[camino75080]

Alright, my friend says that on his way back from Oklahoma, that his truck was having trouble going up hills and that it finally got real hot and died, so they check everything and it was "out" of oil (I know its sad) and that smoke was coming from every open hole on the motor, so they left it. They came back about 4 hours later and filled it with oil and drove for about 15 minutes and then the oil pressure dropped to zero and the temp. climbed to about 270, so he shut it off but, it didn't spin down, it just stopped. This is an '87 Chevy Pickup with a 350 and about 210,000 miles on the motor. I was thinking a spun bearing, but don't know, what do you guys think?

 

[HemmiGremmie]

That or maybe a blown head gasket. Could have screwed a lot of things up. HG

 

[camino75080]

Now, it didnt lock up, it would still crank, but when he shut it off, it didnt spin down. And I already told him that its probibly toast and that we need to call up City Motor, our local volume engine rebiulders, he can get a new short block for $300 bucks.

So since we need to rebiuld it, how 'bout we give it so power! Any ideas, budget minded of course?

 

[poncho62]

If you can get a rebuilt short block, (which I doubt), go for it................

 

[johnsongrass1]

First we have loss of power, Then overheating water temps,

Oil takes about 25% percent of the internal engine heat and dissipates the heat through either a cooler and pan or just the pan if no cooler is installed. Without that oil cooling, the crank rods and pistons generated enough heat to change internal clearances on bearings and skirt's. This increase of friction finally overcame the cooling system ability to dissipate heat through the water. The rotating assembly literally cooked the oil. The reason for the smoke. Letting the engine cool then adding oil let it run for a while longer until the the rods eventually spit the bearing out from out of roundness and heat from loss of clearances. Loose rods clearances caused the oil temps to skyrocket until it affected the water temps as well.

A sure sign of failing bearings is sudden loss of power and spiking water temps. If you have a oil temp gouge it would show around 320'. A around ten degree's shy of melted bearings.

 

[camino75080]

If you can get a rebuilt short block, (which I doubt), go for it................

What does that mean?

Jonhsongrass, thats what I told him, but his uncle said that the timing chain slipped causing the loss of power, makes no sense to me.

 

[johnsongrass1]

I knew a guy once who had a timing sprocket break on him. It's been forever that he blames a timing chain on poor performance and I'm sure caused lot's of aggravation to those who knew no better. I hope he got it taken care of.

 

[Simo]

Alright, my friend says that on his way back from Oklahoma, that his truck was having trouble going up hills and that it finally got real hot and died, so they check everything and it was "out" of oil (I know its sad) and that smoke was coming from every open hole on the motor, so they left it. They came back about 4 hours later and filled it with oil and drove for about 15 minutes and then the oil pressure dropped to zero and the temp. climbed to about 270, so he shut it off but, it didn't spin down, it just stopped. This is an '87 Chevy Pickup with a 350 and about 210,000 miles on the motor. I was thinking a spun bearing, but don't know, what do you guys think?

he would have had good oil in that eng ,, thats why it lived to see another start up ,, did he end up with oil in radiator???..

 

[Ghetto Jet]

It got hot enough that it just locked up, it is toasted. My other Caprice's previous owner blew a radiator hose and drove until the motor got so hot it locked up. When it came to the garage I was working at you couldn't turn it over by hand but would crank slowly and would start if you put the batter jump box on it, even though three cylinders had no compression. Poncho is right, call Mr. Goodwrench. Call Pace Performance 1-888-748-4655, new 350 short block is about $850 from them.