Roo Wagon Down again

Just spoke to Ray He's waiting for AAA on the side of the road.
Car running funky and hot, took 3qts oil and 50 miles later same deal.

Had him take a look underneath and it looks like its spraying out around the timing cover
He's pulling a trailer full of college life which I'm sure didn't help.

He's within his AAA tow range to get it home....

Now he's an unemployed college grad with a broken down car...

Damn. That really sucks.

Just talked to Ray and he has the worse luck but at least the wagons on the flatbed and the trailer is hooked to the back of the flatbead.Towguy said Ray was covered with the wagon but the trailer is 2.60 per towed mile and he's still 160 miles from home so Ray said forget the tow.Towguy had a change of heart and is taking the trailer home too.

Man talk about bad luck. But from what I have seen it will not get him down.

poor guy, cant catch a break. he deserves a change in luck.

the trailer tow was a blessing though.

Sorry for the misfortune Ray!! We will say a prayer for you.

BigBlackBeaSSt wrote:

Sorry for the misfortune Ray!! We will say a prayer for you.

do prayers help cars?

please a few for my wagon,..it needs some help,.

Ray, what are you doing to that poor car.
The cover is a pain to R&R. You need a puller for the torsional damper. You can get it out without dropping the pan completely. just lower it a little. Actually you can get it off without removing the pan if you are careful. You can do it on the car.
If the timing chain is sloppy, you could replace the timing set while you are in there They are cheap, and good insurance. The crank gear needs a puller, and the new one can be put on with a short pipe, and hammer. I put one on my 100K engine, because the original one was really sloppy.
If you pull the pan down, clean the corners where the gasket curves sharply, and put a little silicone sealant in them.

That really sucks!

Well, since you have all this free time now, why not throw a junkyard 5.3 and 4l60 in it? Won't cost you all that much more than fixing it anyways... Most yards you can get that for like 300-400 bucks now!

toomanytoyz wrote:

Well, since you have all this free time now, why not throw a junkyard 5.3 and 4l60 in it? Won't cost you all that much more than fixing it anyways... Most yards you can get that for like 300-400 bucks now!

By the time it is installed, he will have at least $1500 (low estimate) and a month's work involved. The repair of his current motor will be about $100 or less, and a week of work in the evenings. He is a student, and can ill afford the swap right now. The engines are about $300, the trans is about another $125, and the computer, wiring harness, starter, exhaust, trans crossmember, wiring, oil pan, oil pump, FEAD, engine mounts, computer tune, and a bunch of other odds and ends will cost more than the original engine and trans. Then there is the headache of getting all the quirks sorted out that allow it to fit in a 91 car that you find during the installation process.
I would also think he is about tapped out financially right now as well.

well, ray got boned again. i talked to him late last night. the tow truck driver was going to charge him $100 flat rate to haul the trailer back to stuart. but then something happened,
stay tuned for the next episode of "as ray's world turns"

Tow truck driver can rot.

So we get to Vero Beach, and the truck needs gas. We stop at a truck stop. Well, the problem is, whoever drove the truck before didn't put the gas card back in the log book. So he calls dispatch. Dispatch says "You should have $400 cash on you from the trailer tow. Use that." He says "The lady only gave me $100" (referencing my mom). So they then refuse to release the car OR the trailer (despite the fact that the car is covered and paid for) until we fork over the other $300. I basically had to beg, borrow, and steal to get the money to release everything I own from this damn truck. I plan on calling the tow company in the morning and tearing them a new asshole. I hope the driver gets fired. It's not my fault he made some damn under-the-table deal and was too stupid to shut his trap to dispatch. It's not my fault AAA wants $2.50 a mile to tow a trailer - which is stupid anyway because we're already going that way as it is!

Basically... worst week of my life.

I thought graduation was supposed to be a happy time. I guess not. I'm home now, every dollar I had (and several I didn't) is gone, and now I've got to fix it today or tomorrow.

Stingroo wrote:

Tow truck driver can rot.

