CA18DET big end rattle

[erixtar1992]

hey guys, bought a s13 with blown head gasket, and i know i shouldnt have been running it but i am an idiot and i have been due to fitting various bits and bobs bla bla.

the engine sounded fine before, then i took it for a quick spin just up and down the road and now it sounds as if the big ends are giving up.

i think this is due to the head gasket now giving up completely and throwing water in the oil, which has thinned it out a hell of alot and since started to rattle.

the engine has done about 130k.

my question is, going on this video i took, do you think its past saving/will get away with just new shells/ just needs fresh oil perhaps?

i am starting to do the head gasket today, but obviously i may need to prepare for the worst. although it doesnt sound as bad as some i have seen, only does it above 3k or so, and i havent driven it since.

heres the vid.




any realistic opinions?

thanks

[erixtar1992]

ps: please refrain from telling me to get an SR.

[Jonny Wilkinson]

Given your lack of mechanical sympathy, any CA lovers are going to tell you to get an SR !

If the BEs have gone you need to pull it to pieces and see how bad the damage is. If you've spun a shell, you may need more than new shells.

[erixtar1992]

haha, i was being a bit of a child since its my first turbo car, learned my lesson now! should have waited! but if they have gone that easily/quickly they may have already been on there way out? well thats my thinking anyways.

just rebuilt my vw's engine, so its something i could do, im just on a time limit to get it all done haha.

[Slamz]

Sounds like rod knock. What's the whining too? Gearbox?

[erixtar1992]

Ooooft dont say that hahah.

Yeah its got a whiney auto box. Shortly being dropped out

[ANDY black s13]

It does sound a bit like mine when the big ends had started to die tbh,if the head gasket needs doing as well you might as well pull the engine and slushbox
out as a unit and sort the HG and Big ends with the engine out the car,drop the sump and check for metal in the sump
hopefully its just the shells and the crank might be good still
to do the job properly it will need stripping to a bare block to clean out all the metal that has been pumped around the engine since the shells started dying
If you just swap the shells it wont last as long as the metal bits will circulate after and possibly not do the new shells any good
Factor in how much you can get a good bottom end for from here as may be cheaper option than a rebuild
shame your so far away as I have a 60k miles bottom end that I've checked out and its standard size crank shells and good condition to run again
it was one of my spares till I got another fully forged CA recently

[Jonny Wilkinson]

I'd agree with Andy that engine out makes a lot of sense.

I've got a crank should you need one.

I could probably bring it to a Home Counties meet to save on postage.

[erixtar1992]

dammit haha. im trying to source an engine crane from a mate so i can pull the lot out. i may hold off on doing the gasket untill i know the bottom end is good.

just trying too strip it down at the moment, think im gonna take the head out with it in the car, then remove the block on its own.

thanks guys

[Jonny Wilkinson]

Well, "engine in" is the hard way to do the top end. When you lift the head, take it with the plenum and turbo. Its a lot easier to dismantle after its off.

...and take lots of photos unless you have a photographic memory and have taken a CA to bits before. Saves on the "Where does this go ?" threads later

[erixtar1992]

thats exactly what i am doing mate haha. just want to get the head off, as im only at work untill thursday then im off till next year, and we have bloody good parts washers! my polo cylinder head looked brand spanking new!

[erixtar1992]

Well i found the problem!! HAHA!! Good effort i reckon!!




That was cylinder 3.. as you can see it span the shell and snapped one!! How on earth!!

The rest are in this sorta state. New engine please! Ha

[Slamz]

SR time

[cleanhands]

One of mine came out like that. Soaked some 1200grit in oil and gently ran it around the journals. Threw some standard bearings in and it lasted 12.5k miles before I dropped the engine for one I'd rebuilt. Not advocating this but it's not the end of the world, what I mean is get the crank checked, don't assume it's scrap. Proper rebuild would be better though.

Was that from the rod end or the cap?

Mine at 144k miles, not as bad as yours;

[cleanhands]

SR time

Five to ten years ago I wouldn't have argued, but now SRs are old and just as likely to be as tired as a CA. You can rebuild a CA cheaper than you can pick up an SR. If you want to buy an SR to rebuild then fair enough, they're much better supported from an aftermarket point of view.

[erixtar1992]

The sump was full of shard of metal and shite, bit worrying haha!

I couldnt really tell wether it was the cap or rod part to be honest!!

I need to check the crank out. Theres a few minor scores but its not as bad as i thought itd be