good news, bad news?

[lclark0624]

Well, I finally got the 75 B running and it ran like a champ. After ttrying just about everything, I replaced the diaphram for the third time. Strated right up and ran like new. I drove it around town, and since it was running well, I drove it about 20 miles round trip to a golf course. No problems on the way out and half the way back.

But, all of the sudden the oil guage dropped to zero and the engine started rattling, bad. The temp guage also jumped to hot. I let it cool down and then limped home. Sounds to me as cif the engine's shot. Right?

Now if i need an engine, where is the best source? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[DrEntropy]

Does sound as if you've cooked it. If you've limited experience with LBC engines I'd suggest "sniffing" the area for a good, experienced British car Tech. Have them check yours over before looking for a replacement engine.

 

[jsneddon]

Where are you located?

 

[GB1]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif

 

[tony barnhill]

But, before you jump out & start buying used engines or rebuilt engines, or rebuildable engines - pull yours, disassemble it & see what's the problem

But, before you do that: do a compression check - dry & wet.

I've seen too many guys jump off the deep end only to find they had a bad oil pump or maybe rings or something like that.

 

[lclark0624]

Thanks for the replies.

I'll run the compression check and let you know. I forgot, What's the difference between a wet and dry compression check?

I live in Banning, CA which is between Riverside and Palm Springs on I-10.

Anybody knows a good BC mechanic in the area, let me know.

 

[lclark0624]

I just ran a cold compression check - without warming up the engine. The reads are: 91, 90, 105, 98.

Any ideas?

 

[tony barnhill]

Pretty low - now, squirt a little oil in the spark plugs & run another compression check.

 

[lclark0624]

Thanks tony,

Wet, I get 110, 100, 136, 110.

Bad news, huh?

 

[lclark0624]

Just to be sure, I ran another cold, but wet test with a little more oil. This tesdt read 122, 109, 152, 114.

What do you all think?

 

[jsneddon]

You have a PM regarding local service shop.

 

[DrEntropy]

It comfirms you've worn rings/bores, but it doesn't tell us much about the loss of O/P and the *ugly* noises. It's likely teardown time. NO trying to start it again or aught like that. It'll cost. Are you in a circumstance whereby you can do any of the work yourself? I ask purely as a "baseline" for info.

 

[tony barnhill]

But it also says there's no reason to jump out & buy another shortblock!

An engine with those numbers can usually be saved unless its already been bored out as far as it can handle.

Interestingly, #3 has the highest compression (if your numbers were front to rear)...so, you may not need a whole lot...the oil pump is right under there but the head usually cracks right over there.

 

[DrEntropy]

Agreed, Tony: unless it's been "opened up" to max bore there's no reason to replace the block. I'm not advocating that.

The #3 being highest IS a bit of a surprise. Usually it's the "weak" hole. Hottest due to some "funny" head and block castings.

Bottom end "visual inspection" (i.e. R&R engine, tear-down) is the only real way to find/fix what's going on in there. It's either time to roll up your sleeves and get dirty or find a reputable shop to do the work.

 

[tony barnhill]

[ QUOTE ]
Interestingly, #3 has the highest compression (if your numbers were front to rear)...so, you may not need a whole lot...the oil pump is right under there but the head usually cracks right over there.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
The #3 being highest IS a bit of a surprise. Usually it's the "weak" hole. Hottest due to some "funny" head and block castings.

[/ QUOTE ]

Great minds think alike!

 

[lclark0624]

Jsneddon sent me a PM with a recommendation of a shop in Orange County. I'll probabily have to go that way because the neighbors in our mobile home park might bet upset if I do too much heavy mechanical work in our carport.

If we were in our Indiana house I'd have pleanty of room and garage space to work.

I might drain the oil, pull the pan and see what's there, though.

We have to go in a month long trip so it may just sit there while we are gone.

By the way, the readings are front to back each time and show the higest readings for #3.

The engine looks like it's been worked on in the past, but that's just a guess.

 

[DrEntropy]

Don't bother to drop the pan then. It'd just allow more intrusion of "foreign" stuff and you can't really get the crank out that way anyhow... Too bad you've "intolerant" neighbors. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

EDIT: P.S. As much as Mr. Sneddon and I "take th' *wizz* outta one-another" he's a resource to count on. As is Tony B.

 

[tony barnhill]

Agree - if you're going to contract the work out, the only thing you might want to do is yank the engine - 'course then you'd have to reinstall it

...so, it might be best to just tow it to him & set some parameters for what you want done ($$-wise, time-wise, wrench-wise)...3 weeks is enough time for him to get it up & running.

 

[jsneddon]

[ QUOTE ]

EDIT: P.S. As much as Mr. Sneddon and I "take th' *wizz* outta one-another" he's a resource to count on. As is Tony B.

[/ QUOTE ]

aww shucks... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

we kid because we love....

Agreed on the not pulling the pan if you're sitting in a carport with wonky neighbors. Banning is a gritty dusty place... after seeing what a year sitting outside in this desert did to my clearcoat I wouldn't leave a block open for one day in this climate.

I've no personal experience with the guy I recommended (simply because nobody is wrenching on MY car but me) but I'm in a club where nobody is shy about opinions and I've heard only good things.

 

[lclark0624]

great advice here, allthough unsettling. Looks like the little jaunt to the gold links was costly. We're looking at a tear down and rebuild atleast in part with the bad compression readings.

I don't have the facilities to do the work or the experience/tools and equipment, so it off to the shop. jsneddon was good enough to recommended a shop in Orange County -- about 70 miles away, so some day I'll get it there.

If we are looking at teardown, rings, oil pump, , etc., what else should we have the shop fix while we're in there?

What kind of a ballpark figure should we expect?

I'd like to get to the shock stuff first and not go through the shop roof. $1,200, 1,800, $2,500?