Hayden98XJ

(Didn't know if this was tech or what)Hey guys looks like its time for me to ask a question that I have yet to find answered on here after a lot of research. Alright so engine blew up ,wasn't there when it happened but he said their was a loud bang and I think it died on its own, he tried restarting several times to no avail. So we towed it then opened it up one day. While it was opened up we cranked the engine with a breaker bar and he showed me that everything moved perfectly and none of the cylinders stuck at all, and from what we could tell the only problem was a bent rod. So heres the question. Do I just need to buy a new push rod? Or does the bent push rod mean that something else could also be broke or have caused it? While it's open should I replace gaskets?Have a machine shop clean it up? Also while it's just sitting there should I take out any fluids to prevent hurting anything else? Very thankful for any answers anyone has for me.

Mikey12486

As far as it hurting something else, I'm not exactly sure. But if you are going to do the work yourself, it's always wise to buy new gaskets. If you find a rod at a junkyard, give it a shot. Whats the worse that could happen? If anything else is broken, it will likely not work even with a new rod. Trial and error is the best way to learn. Also advise you drain the oil/change it when you're done.

Bustedback

It would be more cost effective and easier to replace the engine with a used or reman engine.

Hayden98XJ

What do you mean by cost effective? I'm 15, I would prefer to learn something from this and if I need to tear it apart then I guess I need to start learning. I have a budget of around $400 to get it back up and running. New rods are a few bucks when I looked it up. I've looked all over and couldn't find a whole lot about bent push rods. What would cause them? And that would also answer my question of, what else possibly needs replacing.
Also thank you mikey i'll try that if I don't get any further answers.

Bustedback

My advise would be to tear the whole engine down and inspect EVERYTHING before spending any money, see what needs to be replaced and repaired, get quotes for any machine work that needs to be done and for parts that are needed. Then compare the cost of a used engine to what it will take to fix the blown engine. You also have to account for time spent too. The local self service auto recycler in my area sells engines for $150.00 if the customer pulls it, $600.00 if they pull it. I would much rather pay 150 bucks for a used engine and freshen it up with bearings, rings, and seals for a total close to 300 dollars including the engine, than spend more on an engine that had already blown once. Your money and you want to learn, just don't learn the hard way, listen to those of us that already found out the hard way.

Hayden98XJ

Well at first that's what I wanted to do, but the cheapest engine at the local jy's was $500, I also found one on craigslist that had the motor and transmission(I need both) for $400 but theirs no gaurantee that they'll work, so then i'd be out all my money. I really appreciate the help, I suppose tearing the rest of it apart is gonna have to be the next step. I guess I kinda wanted someone who had a bent rod to tell me how they fixed it or if it's pointless because all the problems that caused or were caused by the rod bending

chaddwick2005

x2

It's hard to tell what caused the push rod to bend, without actually taking everything apart. Tear down is free, its putting back together that gets pricey, but already having the head off, you should get a good idea how the valves look and the rest of the rods.

With bent push rods, look at the lifters, valves, rocker arms, camshaft, anything that could cause the rod to bend. I've seen cars run on several bent rods, they didn't run well, but they still ran. So one bent rod, shouldn't keep the engine from starting. Maybe the timing jumped a tooth and a piston slammed up into a valve causing a chain of mishaps with the end result of a bent push rod. But it's hard to tell without being there to physically inspect each piston and valve.

GL on your new vehicle, and the best way to learn is through experience, have someone who has done this stuff before and have them walk you through it. The stuff you learn now, you can take with you for the rest of your life.
-CZ

chaddwick2005

Oh, and having a machine shop clean the head up for you, I wouldn't really worry about. Unless you knew for sure that the po overheated the engine and the head is warped. I've done many head gaskets, my last one being my fault for dropping a screw driver bit down an intake port on my pick up and blowing the piston the pieces, but I have never had to have a shop plane my surfaces. Just make sure the valves seat good and there isn't any deep scratches on the heads mating surface to the block.

With gaskets, if you already have the head off, you will most likely get a head gasket kit that will replaces every gasket that you had to remove to the head gasket (I.e. head gasket it self, valve cover, exhaust manifold etc.) So you will be replacing all those gaskets with new ones, and yes, do an oil change while you are it. I do one everytime I get a used vehicle, that way I know what condition the oil is in and don't have to take the po's word for it.

Hayden98XJ

Aright looks like i'm taking it apart i'll be ordering whatever parts I need. What websites/brands would you guys reccomend using? Especially for the gasket kit.

chaddwick2005

Fel pro gaskets are all I use and have had nothing but the best results from them, you can get them from auto parts stores or rockauto.com