it must have been something those trucks run forever
"Engine Blew-up" Share your Stories
- Thread starter SumpChump
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BIL gets to do them:
96 Cavalier. I bought for $300. Timing chain was rattling, let go 7k miles later on the road. Junked. Near 200k.
95 Saturn. I bought for $250. Drove it 70k miles in a year and a half. Over 200k. He claims timing chain. He made it home and parted it out.
04 Cavalier ecotec. I bought for $650. 160k. Chain broke when cranking one cold morning. I put a 00 OHV engine+ trans in and stuck it back with him. It ran until he got a company car. God bless his fleet mechanic!
He DOES change his own oil somewhat regularly, and usually with Mobil 1 and an orange can.
96 Cavalier. I bought for $300. Timing chain was rattling, let go 7k miles later on the road. Junked. Near 200k.
95 Saturn. I bought for $250. Drove it 70k miles in a year and a half. Over 200k. He claims timing chain. He made it home and parted it out.
04 Cavalier ecotec. I bought for $650. 160k. Chain broke when cranking one cold morning. I put a 00 OHV engine+ trans in and stuck it back with him. It ran until he got a company car. God bless his fleet mechanic!
He DOES change his own oil somewhat regularly, and usually with Mobil 1 and an orange can.
I've never had an engine actually blow up or even quit on me, but my step-father has had a couple:
1975 Plymouth Duster 225-6 - engine completely let go on the highway, and actually scattered all over it. Police officer responding wasn't impressed.
1979 Olds Cutlass wagon 3.8 V-6 - don't know full story, but engine let go. I'm assuming it was a broken crank; these engines seemed to suffer from that, and he used a LOT of quickstart spray on it, which is hard on an old engine.
1975 Plymouth Duster 225-6 - engine completely let go on the highway, and actually scattered all over it. Police officer responding wasn't impressed.
1979 Olds Cutlass wagon 3.8 V-6 - don't know full story, but engine let go. I'm assuming it was a broken crank; these engines seemed to suffer from that, and he used a LOT of quickstart spray on it, which is hard on an old engine.
I've only actually 'blown' one engine. I had a '72 Nova with a 396 (out of a rusted out '67 Impala). Too many R's. Stupid kid mistake: Big-'butt' cam in an otherwise stock engine. It lasted quite a while, but one night it finally let go. It only knocked a few times (it seemed), before it died with a sickening crunch. Punched a hole thru the cylinder wall, broke the cam in 2 places and mangled the valves for that cylinder.
I want to say I was using STP Racing oil (this was over 30 years ago) in something like 10w50. I don't recall what filter. I might have been able to save the engine with a sleeve, but I didn't bother. I used what parts were still usable to piece together a 427 using a 454 block. I used a slightly smaller cam this time and it just didn't have the grunt that the 396 did. No matter, I only ran it like that for less than a year, then I started prepping the car to go to college. Out came the 427 and back in went the original 307 (arrgh!)
I want to say I was using STP Racing oil (this was over 30 years ago) in something like 10w50. I don't recall what filter. I might have been able to save the engine with a sleeve, but I didn't bother. I used what parts were still usable to piece together a 427 using a 454 block. I used a slightly smaller cam this time and it just didn't have the grunt that the 396 did. No matter, I only ran it like that for less than a year, then I started prepping the car to go to college. Out came the 427 and back in went the original 307 (arrgh!)
Originally Posted By: Bryankkkk
Ford Escort- Brick on the Gas Pedal, until seized
Hyundai Elantra- Brick on the gas pedal, until seized.
Buick 3.8- Rod knock until it finally let go, was at low rpms unfortunately, wasn't very exciting.
Got 2 more intrepid's to do this year! the 2.7 is next for sure!!
I got maybe 5 or 6 more cars that we blew up but thats to much to list lol.
Were you employd by "cash for clunkers"?
Ford Escort- Brick on the Gas Pedal, until seized
Hyundai Elantra- Brick on the gas pedal, until seized.
Buick 3.8- Rod knock until it finally let go, was at low rpms unfortunately, wasn't very exciting.
Got 2 more intrepid's to do this year! the 2.7 is next for sure!!
I got maybe 5 or 6 more cars that we blew up but thats to much to list lol.
Were you employd by "cash for clunkers"?
Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
it must have been something those trucks run forever
The engines usually do. That one also had the transmission rebuilt and the rear axle replaced but that's not uncommon at all for a 4L60 and 8.5 rear axle.
it must have been something those trucks run forever
The engines usually do. That one also had the transmission rebuilt and the rear axle replaced but that's not uncommon at all for a 4L60 and 8.5 rear axle.
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Originally Posted By: Bryankkkk
Ford Escort- Brick on the Gas Pedal, until seized
Hyundai Elantra- Brick on the gas pedal, until seized.
Buick 3.8- Rod knock until it finally let go, was at low rpms unfortunately, wasn't very exciting.
