Nevada1906
Registered User
Sorry about the length of this post, but it's necessary.
Well, I can't avoid this any longer. The main bearings in my '93 auto have to be replaced, and I don't mean maybe. But as usual, there's good news and bad news, and I need some advice. Thanks in advance.
First, while I have bits of crud in the oil, some of it is glittery metal and some is black, crumbly gunk. I think what's going on here is that because I've been doing oil changes every two thousand miles in an effort to keep the mains alive, I've been loosening up gunk that was the result of the previous owner's lack of maintenance. But the glitter, that's bearing. Ouch!
Now, I haven't had bearing-to-journal contact yet because, frankly, I've been driving like an old lady in order to keep the engine alive. I mean barely goosing the throttle, 2000 rpm shifts and so forth. There's enough torque that I don't have to get on the gas too hard, and besides, I have to practically ride the brakes to stay off peoples' bumpers anyway! That's why I love this car!
As I said, the good news is that my low-stress driving technique, and the resulting lack of metal-to-metal contact, means that I probably can just replace the bearings without having to get into any machine work.
I think.
However, the bad news is that I've only got enough cash to cover new main and rod bearings, a new set of gaskets, and the engine hoist rental. And that's it.
And this is my only car.
And it's my daily driver.
And no, the above variables are not negotiable.
And failure is not an option.
So, with all that being said, Here are my questions:
1: Can someone remind me what the problem with the stock balancer is? Like, why can't it be reused? Is it a matter of becoming damaged by just a single removal/reinstallation cycle, or is it more along the lines of, "I can't repeatedly shift at six grand with a reinstalled stocker?"
2: Would it be possible to stick an NA 3.8 longblock under the blower? No, this question is not as stupid as it sounds. As I mentioned, I'm not that hard on this car, and I have no plans to lean on it until I get my Project 3.8 built. So if I'm gentle, I think it should be okay, as long as there aren't any sensor compatibility issues.
I mean just physically swap an NA longblock into the SC longblock's place and bolt all the other parts back into the car.
The crank sensor being the big one in this case.
See, I need transportation here. If the car has to exist in a "reduced" state for a while in order to stay alive and functional and get me around town, then so be it. I'd rather just swap longblocks and be on my way.
Just for right now.
Thanks for any advice.
Well, I can't avoid this any longer. The main bearings in my '93 auto have to be replaced, and I don't mean maybe. But as usual, there's good news and bad news, and I need some advice. Thanks in advance.
First, while I have bits of crud in the oil, some of it is glittery metal and some is black, crumbly gunk. I think what's going on here is that because I've been doing oil changes every two thousand miles in an effort to keep the mains alive, I've been loosening up gunk that was the result of the previous owner's lack of maintenance. But the glitter, that's bearing. Ouch!
Now, I haven't had bearing-to-journal contact yet because, frankly, I've been driving like an old lady in order to keep the engine alive. I mean barely goosing the throttle, 2000 rpm shifts and so forth. There's enough torque that I don't have to get on the gas too hard, and besides, I have to practically ride the brakes to stay off peoples' bumpers anyway! That's why I love this car!
As I said, the good news is that my low-stress driving technique, and the resulting lack of metal-to-metal contact, means that I probably can just replace the bearings without having to get into any machine work.
I think.
However, the bad news is that I've only got enough cash to cover new main and rod bearings, a new set of gaskets, and the engine hoist rental. And that's it.
And this is my only car.
And it's my daily driver.
And no, the above variables are not negotiable.
And failure is not an option.
So, with all that being said, Here are my questions:
1: Can someone remind me what the problem with the stock balancer is? Like, why can't it be reused? Is it a matter of becoming damaged by just a single removal/reinstallation cycle, or is it more along the lines of, "I can't repeatedly shift at six grand with a reinstalled stocker?"
2: Would it be possible to stick an NA 3.8 longblock under the blower? No, this question is not as stupid as it sounds. As I mentioned, I'm not that hard on this car, and I have no plans to lean on it until I get my Project 3.8 built. So if I'm gentle, I think it should be okay, as long as there aren't any sensor compatibility issues.
I mean just physically swap an NA longblock into the SC longblock's place and bolt all the other parts back into the car.
The crank sensor being the big one in this case.
See, I need transportation here. If the car has to exist in a "reduced" state for a while in order to stay alive and functional and get me around town, then so be it. I'd rather just swap longblocks and be on my way.
Just for right now.
Thanks for any advice.