figured out all the gm gotchas...

id take a broke fbody over a v6 mustang anyday....o and i agree with whoever said if you were so concerned about money and your kid not just another car u should have gotten a 4 cylinder....and dont wine about working 14 hr days 6 days a week if u dont like it find another job....guess im being harsh, i just dont get how someone could give up their f body for the base model mustang.....and then have the nerve to frequent this site....

Money wise my only concern was dropping 2K into a worthless car that will never maintain its value. Why put that into the car when it's not even worth it!

Oh and I like my 14 hour days makes it possible to buy a nice car without worrying it's going to break me. Now lets think this through ... 2K to replace engine in clunker and yeah have a new engine but what goes next on the car? I'm not going to sink money into a money pit that I depend on daily simple as that! Besides the mustang gets about 35 miles per day commuting and about 100 miles a week hauling my son around. Firebird air didn't work and who is going to haul there kid around in a 110 degree heat just to drive a firebird LOL.

So keep your mighty 350 cars and enjoy paying 4.00 a gallon and that alone hurts you bad. Me I'm going to enjoy this Mustang as it was a move for the better and a very practicle car for me.

Then you are still here because??????

While your reasons are completely understandable, I think your logic is all wrong.

A 2006 Mustang will only LOSE value for the next 18 years (typical value increase starts around 20 years old) while 3rd gens are already there, or only a few years away. With good maintenance, an older 3rd gen can cost you zero per month, disregarding gas. I've only replaced the alternator, AC compressor & battery in the 2 1/2 years I've owned my GTA. Because I treat it right to LAST.

For mileage, there were a of other choices other than a Mustang. I think that what most people have a problem with here. A Mustang. A Cobalt...an Impala....ANY GM PRODUCT would have been more acceptable, to this crowd, than a Mustang.

i would hope that on 14 hr days you could afford both cars, i know when i worked 10 hr days 6 days a week i was able to afford a 68 camaro, 86 camaro and 99 camaro....now that im back in school and work only 20hrs a week i still manage with my 86, 99 and now 89 iroc....stephan hit the nail on the head with the fact that we are only bothered that u chose a mustang...cobalt ss would have run you about the same got better gas milage and been faster.....but o well you are one of them now...just kinda like turning your back on us is kinda how we feel i think.....but go with the crowd buy the cool mustang .....sheep....

eh the mustang community can have you. it's full of a bunch of people that would let their engines overheat anyways, you'll fit in nicely.

If you found a Mustang you like- good for you! Just remember- the Firebird died because YOU were not paying attention. The Mustang will die under the same circumstances. So knock us in our 3rd Gens- we work to maintain them, but WE don't have any monthly payments to deal with AND last time I looked, my Camaro was worth MORE than I paid for it not less- like the Mustang you just bought.
So, when you ignore the 'check engine' light on your new Mustang and you gall a cylinder because your oil pressure dropped to ZERO, perhaps you can explain to your son why you 'needed to get home'...

Yeah but I'm fairly certain the california minimum that I pay is easily equal to payments on that 99 camaro and any payments involved with that 86 camaro. I've got 14 years of hell but you know what I'm gonna at least have a few nice years with this mustang. Yeah I could have bought pretty much any car I wanted. But no f-bodies no more, a vettes only has two seats and compared to the rest out there I liked the looks of the mustang. I used to own a 1993 mustang GT and loved that car and love this 06 even more. and best of all this mustang can walk that 1990 firebird with ease.

because it has a broken crank

no payments here, i paid everything off so that the only bills id have during school is insurance, cellphone, and gym membership.... but i guess i had more free money layin around, no kids here....

I notice how many times you say that you work 14 hours a day here and there. Almost like you are the only person in the world that has to work hard. And you come to an F-Body forum and attempt to talk up a Mustang because.

1. You are an inexperienced driver or you would seen it over-heat
2. Not Mechanically Inclined or you could have diagnosed it and fixed it.

Instead of working what you call hell for 14 years, Get a good paying job and work a normal schedule. No-one really cares about your work ethics.

You mentioned earlier that you hope F-body owners like paying $4.00 per gallon of gas. So does that mean because you are the proud owner of a Mustang that there is a special place that you can get gas for $1.25 a gallon or are paying what we are paying?

I have heard of every excuse why you don't and can't. If you don't want anything to do with F-body cars any more, Here are some links for you pernanetly go to. There should be plenty of other people who share the same interest and can tell you how to repair your car once you break it after the warranty runs out.

www.mustangforum.net
www.moddedmustangs.com/forums
www.allfordmustangs.com/forums
www.mustangboards.com
www.mustangrodder.com

ehh guys, let him be, his money his headache, like you all said if that's how he treats cars his cars will get him back, no need to drag it out out, lets all get back to the usefull tech enviroment that is thrdgen.org, and let this crap fade into the archives..