Got 2 more intrepid's to do this year! the 2.7 is next for sure!!
I got maybe 5 or 6 more cars that we blew up but thats to much to list lol.
Were you employd by "cash for clunkers"?
Buy em for scrap, have fun till they dont move then blow em up! They have plenty of issues before we start beating on them
Originally Posted By: Bryankkkk
Ford Escort- Brick on the Gas Pedal, until seized
Hyundai Elantra- Brick on the gas pedal, until seized.
Buick 3.8- Rod knock until it finally let go, was at low rpms unfortunately, wasn't very exciting.
Got 2 more intrepid's to do this year! the 2.7 is next for sure!!
I got maybe 5 or 6 more cars that we blew up but thats to much to list lol.
Were you employd by "cash for clunkers"?
Buy em for scrap, have fun till they dont move then blow em up! They have plenty of issues before we start beating on them
Was a tech at a GMC dealer way back when. Customer brought in a pretty new Duramax diesel (option loaded truck, big $$$, a real nice one) with about 1800 miles on it. Said it was not running right. It was summer and the overhead doors were all open. My buddy brought it halfway into the shop and revved it slightly. That sucker came apart right then and there, broke the crankshaft. Loud and ugly.
In the late 80's I worked in the computer deptment of a large retailer. I often worked weekends and really had nothing to do with the vehicles but on those weekends there was a delivery driver who took care last minute errands to stores in the area. He would often tell me of the horrible condition of the van they had him drive and I knew he spoke the truth. His department wouldn't spend a dime on it. The steering was sloppy, the brakes pulled to the side and made scraping noises, the wiper blades fell apart and so on. A real piece of [censored].
The driver complained and complained to his supervisor but got nowhere. Finally they had enough of his complaining and threatened to cut his hours and move him to nightshift somewhere, so he quit.
Two weeks later, I'm working the weekend and I meet the new driver. He tells me the van they have for him is a real piece of poop. So I tell him the history of what the previous driver went through and how he got nowhere but out the door. He says "I understand" and left for a few minutes. When he came back, he asked me to go out and look at the van. There was a pool of oil under the engine and what was left of a rod was sticking out the side of the block.
I came back in and phoned his manager and told him about the truck, rod and all. The manager phoned a tow truck and came in to boost the old van. Like that was going to work!
Next day, a nice new leased van is in the lot.
This has always bothered me that a long time good employee couldn't get respect but the new guy knew what to do. He ended up driving a decent vehicle.
The driver complained and complained to his supervisor but got nowhere. Finally they had enough of his complaining and threatened to cut his hours and move him to nightshift somewhere, so he quit.
Two weeks later, I'm working the weekend and I meet the new driver. He tells me the van they have for him is a real piece of poop. So I tell him the history of what the previous driver went through and how he got nowhere but out the door. He says "I understand" and left for a few minutes. When he came back, he asked me to go out and look at the van. There was a pool of oil under the engine and what was left of a rod was sticking out the side of the block.
I came back in and phoned his manager and told him about the truck, rod and all. The manager phoned a tow truck and came in to boost the old van. Like that was going to work!
Next day, a nice new leased van is in the lot.
This has always bothered me that a long time good employee couldn't get respect but the new guy knew what to do. He ended up driving a decent vehicle.
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Originally Posted By: Bryankkkk
Ford Escort- Brick on the Gas Pedal, until seized
Hyundai Elantra- Brick on the gas pedal, until seized.
Buick 3.8- Rod knock until it finally let go, was at low rpms unfortunately, wasn't very exciting.
Got 2 more intrepid's to do this year! the 2.7 is next for sure!!
I got maybe 5 or 6 more cars that we blew up but thats to much to list lol.
Were you employd by "cash for clunkers"?
+1
Originally Posted By: Bryankkkk
Ford Escort- Brick on the Gas Pedal, until seized
Hyundai Elantra- Brick on the gas pedal, until seized.
Buick 3.8- Rod knock until it finally let go, was at low rpms unfortunately, wasn't very exciting.
Got 2 more intrepid's to do this year! the 2.7 is next for sure!!
I got maybe 5 or 6 more cars that we blew up but thats to much to list lol.
Were you employd by "cash for clunkers"?
+1
We had a 2001 Daewoo Leganza start knocking horribly around 90000 miles (iirc). We purchased it at around 70000 and it was in excellent shape. Oil was changed by me, on time, but out of the blue it started knocking and we ended up selling it for less than 1/5 of what we paid for it. I'm assuming it was some sort of manufacturing defect. My sister also had a 2001 Windstar that blew a hole in the block because the head gasket gave out. The van had over 230,000 miles on it.
I saw a Hyundai Elantra grenade on the highway, just cruising along not doing anything out of the ordinary and it popped, smoke and shrapnel out the bottom of the engine.
