Need Help!

[Green Sho]

I have a 93 mtx with 161,000 miles on it ...i bought it two years ago with 140,000 miles on it....it ran very good with no leaks or any problems up until this point. For the last week or so it seems like it was running alittle off but i figured maybe its time for new cats.... but as i pulled into a gas station today i saw a red light all the way to the left come on out of the corner of my eye. I looked down at it but it went away right before I could see which one it was...It was all the way to the left and red.....i think it might have been the oil pressure light. I then pulled up to a pump and put the window down and revved it up to about 2K rpms to see if i could hear anything, and it made a kind of metal clanking sound alittle bit that has never been there. I then drove it back home about 1 mile away going slow...not stepping on it or anything and parked it.....when i stopped it was idling alittle low....not too bad but was alittle rough. So what do you guys think?

Rod bearings it sounds like to me from being on this forum so long...but do you think that by now it's too far gone and there is damage to the mains or the crankshaft? This came at a terrible time, I go to college full time and work 35+ hours per week in a different town...I drive about 75 miles a day. I had planned on doing the rod bearings when its alittle warmer out in a month or so for preventative measures....looks like i should have done it in the fall.

Well thanks for reading all this if you did....and any advise would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Green Sho]

any opinions guys? I have work at 2 today and I'm considering calling out and trying to do the rod bearings today if that's it.

 

[Green Sho]

bump...

 

[warmonger]

the red light you saw was indeed the pressure light...i'd change the bearings and check the crank too...it may or may not be too late. was it a clanking,tapping,screaching or knocking sound? shavings in your oil? there's been members who have changed the bearings after a knock and been fine..and those who havent....GL!!

 

[Green Sho]

thank you for responding......and it sounded more like a clanking....i have not checked for any shavings yet....i just got it towed back to my house....ive been changing the oil every 3K with mobil 1 synthetic 5w30 for the 25K or so I've had the car...and there's been no shavings up to this point.....how do i tell if there's damage to the crank? would it be scraped up when i take the bearings off?

also another quick question.....would it be bad to start it up and move it a few feet? or should I just push it and not start it...cause I dont want to spin a bearing now if I already havent

thanks again!

Edit* -- Should I just order the standard size bearings from rcm? or should I wait until i tear the car apart to see what I need....I would only need different size bearings if someone had the crank turned right?

 

[Green Sho]

bump....

 

[jedhead]

You should use plasticguage to measure clearance. If the clearance to too great or you feel scoring on the crankshaft, the crankshaft will need to be turned. Then you would use the oversized bearing to match the amount of material removed from the crankshaft.

Bob

 

[Green Sho]

thanks guys i just ordered the rod bearing kit from rcm.....what are the symptoms of the main bearings going? I just want to be sure that I'm not about to do the wrong bearings.....and should i do both main and rod?

 

[platoribs]

To clarify a few things...

Re: Checking the oil for metal shavings. You wouldn't see this until the bearing failed. Pre-bearing spin oil changes would reveal nothing. Check it now and if you see metal thats a good indicator/verification of a spun/failed bearing.

If you open it up and find a badly spun bearing tearing the crank out and turning it may be more expensive than finding a used mill and R&Ring it complete.

Once you get it apart you might try putting it together with new bearings and see if it holds. if so you lucked out, if not you only spent $ on bearings. Then you can determine if you want to try to salvage the car with a new mill.

 

[Green Sho]

yeah im just gonna tear it apart and see whats goin on..I figure if I do it and it doesnt hold or the crankshaft is scored enough....then I'll just try to find a motor for hopefully under 500 and swap it in....with new rod bearings of course