So we get to Vero Beach, and the truck needs gas. We stop at a truck stop. Well, the problem is, whoever drove the truck before didn't put the gas card back in the log book. So he calls dispatch. Dispatch says "You should have $400 cash on you from the trailer tow. Use that." He says "The lady only gave me $100" (referencing my mom). So they then refuse to release the car OR the trailer (despite the fact that the car is covered and paid for) until we fork over the other $300. I basically had to beg, borrow, and steal to get the money to release everything I own from this damn truck. I plan on calling the tow company in the morning and tearing them a new asshole. I hope the driver gets fired. It's not my fault he made some damn under-the-table deal and was too stupid to shut his trap to dispatch. It's not my fault AAA wants $2.50 a mile to tow a trailer - which is stupid anyway because we're already going that way as it is!

Basically... worst week of my life.

I thought graduation was supposed to be a happy time. I guess not. I'm home now, every dollar I had (and several I didn't) is gone, and now I've got to fix it today or tomorrow.

www.bbb.org, and a letter to your state consumer protection bureau too. What a bag of assholes these people are.

Already there.

Somebody give the guy a break.

You would have been better off buying a couple of gallons of oil, and driving it home.
I would help, but you are a little far for me to drive there.
Do you need a gasket, or seal, or both? They may come in a kit. You can rent the puller for the torsional damper from AZ. The front seal is pressed in. You can do it with a board and hammer.
You will need a razor blade (maybe several) to scrape the old gasket off. The gasket scraping will take more time than the rest of the job. Put a rag over the crank and hole, or tape it up to keep the gasket parts out of the engine.

I don't know which it needs. I'll probably fix both because I'm in there, right?

I assume/hope Advance rents the same thing. AZ is about 15 miles from here. Advance is about 3.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_timing-cover-gasket-set-felpro_5783267-p?searchTerm=timing+cover+gasket

Looks like I get the gasket and seal for $8. Can't go wrong with that. So I need that and the puller tool for the balancer?

Stingroo wrote:

I don't know which it needs. I'll probably fix both because I'm in there, right?

I assume/hope Advance rents the same thing. AZ is about 15 miles from here. Advance is about 3.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_timing-cover-gasket-set-felpro_5783267-p?searchTerm=timing+cover+gasket

Looks like I get the gasket and seal for $8. Can't go wrong with that. So I need that and the puller tool for the balancer?

You need a gear puller for the gears. I used one like this:


To get the balancer off, I just used a HF steering wheel/bolt puller. Wouldn't hurt to pick up some extra coolant in case you loose some taking the water pump off.

The puller for the balancer is a cross between a steering wheel puller and a power steering puller. More like a steering wheel puller on steroids. Has the bolts, and a large screw in the middle.

You said both? Do you mean the gasket and seal, or the timing set? The timing set takes a puller for the crank gear like the one in Cadet57 posted.

If you are doing the timing set, I got a pipe about 4 inches long and 2 inches in diameter at the local hardware store (scraps) for about $3. The pipe just has to fit over the end of the crank, and the key. A couple of stiff whacks with a heavy hammer and it was on. It would add about 30 minutes to your work time. Put the timing marks together before you remove the gears, and you do not have to do anything but put the parts on (dump some oil on the chain before installing.

Ray,you may need the timing chain COVER as well as all the other stuff if its got a hole/tear in it a the bottom.Clean up the front of the engine real good and use a bright light,take your time and write everything down.You have your whole lifw in front of you so chill and take some deep breaths.

As fred said,. for future reference,. $50 worth of oil would have been cheaper,.

My opinion, and advice along with about $2.00 will get you coffee anywhere,.

With the miles on the car,.

I would determine the cause of the leak first,.

IF it needs a new oil pan , and /or a new timing cover,.
i would put a new chain in it, and a new cam gear,.
leave the crank gear alone,.(I say this nicely because with your skill level,. it is possible to mark up the end of the crank or the balancer threads making it all the more frustrating for you,.)
Do you have an oil cooler on it? it maybe a line?,.

Post some pics after you,ve cleaned it up,.

You'll get good "practical" advice, if you phone the right "practical minded" guys,.

nick
I brought my 94 6.5 diesel dually back from chicago with a hole in #5 piston,.blowby was phenomenal, even with the intake inlet removed,.
it cost me 9 gals of oil,.undercoated the whole bottom of the truck and most of the tailgate,.

