Hey guys, i think i busted a rod... nice eh... well w/ 150K on the 5.0 tbi its not all too uncommon i hear... I dunno where to find a good replacement longblock though... i dont have much cash, just need something to keep me going back and forth to work... any ideas??? thx!

 

Take it to a mechanic and get it fixed.

 

Why do you think you busted a rod? Can you see it sticking through the oil pan or something?

150k is nothing on one of these motors. The motor must have been abused at some point in its life to have short block problems at that low mileage. Maybe it's not a rod at all, whatever it's doing.

 

but what is a rod and what does it do??

 

A connecting rod connects the piston to the crank. I've got 190k on mine and I'm rebuilding it right now. I could have gotten another 50k+ miles on it if the timing chain wasn't the fiber ones GM put in them (which BTW all the fiber came off and ended up in the oil pickup, thus explaining the low oil pressure). It could just be a rod bearing that is knocking too.

 

Yea, we gotta have more info. What are the symptoms? There is no mistaking a broken rod. Does the engine run? If not does it clank when trying to crank it over? Did you pull the plug to see if it has compression? Is the engine seized? This site has guys with lotsa of knowledge if enough info is provided.

 

well, the engine turns over, the knocking is INSANELY loud, the engine runs about 20 deg hotter, and i have a HUGE loss of power, I had a mechanic friend of mine listen to it, and he said that it is most likely a busted rod... like if the rod broke off before the piston and is still connected to the crank, just banging itself agains the piston walls... it also sounds as if my lifters are banging against something as well, so i thought the piston head might be stuck up @ the top and the lifters are hitting that.. Previous to this problem, every time I turned her over, a quite large amount of white smoke came out of the exhaust (not sure if this has anything to do w/ it.. ) Really, I have had so many opinions and answers i am really clueless, so I really appreciate all and any help i can get

 

oh, and i forgot to add... it takes about 10 seconds to start now as well, before it was right away... and something that sounds like a belt problem also happens, like the squealing... but not all the time like a belt problem would... unsure about that too...

 

sounds to me like a spun main bearing. if this is the cast that all you need is new main bearings and crackshaft. sometimes you can get away with bigger bearrings but that is only when there isn't much damage. the noise you are hearing maybe the top of the piston hitting the bottom of the head. you may also have a bad vavle now from the piston hitting it when its open. that would explain why it takes so long to start. i'm smell the exhust and see if you can smell gas (the same smell you get on spark plugs when running rich) then again it could also be a bent litter rod. you best bet is to take off the vavle covers on the side of the motor with the knobking and see if there is a lifter rod hiiting the top of the vavle cover. (if that is the case that VERY ez to fix. just new lifter rods (maybe a lifer) and if the rocker arm is shot a new one there. you could fix that in a weekend. your best bet is to first pop off the vavle covers and look for top end damage first if you fail to see any top end damage then move on to the compression test (good luck on cly 4 if you have headers hehehe) if you don't see any top end damage and you find a dead cly its time to remove the motor from the car.

 

hey what is your oil pressure at when the car dose run? is it low or high? when its low most likely mean you have a spun bearing (the bearring moves and block the oil hole there for blocking the oil movement and the pressure drops like a SOB)

now i'm not sure if haveing a bent push rod will make the oil pressure run high or oil.... i would think high but i could be wrong.

 

A bent pushrod likely wouldn't make a drastic change in oil pressure. It would hardly be noticable. If it's a spun bearing you may need a line hone as well, depending on how bad it is. My guess would be it spun a bearing or broke a ring. Run a compression test and you can see whether it's a ring or not. (Course excessive bleed off could also be a valve failure too which it could be that too). What I would do is first run a compression test, and any of the cylinders are more than 15% off from the others (IIRC it's 15%, but it could be 10%). If it leaks down you'll need to pull the motor (or at least the heads, but it's easiest just to pull the motor and pull the heads off while it's on the stand). Oh to check the pushrods, take all of them out (one at a time in order) and roll them on a flat surface, they shouldn't wobble at all, if they do they need to be replaced. Anyways that's a few ideas for you.

 

wow... well.. u guys made me a very happy camper just now... i will check compression and the rods and stuff... Thanks a lot, i really appreciate it.. ;-)

 

Oh ya, did I mention if it was a broken rod the motor wouldn't even turn over, it would be seized up or have extensive internal damage.

 

well then... that solves a lot of my problems... but umm.. 1 minor detail I left out... about a month ago, i ran over a railroad crossing and clipped the bottom of the car, ripping the oil drainplug clean out... all the oil... gone... the engine ALMOST siezed... so maybe if that might have anything to do with it... but there were no differences in performance after I replaced the drainplug and refilled it with oil...

 

The damage was done, just didn't make itself evident right away.

My brother ran an engine low on oil, took the engine out a year later when the car fell apart and gave the engine to me. I ran it for six months before #6 rod bearing finally gave out. Oil pressure was low and weird before the knocking started, was really low after the knocking got bad. The crank journal was wiped out, but 350 cranks are a dime a dozen. Wish I would have kept that stock-bore 4-bolt block instead of selling it for $25.

