oh my god, she might DIE!!!

[jjwalker]

Let me start off by telling a story, and this story is in fact bad so dont flame because it was a mistake.

15 jello shots later last night I decided "why dont i hit the highway" or an exact quote "ima gunz haul ash" and so I made the idiodic decision to do so. For about 2 hours it was pedel to the floor down the highway, in downtown dallas and just abouty everywhere that I can remember. Every time I came from a stop I would floor it to redline before I let it shift. I made it home in one peice finally and fell asleep.

This morning I wake up and run to my truck so I am not late to work. I started it up and it has always made a clackity noise when i first started it in the morning or when the motor was cold. It would stop after a few seconds.

Anyway I started it and it made the clackity with a slightly different tone, and didnt disapear quickly. It makes the noise until my trucks gets warm then gets quieter.

The weird thing about it is it isnt a blown. The motor still runs great, and no performance loss at all. I am at a loss to what this is. I also still have good oil pressure too. it does however sound like it is coming from the crank case, and I dont think it is torque converter bolts because it is getting quieter whne warm.

Help me out guys, I dont want my baby to die! :( :eek:

This just might be time for motor #6

[sparky2263]

Quieter when warm will eliminate main and rod bearings. Wondering if you didn't crack a piston on the thrust surface. I've torn down very few high mileage 60 deg that didn't have a skirt cracked or laying down in the oil pan.

Maybe time for a 3.4?

[jjwalker]

it isnt high mileage, it only has 45k on it. I have kept it up so well, you could eat off the inside of it!

If it is a cracked skirt, can I still drive it hard or will it now be a guessing game on whether or not it will die?

Also, what can i do about it. I dont want engine #6. Not yet.

[sparky2263]

If it's a skirt, do a cyl. kill test when cold. That will isolate the cylinder. If the noise doesn't change then you'll know it's valvetrain.

[jjwalker]

explain how to do a cyl kill test.

[jjwalker]

never mind, I know what your talking about now.

I havent lost any performance so why would the kill test show anything?

[sparky2263]

Pull one plug wire at a time while running. If cracked skirt or rod bearing, noise will diminish greatly when cyl is killed.

[jjwalker]

I just did a kill test and it is always the #6 cyl. every 2.8 I destroyed it was always #6!

The sound went away when I did it, so I put the plug wire back on and it started the noise again.

I'd figure if the rod bearing is cracked then the noise would be much louder, and oil presssure wouldnt be as good. I also havent lost any performance.

[Supercharged-ZQ8]

Sorry for the lack of mechanical diagnosis, but I'm still amazed by something. . .

15 jello shots and you were still CONSCIOUS?! ****, dude. . . Puts me to shame!

[XxInFaxX]

Sorry for the lack of mechanical diagnosis, but I'm still amazed by something. . .

15 jello shots and you were still CONSCIOUS?! ****, dude. . . Puts me to shame!


hah...lightweight!

[Supercharged-ZQ8]

hah...lightweight!Sheesh! When I do actually drink (a rarity), it's Tequila -- and then after about 7 or 8 shots I'm done. . . I like to be able to WALK out a door and not crawl or roll. . . but, with three sons, I don't have much time for that anymore!

[XxInFaxX]

see, being 20...i have nothing better to do! :)

[RedNGreedy]

Sorry for the lack of mechanical diagnosis, but I'm still amazed by something. . .

15 jello shots and you were still CONSCIOUS?! ****, dude. . . Puts me to shame!

And thats why I dont drink anymore. To many times have I passed my own driveway and not realize untill 1 mile down the road!

[sparky2263]

Yeah, I finished up my lifetime supply a bit early also. Strongest thing I drink any more is coffee.

[jjwalker]

yeah, I have a problem with driving drunk and I plan on ending that as of now.

The sound that my motor is making seems to get inaudible when i am putting load on it. The engine is way too good to just toss out so would it be an option to just replace the bearing? that shouldnt be too hard. The engine is in good shape so the bearing hasnt killed it. Hell, might as well replace all the rod bearings in there, and get even more expensive ones than I got!

[sparky2263]

Rod bearing wouldn't go away under load, main bearing might. Piston definitely would go away under load. Seen a flywheel cracked once that the rear cyl. killed made the noise quieter. That was a bad deal. Pulled the head and oil pan off only to find a perfect rod/piston assbly. Worst part was cust. asked if I checked the flywheel!

Lesson? Take nothing for granted!

[sparky2263]

JJ, I hear the 3.4's are quite the bargain these days!

[jjwalker]

dude, the reason this has me all pissed off and trying to find an alternative to overhaul is, this **** motor isnt old. I just got it last september!

I am going to go do some tests. I am thinking I might try to power brake it to simulate load and check the noise. My loud exhaust might be masking it.

I also dont see how high engine speed is going to crack the fly, but who knows.

[jjwalker]

ok, I take that back. My exhaust IS masking the noise.

It doesnt get an louder, or at least doesnt seem too when I put load on. The frequency of it seems to be that of the noise coming when #6 is on its power stroke.

I cant afford another $1800 for a **** motor.

[sparky2263]

http://www.car-part.com/

Went to that site and punched in 1994 Camaro 3.4 engine, Dallas Texas. Came up with about 80 hits ranging from $1500-340 with the median price about $650. Hope that helps a little. Just in case, ya know?

[jjwalker]

I appreciate it sparky.

I guess my once thought indestructible 2.8 isn't invulnerable after all.

The last engine, the #6 rod broke. It was crazy because the engine STILL RAN. Now of course still ran means BARELY, but it still ran. I got it home,vdied in my driveway and it of course never ran again.

When we took it apart, I had cracked a head, melted the tops and skirts of all the pistons, scored and melted the bores beyond recognision, and bent a valve. I still to this day cannot believe I made it home, although I was only a mile away, i still made it.

So, to be preimptive and make sure that didnt happen again I put some nice forged pistons and 350 rods ( of course slightly modified to fit).

Just to my luck a $10 rod bearing kills my beast machine!

[jjwalker]

I am beggining to woneder if it isnt a screwed up lifter because it seems to quiet down more when I accelerate and the oil pressure goes up.

I am also thinking this because before this all happened, I used to get the SAME noise at cold start in the morning but it would disappear after the oil pressure shot up. I am going to go thouroughly over the motor in the morning with a stethoscope.

[jjwalker]

ok, it is definately the piston. Unfortunately due to the 2.8's "nice" head design I am going to have to strip off the entire engine down to a shortblock to replace it. I am estimating this is going to take 8-10 hours.

Now i'd like to know how a **** forged piston cracked! Guess I will see when I take it apart.

[mrmidnight]

me 5 double shots and a regular shot of 151, bal 3.86

[importmaster1300]

Mrmidnight I tink yoo hav two munch blood in yo alkohol level!!!!!