tanstaafl.
New Member
My beloved ShoWagon is showing signs of age after 180,000 miles.
Last month the differential pretty much exploded on an out of town trip (in Alaska, the next town is over 300 miles away!) and while I got the best gas mileage ever (45 MPG) it really doesn't count because the last 160 miles were done on the back of a wrecker! With the planetaries and other big pieces churning around in the transmission, we were lucky to salvage the case. (automatic transmission) Damn near nothing else was saved. Big bucks repair job!
Now I notice a problem that is telling me my connecting rod bearings are wearing out. When the engine is started after sitting for six hours or more, there is a fierce, hard rattle that lasts about 1/3 to 1/2 a second as the engine fires up. If I carefully hit and release the starter so the engine cranks over a turn or two but doesn't start, then start it, there is no rattle.
This is telling me that when the engine sits, whatever oil is keeping the connecting rod bearings off the crankshaft is seeping out after six hours, and I am effectively dry-starting the engine. Obviously this situation is not going to improve by itself, and crankshaft damage cannot be too far away.
Thus, the questions.
1) Can I R&R the oil pan without removing the engine?
2) If so, can I then replace the connecting rod bearings?
3) If so, how many of the main bearings can I replace?
4) If so, what is a source for these parts and a new oil pan gasket?
5) What caveats should I be aware of? What "gotchas" do I need to avoid?
I realize fully that this is not the optimal solution to the problem. In reality I should really be replacing piston rings and valve guides, honing the cylinders, removing cylinder ridges or even reboring, etc. But the upper end seems serviceable (although one cylinder is enough lower on compression than the rest that it really should be dealt with) and the car is consuming only about half a quart of oil in three thousand miles. A full overhaul is just not in the cards at this point, especially after spending all my disposable income on the transmission!
So, given the assumption that I am just trying to keep from wrecking the crankshaft and do not want to R&R the engine, what do I do now?
Last month the differential pretty much exploded on an out of town trip (in Alaska, the next town is over 300 miles away!) and while I got the best gas mileage ever (45 MPG) it really doesn't count because the last 160 miles were done on the back of a wrecker! With the planetaries and other big pieces churning around in the transmission, we were lucky to salvage the case. (automatic transmission) Damn near nothing else was saved. Big bucks repair job!
Now I notice a problem that is telling me my connecting rod bearings are wearing out. When the engine is started after sitting for six hours or more, there is a fierce, hard rattle that lasts about 1/3 to 1/2 a second as the engine fires up. If I carefully hit and release the starter so the engine cranks over a turn or two but doesn't start, then start it, there is no rattle.
This is telling me that when the engine sits, whatever oil is keeping the connecting rod bearings off the crankshaft is seeping out after six hours, and I am effectively dry-starting the engine. Obviously this situation is not going to improve by itself, and crankshaft damage cannot be too far away.
Thus, the questions.
1) Can I R&R the oil pan without removing the engine?
2) If so, can I then replace the connecting rod bearings?
3) If so, how many of the main bearings can I replace?
4) If so, what is a source for these parts and a new oil pan gasket?
5) What caveats should I be aware of? What "gotchas" do I need to avoid?
I realize fully that this is not the optimal solution to the problem. In reality I should really be replacing piston rings and valve guides, honing the cylinders, removing cylinder ridges or even reboring, etc. But the upper end seems serviceable (although one cylinder is enough lower on compression than the rest that it really should be dealt with) and the car is consuming only about half a quart of oil in three thousand miles. A full overhaul is just not in the cards at this point, especially after spending all my disposable income on the transmission!
So, given the assumption that I am just trying to keep from wrecking the crankshaft and do not want to R&R the engine, what do I do now?