It's got an oil cooler. Lines are good and dry - no leaks that I saw. I'm more than happy to leave the crank gear alone if need be. I'll get under there tomorrow and clean it up a bit and see what I'm dealing with.

Car has... about 127k on it now.

I tried the oil thing. It pissed out a quart in a little more than a mile. There was no way I was making it home another 160+.

Also update: mom called AAA. Told them everything. The woman on the other end of the line was dumbfounded and said she would have her supervisor listen to the recorded conversation. Supervisor contacted us about an hour later. We'll see what happens.

Ray, I would replace the crank gear because the original gear has wear marks on it, and may affect the wear of the chain. It is really easy, and you almost can't screw it up. If you use a cast iron pipe, it will not mark anything, because the pipe is softer than the crank or gear. The key is not removable, so it will go on the shaft on only one position. I did mine, and it was far easier than I thought it would be. Just be sure to have the timing marks aligned before you take the old ones off, and do not move anything while they are off. Put locking compound on the bolts if the kit or FSM says to.

You could have limped it to my house for help. My calculations of Stuart plus 160 miles north is right around Daytona.

Funny thing is I was going to message you about the crossmember and pipes. Guess off to the scrap pile they go.

Good luck getting the wagon fixed.

Stingroo wrote:

It's got an oil cooler. Lines are good and dry - no leaks that I saw.

I tried the oil thing. It pissed out a quart in a little more than a mile.

The leak should be easy to spot at an idle while its cold,.

OP said

Quote :

running funky and hot

so there are other issues


Nick

Man Ray, what issues. Really hate to hear about this, especially on your graduation week. Chin up!

-Mike

81X11 wrote:

Man Ray, what issues. Really hate to hear about this, especially on your graduation week. Chin up!

-Mike

I can say this from experience, some day you will laugh about this.

Tom

rh96ss wrote:

You could have limped it to my house for help. My calculations of Stuart plus 160 miles north is right around Daytona.

Funny thing is I was going to message you about the crossmember and pipes. Guess off to the scrap pile they go.

Good luck getting the wagon fixed.

I called you. Or at least, the number I had for you. I was even stopped right off your exit.

phantom 309 wrote:

Stingroo wrote:

It's got an oil cooler. Lines are good and dry - no leaks that I saw.

I tried the oil thing. It pissed out a quart in a little more than a mile.

The leak should be easy to spot at an idle while its cold,.

OP said

Quote :

running funky and hot

so there are other issues


Nick

Yeah. Can see leak at timing cover. Looks like it's coming from the bottom seal, not the bolts up top.

Car wasn't overheating any. Hotter than normal, but I chalked that up to towing the trailer because it was within tolerances and not losing any coolant. Yea? Nay?

As for running funny, I found that my #7 spark plug wire was loose. When I pushed it back on, it ran fine minus the whole no oil thing. So I THINK I'm okay otherwise. Just gotta get at this bit.

I do not like being the bearer of bad news, so I will hope for the easy fix.

It probably is not the seal along the bottom, it would be more likely to be the shaft seal. The front lower seal is not a wear item. The bottom seal is part of the pan gasket, and if it is leaking you have to replace the entire pan gasket. If it is the bottom seal, I would douse it in silicone sealer and reinstall the front cover. Swapping the pan gasket is miserable. You have to unbolt the engine mounts, and jack the engine up, to get the pan out. There are also a couple of quirks in getting it out as well.
You should check it with the engine running. I realize it is a dirty job, but it is better to know exactly what is leaking, than guessing, and replacing parts at random. I vote for the front crank shaft seal.

Hmm... guess I'll go throw it up on stands and break out the brush and hose.

Will report back.

IMO, if you're doing the crank seal you may as well take the pan off and do the rest of the gaskets. Kit includes them, and buying an individual seal isn't much cheaper than the whole kit.

Stingroo wrote:

rh96ss wrote:

You could have limped it to my house for help. My calculations of Stuart plus 160 miles north is right around Daytona.

Funny thing is I was going to message you about the crossmember and pipes. Guess off to the scrap pile they go.

Good luck getting the wagon fixed.

I called you. Or at least, the number I had for you. I was even stopped right off your exit.

