About a week ago, my too late you're screwed light came on (oil light). I check oil and sure enough, I add some and go on my way and all is good. Today I start up my car and start driving when I hear what sounds like a rattle coming from my engine. I knew right away that is wasn't good. So, I take it to a guy to confirm my fears. He did just that, yep the bearing is screwed. He said he doesn't know how bad it is yet, but he found a used 420a that he said he could install for $1800. At this point I really just want to get the car back on the road. In my limited searching I found that MachV has a complete rebuild kit for $550. Keep in mind that I don't really have the means to do this by myself, but does anyone have any suggestions?

AEM CAI/ AFX UDP/ GST Muffler/ Magnecors/ NGK plugs/ Intrax Springs/ Symbroski Shift Kit

its cheaper to buy a rebuild kit and have a shop install it all
I thought its about 5-600 bucks for a shop to install a complete bottom end kit.

1998 dodge avenger 4 cyl AT
Mods are:
Not enough

why not see if you can replace the bearings? more than likely you will need to have the crank machined at the rod journals, and then you can buy oversized? (you know what I mean) rod bearings. they make them in the standard sizes .010 etc.

good luck.. have the mechanic measure the journal to see how bad it is, chances are it can be machined and fixed.

the most you'd have to replace would be the crankshaft.

__________________________________
-Ryan

If you spun a bearing, you HAVE to replace the rod also. It puts stress on it and unless he caught it on the first knock (doubful) then just think, that's 100+ torque going at whatever rpms that that rod is hitting the crank. I"m sure you can just replace the crankshaft if you want and "maybe" not hear anything, but I definately wouldnt. And b/c our rods are "break-a-way" rods, they cant be machined, so you need to buy a new one or off of someone else. You also have to buy a new oil pump, just incase you have shavings that possibly were sucked up in the oil pick up tube. So in my opinion (and I've done this before, 2x actually on a 420a) Get the crank turned (if possible), get a rod, melling oil pump, head gasket and head bolts. If you want to keep your old timing belt on, then go ahead, but since you gotta take it all off, might as well change it too. It sounds hard, but it really isnt that hard at all, when I spun a bearing in my car on DEC 17 2002, I knew absolutely nothing about a car except to change the oil. I was forced to fix it myself, b/c I didnt have the money to let someone else do it, and through this website and chattin w/ people from here, I got it done, completely rebuilt my engine, and I know a billion times more now since I did back then..So unless you dont care to spend the money, fix it yourself. If you wanna spend the money, get them to fix it. You can hit me up on aim if ya need any help.. g'luck PEACE (RAWDAWGSTV is my aim name)

~STV~

About a week ago, my too late you're screwed light came on (oil light). I check oil and sure enough, I add some and go on my way and all is good. Today I start up my car and start driving when I hear what sounds like a rattle coming from my engine. I knew right away that is wasn't good. So, I take it to a guy to confirm my fears. He did just that, yep the bearing is screwed. He said he doesn't know how bad it is yet, but he found a used 420a that he said he could install for $1800. At this point I really just want to get the car back on the road. In my limited searching I found that MachV has a complete rebuild kit for $550. Keeping in mind that I don't really have the means to do this by myself, but does anyone have any suggestions?

AEM CAI/ AFX UDP/ GST Muffler/ Magnecors/ NGK plugs/ Intrax Springs/ Symbroski Shift Kit

check my reply to the one in general

__________________________________
-Ryan

if you are gonna put $1800 in it, get some good parts, and build it up while you are at it. Just get a new crank, high comp pistons etc and it should be comparable price wise. This will give you the added power too. why get a used motor when you dont know anything about it.

Payless Insurance Agency- Auto Insurance
Miedoso Racing- Import aftermarket parts

Another thing is that my oil had to go somewhere. I must have had a leak somewhere. I would hate to put money into my engine just to find out that it could happen again.

AEM CAI/ AFX UDP/ GST Muffler/ Magnecors/ NGK plugs/ Intrax Springs/ Symbroski Shift Kit

Im thinking if there was a puddle every day below your car, it tells you where the leak was. If you have like 150,000 miles on it, it could be blowing out of the valve seals or rings. You aren't giving us much to go by. Sounds like you don't ever check your oil? Just wait til the red light goes on? As far as the engine, if you build it up, the shop would find cracks when they check it over, and it could be the head, but they would find it as well. They magnaflux it to see cracks.

Payless Insurance Agency- Auto Insurance
Miedoso Racing- Import aftermarket parts

AEM CAI/ AFX UDP/ GST Muffler/ Magnecors/ NGK plugs/ Intrax Springs/ Symbroski Shift Kit

*Skrilla
"Honest officer, I thought you were trying to race me"
Talon: 1st 2.4L
'97 Prelude
'04 350Z

Originally posted by etx
Good luck man! Project 'STFU Brian your talon is dead meat' should be on it's feet soon!

If I'm not mistaken, I think dodge only had oversized bearings in mm.. so .25mm, .50mm, .75mm. I may be wrong, but pretty sure.

~STV~

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I've pretty much decided that I'm going to just rebuild my engine and add a couple goodies to it. I'm going to have the crank knife-edged and go with bigger bearings I won't know what size until the crank is done. What else would be good to add while I have this all apart? TIA.

AEM CAI/ AFX UDP/ GST Muffler/ Magnecors/ NGK plugs/ Intrax Springs/ Symbroski Shift Kit

well are you doing a full rebuild or just your bottom end? While you have the engine out, you can always easily replace the clutch, lightened flywheel, eagle/crower rods, forged pistons (compression depending on what you have/will do to your engine), lighten your crank (knife edge like you said), melling oil pump(must replace pump w/ a spun bearing anyways), you can have your cylinders bored out, man the list goes on. That is just for the bottom end, the top end you can do w/o havin the engine out, but since you have it out, of course everything is easier to get to. Go w/ a udp, fidanze cam gears, camshafts (depending again on what you want from your engine for the type of cam), have your head milled (if you wanna go all motor, not turbo), then work on your exhaust, which can be as easily done w/ the motor in than out. The possibilities are endless, your wallet is what's not. So you can go from there. g'luck

~STV~