built sr blown???

[ryanhelton2000]

Motor started knocking yesterday while in my driveway. Knock was consistent with revs but seemed to quiet down at higher rpms. Pulled valve cover checked rocker arms, tension chain, and shims. Was hoping it was a lifter because when I checked the oil it was a little low but that was probably from cranking it with the cover off looking for the problem. So since I couldnt see anything wrong I replaced the cover and refilled the oil. I was going to take a video motor running to record the sound. It started knocked as loud as ever, then lost idle and died. Now it wont start and I can hear a puff from the exhaust as I crank it. Its a built engine and I just put this damn thing in and it cost me a ton. Some1 please tell me I haven't lost a cylinder or spun a bearing. I cant afford to rebuild it and its my only car

[Om1kron]

it's obvious you spun a bearing. and running it even more probably scored your crank, when a bearing breaks down and is still rotating it's like throwing little pebbles inside of the already tight and measured clearances and oil galleys and it just catches and creates more mass not accomodated for and the only thing the metal can do is break down even more.

why did it run low on oil, oil change, did you replace the oil pump at front? did the sump get clogged or break?

drain the oil, if it looks like candy paint that's your rod bearing.

[ryanhelton2000]

i dont think it ran low on oil i check it quite often it was low from cranking it with the valve cover off cas unplugged getting sprayed with oil looking to see if anything was out of whack. i have been thinking its a valve out of whack but have thought it was a bearing too
I didnt rebuild the motor i bought it already broken in with 15k on it so i dont actually know if the pump was replaced. i swapped out oil pan with a greddy before i dropped it in my car. pickup looked fine but it always held good pressure on the gauge. idled a little low due to a tiny leak in one of the cooler lines because the car has 2 coolers and each one has a different size fitting so i had to put in an adapter and it never sealed perfect. still had 8psi at idle
i when i checked the oil after cranking it it looked dirty but normal not sure what you mean by candy paint and since i had to put 3/4 of a quart in after cranking it im sure that will dilute the old oil but ill look at it as soon as i know what you mean thanx for your input diagnostics has never been my thing i like building them right treating them right and not having to figure out whats wrong

[fliprayzin240sx]

Drop the oil pan and see if you find gold. If you find gold flakes looking pieces in there, thats usually your rod bearings. 8 psi on idle is actually kinda low. You usually want it up closer to 1 bar/14 psi. 8 psi on idle might be too low to circulate oil thru the whole engine.

[ryanhelton2000]

recap: got ahold of some tools but not a bore scope to check pistons for marks, compression 30psi each cylinder
got a good look at the front of the cam gears while checking compression
NO OIL PROOF LOCKTITE or any for that matter ON ADJUSTABLE CAM GEARS.
the retainer bolts had backed off and the cam gears were slamming back and forth in the adjustment tracks. put them back where the wear marks were knock went away. Still wont start, now the compression is only at 60psi so either they are not adjusted correctly from eyeballing it, or (and im assuming this is more likely) that when the gears let go, it got so out of time it slammed and bent the valves. So yeah time to clean out the other head and buy a new gasket cause even though I havnt seen damage to the piston tops my valve train is probably wrecked. hopfully find a scope tonight or tomorrow so ill know whether it just needs to go to the shop to have the gears tuned in. ive heard the bc272s are off a bit when using fidanza cam gears so ill let Roberts Imports of Louisville KY do it. unless there is another shop in the louisville area any1 would reccomend i could end up buying a truck and towing the car all the way to florida because we are moving in the next month or so any shop suggestions in the Pensacola area would be great as well

[ryanhelton2000]

got some news from the shop. head is most likely a paperweight. no machine shop will touch it, think i got fuct on the known good engine i rented a truck and drove 17 hours round trip for. I have another built head that just needs cleaned and reassembled but the shop thinks there is most likely another problem other than the gears.
the cams and caps show way more wear than is acceptable let alone for an engine with less than 15k, they are pretty sure there will be problems in the block as well.
so i need a similar engine or a rebuild.
Ha! i put everything i had to get it together so getting fuct has nearly closed the deal.
looking for a feasible swap motor or chopping up the car into tiny pieces. problem is im already stressed for time as we are suppose to be moving back to P-cola next month. Im gonna lose it I know it going to completely flip out

[c-los13]

danng i didnt tighten a bolt on one of the cam gears on my rebuilt ka a while back, bent some valves. it wasnt built or anything but i was still sad.
good luck man, i can only imagine what you goin through.