Cracked block, was cracked from bellhousing mating surface to front of block







#3 connecting rod was laying in oil pan



the way crank was found



When oil pan was dropped this chunk fell off the block





#3 piston was not seized it was simply pushed out of the cylinder

 

I have no idea what happened to cause this as I bought the car like this. Prior owner mentioned head gaskets were replaced and motor then started knocking. The engine ran in this condition, held 40 pounds of oil pressure, ran nice and cool.

 

Wow!!
Just....wow...!.....

 

Oh and this wasn't a turbo'ed/super charged/nitroused motor.

 

it'll buff out, some jb weld, bondo & bail wire

 

I think it is beyond that. I have a replacement 3.8 now for it plus a rebuilt 5 speed.

 

No way it'll buff out with those tools... you forgot the duct tape!

 

WOW the pistons wanted out now! Glad you have a replacement block. Cool pix none the less.

 

Wow is all I have to say.

 

Wow...Now when you want to break an engine, that's how you break an engine!!!

 

Those blocks have very deep skirts, musta seen some serious abuse.

 

Thanks for sharing those pics.

 

Thanks for the pics. That was just plain ugly. When you tell someone your engine blew up, you've got the proof.

 

I didn't do it to the car, I bought car like this. Prior owner had said he never heard a thing just it started making a clanking sound one day.

You think the knock sensors heard anything

 

That 'dun blowed up reallll good. Like the pic's.

I'm sure they were ringing like a bell.

RBob.

 

here is another view of the block



Got the whole car for 1,000.00 but as you can see it is in excellent condition. Also a picture of the replacement engine I bought for 700.00. Car runs again just has a bad vibration while idling and running up through rpm's. Might be bad motor mounts I am not sure.













Motor looks to have been rebuilt, it came from a wrecked 96

 

Nice looking car & engine. Sounds like you got a good deal. When you get the new engine installed, please post pics and tell us how it runs.

 

wow thats got me kinda suspicious of what the little knocking in my motor is now.

 

Thank you, it's actually a very nice car every possible thing works on it even the a/c blows ice cold.

I might put a trans am rear bumper on it and a trans am rear wing. The maybe 17x9.5 chrome ZR1 replica rims.

 

That's crazy.
I bet the po used auto zone parts. J/k az has some OK stuff.

 

Just a update, it is running fine now, the vibration was a bad or wrong flywheel, I think they sold me a 3800 series1 flywheel. I have put approximately around 900 miles on the car now. A/c blows ice cold, every possible thing works on the car.

I am always averaging 330 miles per tank and at fill ups it constantly gets 24.6mpg. This is not freeway miles alone though just a combination of all my driving.

Not fast by any means but still a fun car to drive!

I parked my 97 3.8 camaro now and plan on it to be my 12 year old sons first car. I owned this 97 since it was brand new so I think Him and I will rebuild it's engine and transmission so he has a nice first car. Every possible thing work on the 97 camaro as well and it's paint still looks super nice as does the interior.