Is my Engine Shot?

**m0ng00se** · 08-18-2008

Well, heres what happened.

I was driving to work last night in my 98 GP GT and i came into town and noticed my car acting sluggish. It was hardly accellerating and i was at 35 mph. I pushed to pedal all the way down and it hardly responded. I noticed that my temperature needle was way up on the gauge and immedietly pulled into an advance auto parts since it was right there. As i was pulling into the parking spot my power steering felt like it went out and my car stopped moving. I couldnt move the gear shift from park when i tried to move it back to drive so i just cut it off like that.

I came back after work and tried to start the car and this horrible knocking noise started as soon as the engine started up. It sounded like metal on metal knocking really fast. So i just cut off the engine and called to get a ride.

My car just got towed today for someone to look at it but he wont be able to take a look till next week, so tell me, am i gonna need a whole new engine? What happened to it? I have no clue what could have happened.

Thanks so much for helping,
-Ryan

**02BlueGT** · 08-18-2008

Maybe flooded the engine from a LIM gasket failure.....We will need to know more details,

How many miles?
How well has it been maintained(basic maintenance)?
How hot did it get?
Did the engine stall, or was it running and you lost power steering?
Does it have oil In it? Coolant?

And any additional info you can get will help us help you

**Bio248** · 08-18-2008

there is no way for ANY of us to know what your problem is unless we all hear it, scan it, and experience it.

i spun a bearing and my temp needle was pegged, the car would just die when i was driving, and towards the end it started to knock at idle (KR).

crack that thing open and check it out.

**m0ng00se** · 08-18-2008

Has 170k miles. I only got it 6 months ago. I kept up with basic maintenence well. Had valve cover gaskets leaking but i monitored oil well to make sure i never went low until i could get it fixed.

The needle was at the top of the gauge....

The engine stalled im pretty sure. Checked both oil and coolant later and both were at proper levels, although radiator hose was collapsed when i went back to my car later that night.

**Sabrewings** · 08-18-2008

The engine has a "limp home" mode where it only sparks/adds fuel to half the cylinders in the case of an extreme overheat. That may be what you were experiencing.

What caused the overheat? Not enough evidence at this point.

**m0ng00se** · 08-18-2008

Im really not even sure. I cant think of anything that would cause an overheat. I had lots of coolant, lots of oil, everything seemed to be working fine UNTIL it overheated, not the other way around.

**Zef_66** · 08-19-2008

Originally Posted by m0ng00se

Im really not even sure. I cant think of anything that would cause an overheat. I had lots of coolant, lots of oil, everything seemed to be working fine UNTIL it overheated, not the other way around.

Lots of coolant where? Did you take off the radiator cap?

**02BlueGT** · 08-21-2008

^^Yeah, cause a collapsed radiator hose tells me that you don't have enough coolant and may have a defective radiator cap as well(under cooling system vacuum, coolant should be sucked out of the reservoir, and back into the cooling system)

**m0ng00se** · 08-22-2008

Well, the radiator resevoir was full but now that i think about it, i dont think i recall seeing any coolant under the radiator cap :S

**02BlueGT** · 08-22-2008

^^^Thats a prob, if the coolant was low, you weren't even reading the temps, the temp sensor could have been in open air, this would mean that your engine was well over 250*, after it cooled did you try to restart?

**VinnieGTP** · 08-22-2008

Your car was screwing up and you put it to the floor?

If it starts, but makes that jackhammer sound, might as well drive it, cause you cant blow up a blown motor.

How Far in BFE are you? Near Ohio at all?

**GTPluv** · 08-22-2008

I think its a gonner?

Water pump did it?

**m0ng00se** · 08-22-2008

My car was just acting weird so i was testing it to see what happened.

I live in southern Kentucky, near Bowling Green.

**VinnieGTP** · 08-22-2008

If it doesnt work out with this engine, and you think you can limp it to 30 minutes north of Cincinnati, Contact Tim King and have him drop a new engine in for you.

I can pass you his info if it gets to that point.

If you don't know who he is:
YouTube - Tim King - 8sec V6

**UR LOSN** · 08-23-2008

to me it sounds like an oil pump failure... the motor was acting sluggish because it was nothing but friction.

just my opinion.

**VinnieGTP** · 08-23-2008

I can't see how our pump could ever fail. If the engine is turning, it's pumping oil. It's just a gear connected to te crank in the front cover.

**m0ng00se** · 08-23-2008

I was thinking that the radiator might have stopped cooling the engine, and when the engine heated up the head-gasket might have cracked and allowed water in, hydrolocking the engine and breaking a rod. Does this sound possible?

**19SE92** · 08-23-2008

The engine is done it spun a bearing. There is no reason to try to save the engine. While driving the car it could have oval'd out the main and rod bearin hone's. Change the engine and call it done.

**02BlueGT** · 08-23-2008

Originally Posted by m0ng00se

I was thinking that the radiator might have stopped cooling the engine, and when the engine heated up the head-gasket might have cracked and allowed water in, hydrolocking the engine and breaking a rod. Does this sound possible?

Sounds possible, but I've seen many 3.8s hydro lock and not break anything.... We can guess all day, but you will have to tear into it/do some diagnostics for us to know for sure......I wouldn't jump to the spun bearing conclusion just yet, although possible, we dont have enough info

19SE92: Haven't seen you for a while, how ya been?

**GTPJOE90** · 08-23-2008

soz to hear bout your bad news man not cool

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