and the saga continues with this car

Well on friday night we got the delphi opti in place and installed the new electric water pump, and I finished getting everything else installed back in the car and hooked. Sat morning I got up and filled the cooling system back up and bleed the system. I let the car run for 5-10 minutes and everything was good, so I took it for a quick ride and everything was great. I came home and cleaned the car up since it was pretty dirty from sitting the garage and from doing work on it the last week or two. Once it was cleaned up I decided to take it for another 5-6 miles ride and test it out some. So I pulled out onto a road and gave it a good running through 1st, hit 2nd, into 3rd and BAM :cry: Loud noise and lose all power and the motor is making a loud clatter noise. I am pretty sure this damn thing spun a bearing now. There was no fluids on the road or leaking, so it seems to be only internal damage with whatever happened.

So has anyone else here spun a bearing in their car, and if so how bad was it to fix?

oh man... hope its not. Before we delve into the fix... lets confirm tge issue. Can u get us vid to hear it?


MEMBER @ LTXtech.com

It won't even run. I can't get it to restart. I am pretty sure whatever happened caused some major damage inside the motor from the sounds it was making. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the valve train is messed up. I didn't even bring the car home, because I might smash it as I am so fed up with this car. We drug the car out behind my buddies house who is a mechanic and I am just letting it sit there for awhile, as I don't even want to look at it for awhile.

Pull the valve covers and have a look. Spun bearings typically don't have a rattling sound. They're more a dull dense thud/knock. If you're hearing rattling noises, it's probably in the valvetrain.

Whatever it is that busted, it basically rendered the motor powerless. It was a rattling/clanking noise, sounded like a smacking around in a pan almost. I am am pretty sure there is valvetrain damage. It may be time to find a salvage yard LT-1 possibly to put in it depending on how bad it is.

Like Fastbird said. Pull the valve covers and look at the valve train. A spun bearing makes a very distinct sound.

When my old car was stolen. And had 3 rods thrown(one going out the oil pan). The car still started. Granted it sounded like a jack hammer going under the hood.

Yeah this won't even restart. Once I shut it off I couldn't get it to refire at all. It will crank, but it won't start. But we are going to start with pulling the covers and taking a look at the valvetrain. Maybe its possible the timing chain broke also?

u know i had an opti once with bad bearing. Made so much noise it sounded like rod knock. honest.

MEMBER @ LTXtech.com

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Timing chained snapped,maybe?

Does it turn over or bind up? Your sig says 383...How long ago was the rebuild? I doubt the timing chain would go if it was recent.