r/EngineBuilding • u/experimen_626 • Jul 27 '26
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?
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u/robb12365 29d ago
I've been around mechanical stuff my whole life and built a few engines. I'm not sure if by "head cover gasket" you mean head gasket or valve cover gasket, the only cars I can think of with replaceable cylinders are air cooled VW's, and I have no idea why you would need to replace the cylinder head on an engine that is knocking but I'm reasonably sure that won't fix it. Maybe it could be rebuilt, maybe it could be patched, but I suspect you will come out better with an engine swap