My first car, a 96 Mitsubishi Magna/Diamante with the Mitsubishi/Chrysler 2.6 engine did a head gasket at 299,986. My aim the whole time was to take it to 300k and it died so close! It used to burn oil like crazy, zero compression and had chronic timing chain rattle on start up. It had 20w50 with a full bottle of Lucas Stabilizer (cringe!) in the engine to stop it burning and it still smoked a fair bit!
My first car, a 96 Mitsubishi Magna/Diamante with the Mitsubishi/Chrysler 2.6 engine did a head gasket at 299,986. My aim the whole time was to take it to 300k and it died so close! It used to burn oil like crazy, zero compression and had chronic timing chain rattle on start up. It had 20w50 with a full bottle of Lucas Stabilizer (cringe!) in the engine to stop it burning and it still smoked a fair bit!
Worst I saw was a minivan lose its oil filter and start dumping oil. I started honking, flashing my lights, waving at the guy to stop! He thought I was crazy and drove away from me quickly, then about 5 miles later, his car was smoking and he was on the side of the road. I literally saw the failure happen right in front of me but couldn't get the guy to stop the engine and pull over :-(
Would a car that caught fire count for this thread?
When I was a kid my dad had a '48 or '49 Ford flathead 6 in a flatbed F5 that we used maybe 5 times a year. No hood and the radiator was shot, he just filled the block with water when it was needed.
One day it blew a hole in a piston and the dipstick shot into the air for what seemed like an eternity, when it came down it stuck into the ground about a foot from we were standing shaking our heads, its a wonder it didn't kill someone.
One day it blew a hole in a piston and the dipstick shot into the air for what seemed like an eternity, when it came down it stuck into the ground about a foot from we were standing shaking our heads, its a wonder it didn't kill someone.
My uncle has a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 4.0. At around 168k miles, it started making anoise, sounded kind of like a lifter tick. Mechanic said it was somewhere deep in the valvetrain, would be expensive to fix, etc. So my uncle left it alone. Maybe about a thousand miles later, the engine starts knocking really bad. He was only around the corner from the house, so he went home and parked it. The next morning he tries to start it up and it make a horrible racket for a few seconds before puking antifreeze all over the ground and died. He had a shop install a junkyard engine and he's still driving it.
I have only blown transmissions not motors...well on purpose.
We did have a guy who sold us a 62 Bel Air bubbletop with an inline 6. No way we were going to keep it that way....so we all got together in the shop and made a pool on how long the old stovebolt would last with it to the floor in neutral.
45 seconds was the answer before it locked up.
We did have a guy who sold us a 62 Bel Air bubbletop with an inline 6. No way we were going to keep it that way....so we all got together in the shop and made a pool on how long the old stovebolt would last with it to the floor in neutral.
45 seconds was the answer before it locked up.
Summer 2003: A Jag XJS convertible cuts in front of my Club Sport as I'm taking an entrance ramp on to I-64. The driver is a textbook example of Mid-Life Crisis Man: comb-over hair, gold chains, and wrap-around sun glasses. His companion is a flashy blonde trophy wife/girlfriend/bimbo. The guy simply cannot stand for me to pass him, so the faster I go, the faster he goes. I settle in to a cruising speed of 85, trusting in my V1 and the fact that the Jag is serving as a "rabbit" in front of me. After several miles I notice the Jag is starting to smoke a bit. I speed up so-of course-the Jag speeds up. More smoke. I catch a whiff of antifreeze. This is just too good, so I turn up the wick a bit more; I can't believe the idiot hasn't noticed any problem. Oh well, I continue to push him up to about 95. At that point, the old Jag has had enough; clouds of steam suddenly billow out from under and around the hood. The sled finally pulls over to the emergency strip. My Club Sport now has a film of coolant covering the windshield, but it was worth it...
I had a 1982 Dodge Rampage (yes, the K-Car El Camino) when I was 20 years old with the VW designed 2.2L four cylinder. I was pulling out of the parking lot when I suddenly lost a lot of power. The engine was still running but very little power and a terrible noise from the exhaust. I pulled over and checked the engine...no outward signs of trauma. I drove home on back roads as I couldn't get over 30 mph. The next morning I drove into my work shop (on my day off) and had our shop manager help me.
We pulled the valve cover and hand rotated the engine. The camshaft was only turning at cylinders 1 and 2. It had cracked in half at the center bearing cap, totally clean break! So I had been running on two cylinders (firing order 1-4-3-2) and still had been able to drive home and then to work on it. Order a new cam and belt, set the timing correct, sealed it up, and drove it another 50k miles before selling it.
We pulled the valve cover and hand rotated the engine. The camshaft was only turning at cylinders 1 and 2. It had cracked in half at the center bearing cap, totally clean break! So I had been running on two cylinders (firing order 1-4-3-2) and still had been able to drive home and then to work on it. Order a new cam and belt, set the timing correct, sealed it up, and drove it another 50k miles before selling it.
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