So you were the 904 nmber that called and didn't leave a message while I was under the Impala chenging the diff fluid.

Sorry I didn't call back but Id on't call back if I don't know the number and they don't leave a message.

Good luck with the car.

RH

Sorry to hear that - hope things get better and you can get it fixed. I have been where you are now - my Grand Prix threw a rod through the engine on the way back from a job interview after i graduated...

Cadet57 wrote:

IMO, if you're doing the crank seal you may as well take the pan off and do the rest of the gaskets. Kit includes them, and buying an individual seal isn't much cheaper than the whole kit.

If you can avoid replacing the pan gasket, it will save you a LOT of work. The gasket is silicone, and should not have a problem sealing. As I stated earlier, put a little silicone RTV in the corners.

s1l1sc wrote:

Sorry to hear that - hope things get better and you can get it fixed. I have been where you are now - my Grand Prix threw a rod through the engine on the way back from a job interview after i graduated...

Yikes! That doesn't sound fun at all.


Still waiting to hear if the parts came in. They said call around 3pm and check, but if not - tomorrow for sure.

Stingroo wrote:

s1l1sc wrote:

Sorry to hear that - hope things get better and you can get it fixed. I have been where you are now - my Grand Prix threw a rod through the engine on the way back from a job interview after i graduated...

Yikes! That doesn't sound fun at all.


Still waiting to hear if the parts came in. They said call around 3pm and check, but if not - tomorrow for sure.

Parts??

So where's the leak??

nick

Leak is coming from the bottom side of the timing cover. I got under the car with a scrub brush and hose and cleaned the entire engine bottom. Started it. Seeped right on down and made a fresh puddle.

Stingroo wrote:

Leak is coming from the bottom side of the timing cover. I got under the car with a scrub brush and hose and cleaned the entire engine bottom. Started it. Seeped right on down and made a fresh puddle.

pics,.

Are you sure its not coming from the front crank seal and dripping down?

Bill

Wouldn't I be replacing that seal when I replace the timing cover bits anyway?

No, I suppose I'm not entirely sure about that, now that you mention it.

Ray,. i been around cars for a long time,. i have a phd in red neck engineering,.
a doctorate in mcgyverology,.

something just doesn't add up here,.

No pics,.

no further diagnosis,.

No questions,.

but you are buying parts,.

does the pan have a hole in it?

does the timing chain cover have a hole?

gaskets and seals don't just suddenly "BLOW" out,.

especially pan gaskets or timing cover seals,.
they are just splash covers, there's no oil pressure any where there to speak of,.

So,. whats the rest of the story?

nick

^^^ yeah?

I don't know. I saw leaking. That's where I saw it from. Pan doesn't appear to have a hole in it. Cover I can't really see too well, but I see oil on it. So...?

There is no "rest of the story." As far as I can tell, it's leaking there, because that's where the oil is coming from. Am I missing something here?

Stingroo wrote:

I don't know. I saw leaking. That's where I saw it from. Pan doesn't appear to have a hole in it. Cover I can't really see too well, but I see oil on it. So...?

There is no "rest of the story." As far as I can tell, it's leaking there, because that's where the oil is coming from. Am I missing something here?

Well yes you are,..4 quarts of oil,.or more,.

from an as yet, unnamed source,.

Enough of a leak , you decided to get towed,.160 miles?

you stated it lost 1 qt in 1 mile,.

thats is a very obvious leak,. not a dribble,. not a weep,. but a gusher,.
the kind where you can put your head down and look and usually exclaim,. OH,....T!!

So,. the guys that know their way around cars,. are wondering WTF?

So,......?

mebbe quit being coy,. or evasive,. or mebbe just fess up,.

nick

Know it not related to the PCV system because it couldnt move that much oil when clogged.Why is it forcing oil out of the engine at this particuler location?Ray tell us everything you have done to the engine going back a week.

A picture is worth 1000megs of bandwidth,.

Again, I'm not hiding anything. That's what I know. I'm not being evasive or coy. I'll get your photos.


Jim - only thing I've done under the hood is replace the leaking radiator which had a very visible hole in it post-accident.

Why the hostility, guys?