 

yep i would say its a spun main bearing then

 

soo, what exactly do I need to replace, and how many pennies am I going to have to save to do it? sry ab. all the questions, im just tired of seeing other 3rd-gens driving around and not being in mine

 

don't feel bad i haven't driven' mine since june.


it sounds like you have a spun main bearing. so your goign to need new main bearing and most likely a new crankshaft.
your going to have to remove the motor fromt he car taje off the oil pan and oil pump (good time to upgrade pumps) your also going to have to take off the water pump so you can remove the timeing chain cover and then remove the timeing chain. your also ing to have to remove the pully and all that crap. you then should be able to start unbolting the caps and rod connecters your going to have to be able to spin the cranrk so it would be wise to unbolt the caps and rod connecting rods witht he timeing chain still on do you have hit a vale that is open when you spin the motor.... also keep in mind you won't want o spin the motor clockwise when your standeing in front of the car and looking at the crankshaft pulley....also so you can spin the motor better take the spark plugs out. then remove the chain and the crankshaft. you should see on the crankshft where the bearing started to dig away and you will have metal shaveings all over and in the oil.. once you have the motor running around i owuld put some 50w oil in there let it run for 15mins at idle then drain the oil then do it again 2 or 3 more times.

thats really about it. it sounds like alot but its not. you can have it done in a weekend if you have all the tools. now as for now much is gogin to cost this is what your goign to need.

oil and oil filter (for about 3-4 oil changes)
main bearings (i think like $40 i forget i haven't built a motor in some time now)

Crankshaft (this is going to cost the most. its like $250 for a cast iron but it cold cost more.... shop around and do NOT get used also keep in mind a 350 and 305 will both work and watch some people reply saying its but its not.)

your goign to need anti-frezze cuz your haveing to have to drain the motor of it

oil pan gasket (good time to upgrade from that ****ty cork)
timeing chain gasket set (that will come with the gaskets for the water pump and all that jazz)


i can't think what else you will need. i just work up and i'm out of it. LoL

 

"Spun" bearing isn't necesarily the case. "Damaged" bearing is very likely. Damaged rod bearing is much more likely than damaged main bearing - although all bearings damaged is a possibility, too. Wouldn't be surprised if it has wiped out a rod & the crank.

The power loss and white smoke aren't completely consistent with the knocking, though. But, it really sounds like this engine is going to need a complete lower end rebuild (at least). Rebuilding a 305 doesn't make much sense - it costs just as much to rebuild a weak 305 as it does the healthy 350. If budget is an issue, a good used 305 or 350 long-block would cost less than rebuilding either a 305 or 350.

Oh, 150k miles isn't that much on a 305. Mine has 158k on it, I have no clue of its history or treatment for the first 123k, but I do know I've given it plenty of thrashing in the last 35k - including one season of drag racing. It starts up every morning and gets me where I'm going every time I ask it to.

 

a broken rod will not always punch thru the block. i would not rule it out unti you pull the oil pan and check for yourself. it will however make clunking sounds inside the motor. a squeal inside the motor is most likely a damaged main or rod bearing(s).

 

I haven't driven mine since september 21st of 2002

now it has no motor or tranny in it b/c the motor is fooked so i cannot even start it up....

 

I had the same problem after a loss of oil. It rattled pretty good under load & it was a spun (yes, spun)#4 rod bearing. It completely rotated inside the rod, knocking off the tab. I got a reground crankshaft kit with bearings for $175 & did it with the engine in the car. That was 2-1/2 years & 30 dragstrip runs ago.

 

You have a point, I was thinking a really broken rod...

 

i dont really have the time or that much money right now, so i think i might just get a used longblock for now just to get me to and from work. Im planning on getting a 383 stroker and building that up, then strapping that, along with a 6-speed trans and a new rearend w/ 3.73 and posi.... if Im going to afford all that, i should just go cheap for now... but, i might as well rebuild this one for a spare so, thanks for all your help guys... ill keep you all updated as i go along...

 

thats not always true... ig you supn a rod or main bearinf the bearing will over lap the other half and it make the stroke longer there for hitting the bottom on the head.... believe me that what happen to my v-6 when i blew it up foifn donuts for 5 mins non stop.

 

you can never really know unless you pull it apart to see. i just wanted him not to rule out a broken rod. anything is possible inside a motor when mechanical failures happen. i wouldn't rule anything out expect the worse and hope for the best.

 

Why not stroke your 5.0 305 to 335?!

Akshay
www.geocities.com/akshay95624/index.html

 

 

Hey... what's wrong with that?!

SchwarzCamaroRS was gonna get a 350cid. I figure he could revamp his 305 instead.

Akshay

 

IMO there is no point to putting money into a 305 unless you just fixing stock problems... when it comes to raceing a 305 and putting money into moding it its pointless unless your just to put some fat cash into it for a power adder... like NOS tubro or blower. i just think its a waste of money.... with that money it owuld cost to to that tot he 305 you sjhould put into a 350 and still waste that 305.

 

wow... long time no post... I have 3 small questions.... 1. I plan on replacing the engine anyway just to eliminate future problems... which engine should I get the 305 or the 350? (I plan on swapping in a Tremec T-56 asap)
2. If I do decide to stay w. the 305, will the t56 work with that? and how much do you think the swap from auto to stick will cost?
3. Should I even put headers on a 305? or should I just wait till I can get the 383 that will eventually be strapped into my camaro?

 

sry.... 1 more thing... Does anyone know a good site or dealer for engines... i keep getting quotes that my pocketbook doesnt like...

 

1. Go with the 350
2. Yes it will work, SBC's and BBC's have the same tranny bolt pattern
3. Yes, they can be put on the 383 when you get it
4. sdpc2000.com, summitracing.com, recon engines, golen, that's all I can remember now, I'll probably think of some more later.