Bearing help.....

[whiteMaro]

Hello first post here:). Last week my oil filter gasket cracked and all the oil in my motor (98 3.8) was sprayed all over the engine bay while I was driving. Didn't know anything was wrong until I noticed my oil pressure was at zero and at a that point I was 100 yards from my house so I just drove the rest of the way. Just as I'm pulling in my driveway the engine dies and I cost that last 10 feet. I pop the hood an see the oil everywhere. Cleaned everything up and start to change the oil and thats when I noticed the filter crack. With new oil and new filter in the car, I was crossing my fingers that no damage was done....I was wrong. I start her up and I hear a CLACK CLACK CLACK sound from what seemed like one cyl. Right away I knew it was a bearing.

I spent a hell of a day (18 hours) pulling the motor and tranny as one unit out the top......DON"T EVER PULL BOTH AT THE SAME TIME FROM THE TOP. It was hell dancing that cow out of the engine bay with so little room. Anyway I get the motor out and I'm checking the connecting rods for play and come across one that has no play. and sure enough the bearing had spun a full 1/4 turn. The bearing is all cut up and with gashes and many of the other bearing, while still in place, do show some burn marks so the whole lot has to go. The journals look good as new so no damage there.

Now to my question. Do I need to use oversized bearings for my car with 90K miles or will standard size work? I'm not sure at what point I need thicker bearings, if its after X-number of miles or after market rods. Could someone please fill me in on the rules for bearing sizes. Thanks a lot for your help.

Here is a pic......

[WickEdSix9838]

Re: Bearing help.....

You need to take the crank to a machine shop and have them turn the crank and if any of the main bearings looked bad, also take the block and have them check it out and maybe align bore it. Depending how much they ahve to turn the crank will determine what size bearings to use.

[whiteMaro]

Re: Bearing help.....

do I have to take it in? Money is a big factor right now for me. The crack looks and feels like its in great shape. I think that bearing took all the wear.

[whiteMaro]

Re: Bearing help.....

Scratch me last post. I pulled the crank and its all cut up. I went to a machine shop and they told me it was cheaper to buy a new crackshaft then turn the old one. He also said that I'll need new connecting rods because the old ones would be damaged plus the block would need to be machined agian. In all I'm looking at $1000 for the work. He gave me the number of a place that sells used engines and they can sell me 3.8 fully built plus shipping for $850. It also includes a 6 month warranty and has less miles them my old engine. This sounds like my best option. What do you guys think?

[slow6]

Re: Bearing help.....

definately get a new connecting rod on the one that spun
get a new or used crank and all new bearings

My machine shop can grind any crank that I want
www.car-part.com search junkyards for motors

[whiteMaro]

Re: Bearing help.....

does $850 seem like a good price?

[blacksport]

Re: Bearing help.....

I'll sell you a crank for $100. didnt have any spun bearings has 68,000 on it. And you dont have to replace that rod....

[slow6]

Re: Bearing help.....

why dont you have to replace the rod? are you nutz?
The bearing melted through. The cranks metal melted onto the rod's metal.
Thus a spun bearing

850 shipped is alright
I'm sure you could find a better deal if you searched at that link I already gave you www.car-part.com

[NOS2006]

Re: Bearing help.....

why dont you have to replace the rod? are you nutz?
The bearing melted through. The cranks metal melted onto the rod's metal.
Thus a spun bearing

None of the metal melted.

[slow6]

Re: Bearing help.....

ok, then its not a "spun bearing" you're lucky
those bearings look alright, not that they look good, but I've seen worse
they are mains right?
my mains looked great but my rods looked bad
I've got extra mains for cheap/free if ya want them
looks like you have dirt or something in your oil
GL

[whiteMaro]

Re: Bearing help.....

thanks for the link Slow6. I checked out the listings and didn't find any in my area that had better pricing, I found a few for around $600 but the gas would cost me around $300 there and back and take me two days.

[NOS2006]

Re: Bearing help.....

ok, then its not a "spun bearing" you're lucky
those bearings look alright, not that they look good, but I've seen worse
they are mains right?
my mains looked great but my rods looked bad
I've got extra mains for cheap/free if ya want them
looks like you have dirt or something in your oil
GL

Dude.. the bearing is spun or it wouldn't have those scrape marks on it.

And the dirt you see probably is dirt.. the inside of the engine has been torn into and that means dirt can get in.. Besides, there are metal shavings floating around the engine's internals now, too.

[slow6]

Re: Bearing help.....

None of the metal melted.

His machinist said he had to get a new crank, I assumed his machinist meant it really was spun. He showed that one bearing, I thought one of the other rods had a spun bearing.

Either get a new used engine or rebuild your own, Your Choice!

[NOS2006]

Re: Bearing help.....

His machinist said he had to get a new crank, I assumed his machinist meant it really was spun. He showed that one bearing, I thought one of the other rods had a spun bearing.

Either get a new used engine or rebuild your own, Your Choice!

I don't see what your point is with that..? What does that have to do with what you quoted me on?

[AZ3.8Camaro]

Re: Bearing help.....

A spun bearing just means it spun from its original location, usually caused by friction between the crank and the bearings, low oil, etc.
A spun bearing also blocks the oil hole to that part of the crank and gets worse fast.
If let go for a while, the bearing will melt and seize the rod or crank, this can snap a rod, crank, or put something through the block.
Spun does not mean melted and seized.