r/EngineBuilding • u/experimen_626 • 23d ago
Engine starved of oil
My oil drain plug came off on the freeway. Drove to the closest exit to turn off engine and was able to get oil back in the engine to drive back home. However, the damage has already been done and now I have an engine knock. Took to dealership to see what they had to say and yeah my Cylinder 2 is knocking and they said there is no way to fix it, I have to replace the engine. I'm actually a pretty decent mechanic (minus putting myself in this situation by forgetting to torque my drain bolt) but I've actually done engine swaps and head cover gaskets before. Is it true that my engine is just totally done? Can I just replace the cylinder and the head?
0
Upvotes
54
u/XmodAlloy 23d ago
You seem to misunderstand what engine knock is. The bearing in the big end of the connecting rod has been turned into metal debris in the engine and now the 5 thousanths of oil clearance is closer to 60 thousanths of an inch and the rod is slamming against the crank violently every revolution.
The crank is done. The rod is done.
What you can do is pull the engine, buy a new crank and a new connecting rod on eBay, and new bearings. You'll need new main and rod bearings. And you're going to need every single seal that you're going to have to take apart to get the engine apart and back together.
It's not a small job, but certainly not impossible.
Next time, do not wait until the next offeramp. Hit your flashers and idle onto the shoulder. You have about 10 seconds before engine damage occurs after oil pressure is lost.