Spun a Rod Bearing..FLORIDA Help!

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pastortom1

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WELL sir, the new exhaust I just put on the Cuda sounded GREAT for the 50 miles I drove it......Yes indeedy........Thrush Welded Series Dual Chambered with full 2.25's to the tail.......Sweet fer' sure.......

Then this morning, as I was pulling into Autozone to get some elbows to work on my exhaust tip locations, I heard a "squeaking" noise coming from what sounded like the exhaust.........NO such luck.......I pulled her into the Muffler Shop down the street, and we had a few guys listen to it.......

They all believe it's a rod bearing......Comes and goes in loudness and severity, but I have to agree with the diagnosis.

I guess the 273 just got a bit too tired.........

I NEED HELP IN LOCATING A SHOP TO REBUILD THE MOTOR.....IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, AS CLOSE TO ZEPHYRHILLS AS POSSIBLE.....FABO GUYS WHO DO THIS KIND OF WORK WOULD BE PREFERABLE....WE NEED SOMEONE WHO AIN'T GONNA RIP US OFF.

I do NOT want the motor swapped out......It's a California survivor and numbers match....period....no if's, and's or but's.......The motor needs to be rebuilt, and at a fair rate.

HELP if you have any connections..........Need help FAST.
 
First estimate comes in at between $1500. and $2,000., depending on the condition of the crank and so on........

Any Florida connections?
 
I'd say it will be closer to $2500 but it sounds like a fair quote without having the pan off.
 
Believe it or not, this shop says they'll correctly refinish the engine bay, AND epoxy & paint the motor PLUS clearcoat (in addition to the rebuild to my specs) for $2500. or less........

This shop comes with a good local speed shop reference too......

Any other connections? If I was still in NY I'd have NO difficulty finding the right shop......down here, I'm the new kid on the block.........

If you have connections or references for a particular builder, PLEASE chime in.........
 
A rod knock is usually heard, after revving it, and letting off the gas(no load). A main makes deep knock under load.
so why not pull the heads, and pan; swap out the crank ( new rod needed if that is the problem). Cheap.
Re-read, saw spun. New rod and crank. Pain, but I've done it, laying under the car.
 
Thrown a few rods, and usually you can tell by putting a long extension to your ear, just below the opening, and touching the engine in different locations.

Normal sound is a whir, with light lifter noise. A rod knock is very distinguishable. Green1 is correct, you should have a noticeable oil pressure drop.
 
This sound is NOT a knock.......

It's perfectly timed to the engine rpm......and it sounds like "a pulley, out of round, squeaking loudly up against a steel exhaust pipe".......(try to imagine that).......4 mechanics said it was a rod bearing......

At idle with the hood up, it is stinking LOUD.......I can drive the car down the road, and it runs smooth, and the noise nearly goes away...just a little on and off........doesn't skip or smoke.........as far as the oil pressure, I don't know because the dash gauges are not working....I just got a different cluster and have been restoring it.......

Kinda' funny and coincidental that the noise started right after the garage installed an oil filter relocation kit.......BUT, I've checked carefully for any pinches in the lines and they look clear to me........thought maybe I'd lost pressure there......don't see a problem though........

While I'm waitin' to set a date for a rebuild, I'm gonna try to post a video of this........Never done it before, but I'll give it a shot.......
 
I think if I lived down there I would look up Wagin or someone like him I know theres allot of members down there If you was here Id help you..Artie
 
I checked it very carefully.....NO rubbing......that's what it SOUNDS like......but ten times LOUDER at an idle.

Sounds like an old squeaky washing machine tub (out of balance) comin' in for a landing on the spin cycle.
 
Check the accessory pulleys for loose bolts or cracks, the flex plate and convertor bolts, and the inspection cover. If it has a manifold flap on the passenger's side look for any sign of the shaft moving around. It's common for the flap or shaft to loosen up and rattle or squeek too. I'd see if one of the exhaust shops can stick it on the drive-on lift and use an extension or stethoscope on the bottom of the car. It does not sound like a rod bearing...
 
I checked it very carefully.....NO rubbing......that's what it SOUNDS like......but ten times LOUDER at an idle.

Sounds like an old squeaky washing machine tub (out of balance) comin' in for a landing on the spin cycle.

A lot of times when you first spin a bearing, it will squeal, before it wears so thin, it starts knocking from the clearance. That part doesn't usually last very long though, and I wish I wasn't so experienced on this.
 
A lot of times when you first spin a bearing, it will squeal, before it wears so thin, it starts knocking from the clearance. That part doesn't usually last very long though, and I wish I wasn't so experienced on this.
Me too, but it seems the knock wasn't there until exhaust replaced.
 
Me too, but it seems the knock wasn't there until exhaust replaced.

I hear ya.

The oil filter relocation bothers me, makes me wonder if it was ran dry for a little bit. He indicated the motor was tired to start with, so it wouldn't like much of that.
 
Tom, I know the sound you are talking about. I had a fresh 440 do that to me once. Somehow the oil pump shaft had broken and the engine got starved for oil. I pulled the engine, dropped it off at the shop and had it back the next day with a freshly turned crank and new bearings. Unfortunately, he closed up shop after Hurricane Wilma took out his power for close to 4 months...
 
Just PM'd ya' SG.............been tied up here...........

I haven't gotten under the car yet to check the dust cover and what might be underneath......but I DO have some oil that's spun out of there onto the new exhaust pipe already.....enough to burn and stink too......and the shop didn't tighten the fittings on the relocation hoses very well either....drips at all points.....

I'm gonna see if I can get under there later tonight when things quiet down here a bit.......
 
Remove the oil filter and cut it into, should only be hacksaw shavings, if you have brass , you have bad bearings, Dane
 
I guess I will throw my 2 cents worth in Tom. From what you described, it doesn't sound like a rod bearing. As was mentioned, a rod bearing will give you a knocking sound when you let off the gas and a main bearing will give you a knock under load. Seeing as you had some work done to it lately, I would be looking at the tranny inspection cover and maybe even the starter area. This sounds more like some rotating part that is just touching a piece of stationary metal.

Jack
 
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