Well, I have to drive it one way or another... today most likely *crosses fingers* hoping for the best!

 

On a similar note, how tough is a rod bearing replacement job?

It is very easy provided the crank journals havent been ruined!

Driving for any length of time when you have a rod knock raises the chances of damaging the crank significantly.

 

My Shelby Lancer developed a nasty rod knock on the way home after buying it. I was in the middle of South Dakota on an cold January night, so I had to drive it anyway. The rod knock started around Wall SD, but by the time I got to Rapid City SD (~60 miles), the rod had exited the block under the power steering pump.

 

I wouldn't recommend driving it, although it would likely make it. Last year my brother spun a rod bearing at the track just 20 minutes from the shop we work at (all highway driving to get back). After having the crank turned and replacing the bearings it was very difficult to get rid of all the circulated bearing material, even after a bunch of oil changes. Not even a week after we replaced the bearings/ crank his rebuilt turbo went out(almost a year on the rebuild). So get the tow and save yourself some $$ in the long run.

 

Hahhaaaha, your funny! "I will ONLY be doing 60 MPH" can you say block ventilation!!!! Don't drive it, tow it unless you have money bo buy a new block, crank and rods.

 

Tow it, don't risk breaking anything.

 

Hahhaaaha, your funny! "I will ONLY be doing 60 MPH" can you say block ventilation!!!! Don't drive it, tow it unless you have money bo buy a new block, crank and rods.

Wellllll, since you mention it, I *do* have new rods and pistons ready to be installed, and common blocks are cheap The car is getting a rebuild one way or another...but that's not the point of course


My main concern is the turbo and the head catching fragments of the dead bearing(s)... And the reason I said I'd be cruising is that when the car first developed the knock, it only did so upon acceleration and not any other condition (idle, deceleration, cruising)... so I didn't know if it was easier on the bearings so long I wasn't hearing a knock... but I keep thinking about the bits of bearing sitting in the oil and that makes me want a tow much more

 

Wellllll, since you mention it, I *do* have new rods and pistons ready to be installed, and common blocks are cheap The car is getting a rebuild one way or another...but that's not the point of course

LOL!

 

what about if you change the oil to some 20w50 to take up the slack of the worn bearings?

 

what about if you change the oil to some 20w50 to take up the slack of the worn bearings?

Thats a quick fix so you can sell it now!

 

I drove my 87 tbi car with a 91 CB for thousands of miles (2700 to be exact) with rod knock, several hundred of which were under 0 oil pressure conditions.

She still ran when I pulled the engine, even after bouncing it off the rev limiter for a few min. (at 0 psi). That was after dumping 1200 psi of Nitrous Oxide into the intake at full throttle (on purpose) and losing part of a piston. Rod is safely inside the block, though the crank is kicking around the piston pretty good...

I'm off to post in the lounge about this...

So basically, I think it will make it, just don't expect the crank to be ok or the rods or crank non-egg shaped.

 

Thats a quick fix so you can sell it now!

Nah, I'm not selling her - I've got too many parts waiting in my closet for it

JandGbodies, how bad of a knock was it?

 

I find it awefully hard to believe that any engine could remain in 1 piece with no oil pressure after mine blew up in 1 month with several 0 pressure attacks, especially considering my engine was perfectly fine (no knocks) otherwise.


89VNT4ME I drove my Lebaron home from where I bought it (30 minute drive) with a bad rod knock. After that we put an .10 oversized bearing on the bad rod and I drive it around town for 6 months (usually for not more than 20 minutes at a time) before finally having to retire it due to legality issues.

 

It was pretty bad. I would come off of the freeway and it was audible above the stereo at 1/2 volume. People would look around to see where it was coming from at a light. Putting some oil back in helped, but it was there till the end. I'm taking it apart this weekend to survey the damage.

As far as believing me, oh well, I thought it was stupid of me to drive it for so long, why would I advertise that stupidity falsely? I just knew if I broke somewhere, I had a truck and trailer ready to pick me up.

 

I drove my car with the original tbi motor in it for 6 months with zero oil pressure at idle and 10 psi at 5000 rpm. She was loud as hell but would not die. I'd floor the thing constantly, rev it too the red line and it kept going. Mind you there were pieces of bearing in the oil pan and the oil was half stp oil treatmeant stuff. Started knocking on the way home after buying the car. I think it'll be find to go a short distance as slowly as possible. keep the revs and load down

 

Well, I have to drive it one way or another... today most likely *crosses fingers* hoping for the best!

if you have to drive it, maybe disconnecting the plug wire and injector on the cylinder with the knock will help it last a few miles longer. It would keep the load off the bad bearing (usally #3 from my experience). Just an idea, towing it sounds like a much better plan, but you gotta do what you gotta do.