Hah, wow, if it isnt one thing its definently another...

My power steering has acted up ever since I bought my car, such as when sometimes I first start my car and turn, the steering wheel is blocky I guess you could say, feels like the power steering is jacked.

Well today on the freeway I heard a knocking noise, im thinking GREATTTTTTTT. I get off the freeway, pull into mcdonalds and when I wasnt giving it any gas and was turning, it was doing the blocky feeling again. I pop open the hood and I was hearing a ticking. Its definently coming from my power steering pump area, but im afraid It may be a valve knocking, when revving the engine, it gets progressivly worse. Its like a squeeking knock I guess. I listened by the valve cover, and couldnt tell the difference from where the sound was coming from.

After further inspection the sound seems to be coming from the bottom of the power steering pump. would that make sense?

Im waiting to get my income tax check back and Ill be slapping some new rubber on my rims and replacing that old power steering pump.

whats your guys's opinion... power steering pump?

I hope so at least.

 

****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****! ****!


no, I was not swearing, I figured I would do 4 starts just to signify that I was swearing..


I goto start my car, doesnt start, I hear a squeeking, im thinking....greatttttt

I cut the power steering belt off and said, screw it, ill drive comando style.

doesnt start... still squeeks...

collapsed lifter?

broken valve?

tell me what im in for, so I can shoot myself now.

 

oh yeah, it allmost started, but its 5 in the morning, I didnt want to give it full gas and wake everyone up.

****!

 

okay, another update

I took the driver side valve cover off, hardly any oil

checked my oil level....


...




...none...


poured 2 quarts in just for temporary because thats all I had.

Oh yeah, it smelled burnt once i took off the valve cover.

try to start the car, REALLY loud squeeking noise.

im scared


PLEASE, i mean PLEASEEEEE help me

 

If its a spun bearing, im really really really f*****...

I've never worked on the lower end of an engine before, and I have never pulled an engine out before.

I dont have the cash to buy/rent a hoist or stand.

and I dont have the money to have a shop do it.


Should I take off the oil filter and check that out, see if it has shavings?

 

You've just lost mains or rod bearings and nothing you do short of pulling the oil pan and changing them is going to help a thing. Who knows what else is shot from running with no oil, your basically backed into a corner of pulling this motor and tear down for diagnosis, or buy a cheap replacement somewhere and drop that in.

 

My old motor started making a real loud ear-hurting high pitched metal-on-metal sqeeking sound... Torn it down and the cam bearings were worn down to the copper

 

this is perfect, ive never torn an engine down before, nor do I know to :|

im so screwed.

 

alright, Im getting close to 400 dollars within a week or so.

should I buy an engine stand?

what should I do, please direct me

 

$400.00? I'd start looking at the junkyards for a short block.

 

okay, I drained my oil into a pan, took a dryer sheet, and taped it to the top of a cup, cut the bottom of the cup off, I filtered it all through the sheet, there was barely any metal, but there was a very little bit.

http://img96.echo.cx/img96/4063/picture0296qv.jpg

http://img96.echo.cx/img96/5413/picture0317ai.jpg

http://img96.echo.cx/img96/4656/picture0307ui.jpg

The last picture you can see the biggest piece of metal that was found, its on the left side of the image, just a small sliver.


Now it is to my understanding that if it was a spun bearing than there would be a lot more metal.

Im now thinking its either a lifter or a cam bearing.

If its either a lifter or a cam bearing im just going to say screw it and buy me a new cam shaft with my income tax check.

so whats your guys's take now?

 

I cant make heads or tails of those pictures. There will always be some minor metal in oil weather it tranney or motor so if it's a small amount consider it normal.

The only way your gonna see how bad the damage is is to pull the pan and start removing some mains and rod caps, especailly the front ones since those get the least amount under normal circumstances. This will tell you for sure if your screwed or not....but from the sounds of it...

 

water pump?
Eric

 

oh wow, i NEVER thought of that...

Ill have to mention that to my friend when he gets online later.

 

take all of your belts off and start the car. It'll run on the battery for a little, but this should help to determine whether it's a belt driven accessorie or not.

 

I already cut the cable to the power steering pump, its not that
I drained the oil out so i cant start it right now but ill try the other belt when i get the chance

 

I am guessing that there really is some bearing damage, but just throwing a thought out here, I've learned from experience that when smog pumps go out, you get a niiiice ear-piercing scream whenever they turn..

 

I dont have a smog pump, the only accessories on my belts are the alternator, power steering and water pump :|

 

How much oil came out of the pan when you drained it? Just because your dipstick was dry, doesn't mean you oil pan was, you could have had up to three quarts in there. I'd sugest filling it up with fresh oil and turning it over.

 

something I do want to mention though IF it comes down to a complete tear down and your trying to keep this motor.

keep track of which main cap went where. don't just take them off and then slap them back on they need to go in the same spot they came from


same thing with the rod caps. keep the cap with the same rod it came from

 

Unfortuantly I added new oil, tried to start it, then ended up draining it, I didnt know how much it had before I add'd oil

 

Thank you, I will keep that into consideration when ripping it apart. But more than likely I will end up buying a new set of bearings for it just to be safe if it comes down to it

 

even when buying new bearings best keep the caps with there rod and the main cap on the right spot

usually when they make a rod they drill the hole then cut the cap off. if you start mixing and matching rod caps with other rods it might be a tight fit or a loose fit
same thing with main journals


other then that though shouldn't be too hard to do unless you have some nice scuff marks on the crank then you might need to get it reground which would mean you would need undersized bearings


hope everything works out though

 

A guy at autozone was telling me there is a place near here that I can drop off my old crank, pay a 40 dollar core charge, and get a new one (refurb)

but thanks, Ill be pulling the heads off in the next few days, ill keep this thread updated to let you guys know whats up with my engine. Im buying an xd card reader so i can pull pictures off my camera, Ill post up the damage when I find it.

 

its sounds like when i blew my motor... does it sound like a desiel truck ideling?

 

yeah kinda :|