Rod knock + decision time

[7MGTEJoe]

I managed to starve a rod bearing on a canyon road near my house. To anyone who routinely drives a canyon road with high speed supers buy an accusump! There was 5 qts of oil in the engine at the time but I had kept the engine at high RPM for a while so I don't know how much was in the pan. My theory is that I had suspended a bunch of oil in the top of the engine and the long high speed sweeper managed to shift the remaining oil to 1 side, uncovering part of the oil pickup and starving a rod bearing. I noticed the knock on the way back home; it's around 2500-2800 RPM, it's quiet everwhere else.

So now it's decision time and I've got few options; limited by the fact that I'm completely broke and have no time to do any serious engine work right now (finals are coming soon). I'm about to return to full time summer work and I'll have enough to replace an engine at the end of summer. I only need transportation to Yosemite at the end of May and back home when the work season ends.

I have no place to store a car until then unless I want to rent a large storage space. I don't have the cash for that but there's the credit card option I'm trying to avoid. If I were to store the car I'd have the time and money to replace the engine myself once I get back. The downside being I'd end up spending quite a bit on storage and would have to come up with transportation.

I could sell the supra for a substantial loss and buy some POS to get me around until I can buy another Mk3. Very distasteful but it's practical.

The cheapest (and the stupidest) option would be to attempt to drive my car the 200 miles, leave it parked and drive it home at the end of the season. The rod knock has just started and I could pull the plug wire for that cylinder, decreasing the load on the bad bearing. I've never tried to see exactly how far you could go on a bad rod bearing. Has anyone out there simply driven their 7M on a bad bearing until it failed? It's a pretty lame plan on the surface but towing the car 200 miles costs less than storing it that long. So I only have to get it up the hill and part of the way back home.

The last option I can think of is to bite the bullet, max out my credit car, pawn a few things and pay someone to fix the car before the semester is out. It'll get me there but it'll screw me up financially for the next year.

Some of you may be wondering why I don't just charge a JDM engine on my CC and swap it myself. I wish I could do that but I simply don't have the time or the space to do it right now. I've go finals in a few weeks and I don't have access to a garage right now.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Boostedstr8six]

I never thought about oil getting trapped up in the head like that. Makes sense. I wonder if a longer pick up tube would have prevented that?

I would avoid maxing out your CC though (I got a cc just to fix my supe when I was unemployed :slap: )....just bite the bullet and get it towed. Rent a uhaul and car trailer (or borrow) for a day. That doesn't cost much at all.

 

[Arther3]

i drove from mississippi to arizona and back and then to texas and around texas with one but it was not a bad rod knock. it was like only at idle if there was not enough oil and above 2500 rpm. try 20 weight oil and or oil treatment if its not too bad. im not condoning driving it, but if you've got to...

 

[turboa7mgte]

I would use your Credit card to get some other car and let the supra rest until you can get the funds or a loan to get it back up to 100%

I strees to the local guys around here to not use their "performance" car that they beat on as thier only mode of transportation. We have old cars and they need attention. I have had my car down for over a week before and its stored winters. So a "back up car" to me is very important.

Good luck to ya!!!

 

[IJ.]

Joe: That sucks !

I'd ask here if anyone local can help you out and it might just cost for gas and the hire of a trailer to tow it back!

Having said that your plan/option of pulling the plug lead off would probably work for 200 miles with no additional damage (I'd chuck an extra Qt in to be safe)

 

[GrimJack]

I drove for nearly a year on rod knock, no ill effects. I wasn't driving it nice, either. Keep in mind, your mileage may vary.

 

[turboa7mgte]

Larry at SP ran a 9.90 with a rod knock in vegas.

 

[Allan_MA70]

thick oil is the answer your looking for! keep the revs down and try not to load up the engine too much should be fine to get ya home, option 2 if your lucky the crank isnt rooted yet do a "baring roll" if the crank is rooted big time you can sometimes even put an undersize baring on the one rod thats shaged... all depends on whats happening inside your engine and wallet!

Allan

 

[7MGTEJoe]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm going to switch to 50 weight and see how long this 7M will go on a bad rod bearing. When the summer ends I should be dropping in another 7M-GTE

 

[IJ.]

Joe: I only meant it as a last resort thing to get you home

You run the risk of trashing your crank if you keep driving it.

I know the below is a worst case scenario but this is the end of Rod Knock in my old Crower Injected 427 Chev!

 

[7MGTEJoe]

I think you misunderstood me, it's going to sit until I have to drive it the 200 miles and back again. I don't really expect it to make it back home again, hence the "see how long this 7M will go on a bad rod bearing" statement. As of right now I'm on my mountain bike, the supra is parked.

 

[IJ.]

Ahhh with ya now Joe!