engine and drivetrain Who knows their engines?

[Guest Anonymous]

OK, so I started tearing the engine down in the 2000 to replace the rod and main bearings hoping to cure a #3, and sometimes #1 rod knock. So I pull the pan, and there are some suspicious chunks in there. I pull off the second main, no damage. Crank is clean, the bearing has some wear marks, but not bad. I pull off the #3 rod cap, same thing. So I am looking around and I notice a channel warn into the #2 rod cap and securing bolt, and I am wondering what the heck could cause that. The dipstick is close, so I am thinking that it might be hitting it, that would cause a rod knock like sounding noise, and then I notice the chunk of aluminum missing from the oil pump pickup tube.

Anyone ever hear of this happening before? What do you guys think?

Thanks!

Jeff C.

70 Granada 2002 Sunroof, Mega-Squirt EFI

66 Turf 2000 Automatic

[Guest Anonymous]

Something got into the pan thru the dipstick tube? Did the missing piece of the oil pump look like it was hit by something?

[Guest Anonymous]

The missing peice of oil pump looks to have been caused by the dipstick hitting it repetedly. I have never heard of anything like this happening before. I am not sure that it would cause the noise I was getting last week though. It was a deep thud.

Thanks!

Jeff C.

70 Granada 2002 sunrrof MS-EFI

66 Turf 2000a back in intensive care.

[Guest Anonymous]

I'm cheap and proud of it, but I think you might be looking at a false economy if you don't get farther into your engine. If chunks have come off the oil pump, bits of that soft aluminum could be hiding in oil passages now, waiting to float out and starve a bearing and waste your crank.

I'd strip it down, clean it well (i.e. have the block hot tanked), mic the crank, and if it looks OK you could keep it as simple as honing the cylinders, installing new rings, main and rod bearings (and an oil pump!). Maybe $350? It'd buy you extra miles on the bottom end and lots of peace of mind. Just another POV.

Tony

[Guest Anonymous]

My agave has been making that same noise for the past 50,000 miles (especially noticable at low idle). Mike's chamonix also makes that same noise.

Perhaps it is a bearing going out but hey if lasts another 50k what do I care?

72 tundra tii

72 agave 2002