Spun Connecting Rod Bearing Parts

[Marccus]

'89 SHO with 307,000 miles.

I need to fix my engine due to a spun connecting rod bearing. :cry:

Can someone check if I have accounted for all the parts I would need (I don't know if I'm using the right words to describe them).

I believe I need:

1) New crankshaft
2) New rod bearings (6?)
3) New crankshaft bearings (are these the "journal bearings"?)

Ford says none of the parts are available.

What about gaskets?

I have the lower engine gasket kit.

Which manufacturers make market kits (inlcuding Motorcraft, I guess) for the bearings and who has them (Autozone?, ShoNut?, etc.).

Any ideas on where to get a crankshaft?

What other maintenance / replacement items should I do that are easily accessible once I have the beast open?

Thanks.

 

[yamahaSHO]

You'd better replace the rod that spun. In most cases, the rod deforms and will lead to another spun bearing. IMHO, I'd just drop a junk yard motor.. Easier and cheaper.

 

[Marccus]

Well, that's exactly what the dealer said.

I don't have the facilities (i.e. a garage or driveway) to work on a job this big otherwise I would do it myself.

So I had the beast towed to a dealer who has done all my big mechanical jobs - ie. the clutch.

He said find a junkyard motor and they would drop it in for me.

The problem is:

I've seen several Gen I junkyard motors and they are in horrible condition.

One motor had all the coolant passages plugged with a jell substance (Radiator Stop Leak?)

When I removed the heads the gaskets were toast and the surfaces and coolant passages of the head and the block were all pitted and corroded so badly that I was told the head could not be machined to get a flat surface - too much metal would have to be taken off. :banghd:

First I have to FIND a motor (!) and then see if it is in somewhat decent condition.

I know my motor.

The reason it has 307,000 mi is because I religiously take care of it. I constantly monitor the coolant cleanliness (actually I have a John Deer coolant filter that is used on tractors) and change the oil every 3,000 miles.

I change out the power steering fluid, brake fluid and transmission fluid regularly.

Every electrical connection is sealed with adhesive heat shrink tubing and all the mating connectors are coated in dielectric silicone grease.

Where I can't use heat shrink tubing, I use self-fusing silicone tape which is good to 500°F and impervious to oil, grease, gasoline, etc. , unlike rubber or vinyl tape which will eventually turn to mush and isn't nearly as temperature resistant.

All the cables are covered in the high temperature NYLON split loom. The polyethylene loom eventually hardens and crumbles.

But I f--ked up and I could shoot myself for doing so.

The reason the bearing went was the motor was reving at redline or higher at idle for who knows how long until the police tapped on my window and woke me up.

The engine was smoking and the coolant temperature gauge wnt into the red.

My life is sh-t right now. No job, no place to live, no sleep. All I remember is that I turned the car on to put the heat on to get warm and the next thing I know the cops are whacking on my window.

As I drove away I heard the infamous tapping sound from the bottom of the motor.

So I f--cked up.

If I hadn't f--cked up I wouldn't be going through this.

 

[SHO#7]

I had a friend that spun two bearings in his 91. Only one slightly scored the crank ( I am suprised of this, as he drove for two days before he let me hear it ) None the less, I replaced the bearings and polised the one journal that had a slight scrape in the middle of it. It has been about 5k now and he is still in good shape. Don't know how long it will last, but it did buy him some time. Maybe you could try the same. Just to help you through you hard times.

Mike

 

[marvsho17]

So you passed out at the wheel??

 

[SHOMurph]

you could always take the block to a machine shop...have them regrind the crank and get some oversize bearings. have the machine shop do all the work.

I agree a junkyard motor would be easier. These motors are pretty durable other than around 120k the rod bearings need to be changed.

 

[Marccus]

So you passed out at the wheel??

I guess you have to go through the "passed out" phase to get to the sleep phase. zzzzz

I just don't remember anything from the time I turned the car on and the police knocking on my window.

I don't drink or do drugs (I do pursue women, unfortunately, as they are even more difficult to figure out :banghd: than the problems with my SHO) so it had to be lack of sleep.

 

[Marccus]

I had a friend that spun two bearings in his 91. Only one slightly scored the crank ( I am suprised of this, as he drove for two days before he let me hear it ) None the less, I replaced the bearings and polised the one journal that had a slight scrape in the middle of it. It has been about 5k now and he is still in good shape. Don't know how long it will last, but it did buy him some time. Maybe you could try the same. Just to help you through you hard times.

Mike

Yes, that's what I hoped to do.

A friend of mine who's good with cars stated the same thing. He also mentioned I might need to put in some oversize bearings.

The dealer mechanics are not going to take shortcuts like I need to as they won't let a damaged crank remain in the vehicle. But I will ....

 

[SHO#7]

You will not use the oversized bearings. You did not wear that much off your crank. Just the regular bearings will be fine. It will either work, or it will not. All you will be out is some silicone, forty bucks for the bearings, a busted knuckle or two, and an oil change.

Mike

 

[SHOMurph]

You will not use the oversized bearings. You did not wear that much off your crank. Just the regular bearings will be fine. It will either work, or it will not. All you will be out is some silicone, forty bucks for the bearings, a busted knuckle or two, and an oil change.

Mike

Sounds like from his description of motor smoking and coolant in the red that his motor needs mucho TLC.

I'd pull the rod bearings and see what they look like but I would prepare for the worst.

If there is damage to the crank if you want to rebuild the same motor I would go with the oversized bearings/turn crank and let a machine shop put everything back together.

I'd also do what yamahasho said and replace the rod. Thats if you are deadset of rebuilding that motor. Again I'd find a junkyard motor and replace the rod bearings/60/100k it and then zoom zoom zoom again.