[Seanj]

# 7 rod bearing spun on 96 lt1 engine

The #7 rod bearing spun on my lt1 engine! I guess i have to take it to a engine shop! Is it a big problem and is it pricey, i really dont care how much it cost but lookin for the cheap route thanx

 

[SSedan64]

Price will depend on if they're doing all the work or you're just taking the crank to them to have it ground and installing new bearings yourself. Which would be fairly cheap.

 

[barnym17]

Biggest concern for me would be why did it spin? low oil, rod big end out of shape, clearance to tight etc. need to know or it will happen agin.

 

[cobalt327]

i really dont care how much it cost but lookin for the cheap route

In order to cover the bases, have new ARP rod bolts installed, then have the rods resized.

Have the crank turned and polished. I would consider the above as a minimum.

Depending on the wear, now would be the time to check the piston to bore clearances, etc., and proceed from there.

 

[DoubleVision]

Also be aware, depending on how long it was run knocking, the "knock" you hear isn`t the big end of the rod slapping the journal, you hear the piston contacting the head. So if it was run a while the piston will have to be replaced. A friend of mine`s engine let a bearing go and he drove it maybe 15 miles home. He did a rebuild and I told him to replace the piston, he didn`t listen or didn`t believe me one. Anyways, after he was finished it ran good but he only got around 600 miles on it before the piston in that hole let go, bending the rod and the wrist pin wedged into the cylinder wall. Again, he drove it home which was only 4 miles away, upon tear down we found a huge gouge that was very close to finding water. Needless to say, the block was trash so it was junked. His engine and troubles could have been saved by a 15 dollar replacement piston.

 

[BogiesAnnex1]

The #7 rod bearing spun on my lt1 engine! I guess i have to take it to a engine shop! Is it a big problem and is it pricey, i really dont care how much it cost but lookin for the cheap route thanx

Without knowing how many miles are on this engine, how you drive it, what the oil pressure was as trend for say a week before the failure. This leads into why the failure occurred which may require digging deeper than just putting new bearings on number 7. It becomes impossible to direct your efforts in the direction to identify the underling causes of the failure.

For example if this is an oil pressure/volume related failure, then the insert welded, however briefly, to the crank and was spun inside the rod. If this was an over-rev, the rod could have distorted its shape and allowed the insert to spin.

While both cases will require repair or replacement of the crank and probably replacement of the rod; if this failure occurred because of an oil supply issue, the engine will be re-assembled with that problem still there waiting for the next time conditions are opportune for another failure of the bearing.

Bogie