Advice needed. A journal cap came off!

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Thanks to all who have responded. I appreciate all the advice, the route I will take will probably change a thousand times between now and Saturday. This site does indeed rock.

Jason
 
I guess I'm the stupid one. If that was my engine, I would pull it, disassemble it, send it to the machine shop get them to check the main bore alignment. It could be the main bore alignment was off from the start. SOMETHING caused the cap to fall off. Maybe it wasn't torqued right. But how will you ever know what was WRONG unless it is checked out? I would not touch using that main cap with a ten foot pole. How the heck are you gonna check to make sure that particular main bore is still round? I'm sorry yall. I disagree here. Putting THAT back together is just a mistake. I wouldn't do it even on the lowest of budget engines. It's just a bad decision. Flame away.
 
StrokerScamp said:
I guess I'm the stupid one. If that was my engine, I would pull it, disassemble it, send it to the machine shop get them to check the main bore alignment. It could be the main bore alignment was off from the start. SOMETHING caused the cap to fall off. Maybe it wasn't torqued right. But how will you ever know what was WRONG unless it is checked out? I would not touch using that main cap with a ten foot pole. How the heck are you gonna check to make sure that particular main bore is still round? I'm sorry yall. I disagree here. Putting THAT back together is just a mistake. I wouldn't do it even on the lowest of budget engines. It's just a bad decision. Flame away.
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Yep that's what I said too.
 
you think the crank torsioned that much?

and didn't wipe the thrust out?


Hey op, how much money do you have to spend and is this your only car?

Rob, if it was mine and a fresh motor, I would pull it too.
But if it's just some old stocker and not rare, go for it.

There are plenty of forgetful people out there who either mistorque or use a chinese torque wrench to do it and end up 20 short
 
Sorry gentleman but if that were my engine, or a friends asking for advice, I'd do a total dismantle. You have no idea why the cap came loose in the first place, yes could be torque and it could be bad threads hell it could be a lot of things. You maybe able to reset that bearing cap back in the block but a runout should be taken and also checked for egg. At the very least the crank needs to be removed and checked for straightness and the journal repaired as required. Also, you'd never catch me changing just one main bearing, even on my lawn mower, ****you replace one main bearing you replace them all****.
 
if this is a fresh rebuilt motor take it apart and fix it right before more damage occurs
I would only try and put it back together with the old cap and one new bearing if it is an old motor that you dont care about
 
if this is a fresh rebuilt motor take it apart and fix it right before more damage occurs
I would only try and put it back together with the old cap and one new bearing if it is an old motor that you dont care about
 
I would check the run out if that journal with a dial indicater and check the threads in the block. If I could not find any more wrong than what I've seen so far I would put it back together.
A forum like this gets responces from those who race every weekend and those who drive near the speed limit to a local cruise-in once in a while. Money is always a factor too.
Some will buy a new radiater while others will try black pepper rather than spend the babys' milk money on a bottle of Barsleak.
I wont suggest you use a piece of a leather belt for a bearing ( that has been done ).
Just weigh every opinion against what a close inspection suggests. Good luck
 
If an engine lost a main cap, there are going to be other issues. FIrst, what ense was missed? Second, the cap was hit on the mating surface (well the corner) and that may have bent the cap, and definately has displaced material and raised an area of the mating surface. If it was in my shop, the engine would be totally stripped, the line bore would be re-done, and the cap more than likely reused if doesnt show any bending during the inspection. I would not be bolting it, or another cap, back on. To me it's not worth the cost of the materials to "see". Call it overkill but we're not talking about a loose rocker shaft here...
 
Let's see

1Wild&Crazy-No detonation-I have a fair amount(cost of one wrecked MC) to spend because I was taken out by a 20 year old girl a few weeks ago while on my motorcycle. However, funds are not unlimited. Currently, myself and my family are in different locations. I need to get this fixed fairly quick. I generally do my own work as long as it isn't too technical, but I am broke right now-3 cracked vertabrae etc.

I am not emotionally attached to this motor, it was good, but no true attachment-I liked it just because for what I wanted in a street car it was fine.

Again, all advice-one side or the other-is appreciated.
 
if funds arent there i would file it and at the very least plastigauge it to confirm bearing crush. if bearing crush is no good you need a complete crank job. If it is good its a crap shoot at best.
 
1wild&crazyguy said:
you think the crank torsioned that much?

and didn't wipe the thrust out?


Hey op, how much money do you have to spend and is this your only car?

Rob, if it was mine and a fresh motor, I would pull it too.
But if it's just some old stocker and not rare, go for it.

There are plenty of forgetful people out there who either mistorque or use a chinese torque wrench to do it and end up 20 short
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Well.....here's my point. No tellin what happened to that cap. No tellin how it was slapped around when it fell off. What it was beat against and how it was hit. If the crank throw hit it just right, it might not be round anymore. Too many mights and maybes for me. I mean Justin, we just don't KNOW what happened there. Can he file it down and make it work? Maybe. Will it lock up and break the crank? Maybe. Will it spin a main bearing. Maybe. Will it run for another 100K. Maybe. Till you pull it, tear it down and measure it, the maybes remain. Just too many maybes for me to armchair some advice and then feel responsible when his crank breaks slam in two on my recommendation. I don't seperate "mine" from "somebody else's" because I do everybody's like it was mine. Somebody doesn't wanna fix it the way I recommend and they wanna cut corners, there's somebody else down the road that can do it. You can ask anybody that's been around middle Georgia a while in the business about me and they might say something like "asshole", "sumbitch" and "prick", but they will also come right back and tell you I KNOW how to build an engine. I have a good reputation around here and I've kept it by not doin stupid **** (just my opinion, nothin personal) like reusin that main cap. LOL Just sayin.
 
StrokerScamp said:
Well.....here's my point. No tellin what happened to that cap. No tellin how it was slapped around when it fell off. What it was beat against and how it was hit. If the crank throw hit it just right, it might not be round anymore. Too many mights and maybes for me. I mean Justin, we just don't KNOW what happened there. Can he file it down and make it work? Maybe. Will it lock up and break the crank? Maybe. Will it spin a main bearing. Maybe. Will it run for another 100K. Maybe. Till you pull it, tear it down and measure it, the maybes remain. Just too many maybes for me to armchair some advice and then feel responsible when his crank breaks slam in two on my recommendation. I don't seperate "mine" from "somebody else's" because I do everybody's like it was mine. Somebody doesn't wanna fix it the way I recommend and they wanna cut corners, there's somebody else down the road that can do it. You can ask anybody that's been around middle Georgia a while in the business about me and they might say something like "asshole", "sumbitch" and "prick", but they will also come right back and tell you I KNOW how to build an engine. I have a good reputation around here and I've kept it by not doin stupid **** (just my opinion, nothin personal) like reusin that main cap. LOL Just sayin.
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My advice comes from what I would do, no difference just cause it's somebody else's sht.

Like I said.....if it's an old last leg'd motor and and the cap measures good, and the journal plasti gauged good all the way across 'wether mine or his'....I would give it a shot.

If it was a newly rebuilt motor I would yank it and tear it down, as in that case I would not want to chance wasting all the parts/money I just put into it.

My reputation is what ever the hell it is, some may think I'm a dk or that my sht ain't pretty and and expensive enough to impress them, the same people who don't listen to me.... so I fk them off and never help them again.
So many people out there want help and then disappear afterwards till the next time they need something again...

I'd rather hang by myself.
 
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