Engine knocking! Commuter car so I need info ASAP!

[Desaevious]

Driving along just fine to classes today the car threw up the oil pressure indicator and I knew that wasn't good. I was looking for an area to pull onto the shoulder of the highway that wasn't covered in snow and I drove it about a half mile and I heard a engine knocking whenever the car went above 2k. Thinking "shit" I just reached a cleared off shoulder and as I was pulling off the highway the CEL came on. Letting the car sit for a little, I turned the car on and the CEL/pressure lights were both off but as I reved the car to 2k again I clearly heard the knocking. I checked the oil levels just fine. No oil leaks from anywhere.

I'm thinking this is an oil delivery issue...the oil pump was installed brand new 2 summers ago after shearing off an oil pan so I'd hate to think that is the issue...but even still, the engine is CLEARLY knocking once I hit 2k. It's more of a bottom end knock, from the rod and rod bearings, not one from the valves in the top end.

I'm confused as hell, how badly could this M20 be messed up and what are my options? Rebuiling it, if that's what it came too, would far outprice the cost of finding a used M20. There is a local M20B25 that from an 87 (my car is a 90) that I could throw in and I know there are things that need to change (water pump amongst others) but he's had it sitting for 3 years in his garage (forum member "pennpenn") and isn't sure if that'd be a good idea to swap in.

So with this being my only car and I'm in classes I'm kinda in a rough place with this issue. Throw on top of that being a poor college kid. Ideas would be FANTASTIC.

Thanks.

[jlevie]

The knocking is almost certainly a failed rod bearing. But to be sure have a pro examine the car.

[Cabriolet]

my eta started knocking after i overheated it and blew the head gasket.

[Desaevious]

I brought to my state's best BMW service center to examine it but a failed rod bearing would cost me a a ton wouldn't it? It'd be basically rebuilding the engine and is it not cheaper to throw another M20 in it if I can get a free one that was working 3 years ago and sold by "Mossman," whom I trust as a seller to not have sold this local a crap engine, but the fact that it has just sat for 3 years kind of irks me.

[Edev]

No one is forcing you to buy the M20 that sat for three years. If I were you, I'd like to be able to breath freely and not worry if it's going to grenade on you, ya know?

Sorry to hear about this though :(

Any luck on CL? Try throwing up a wtb here on R3v. I'm sure there has to be someone in CT or near by, who's swapping their M20 out for a 24v.

[xwill112x]

drive it till it dies. m20's are dime a 2 dozen.

[FredK]

This kills me inside that this happened to your car. Ugh. The path that lies in front of you will take a LOT of effort.

My suggestion is to buy a $1000 Toyota and run that while you slowly reanimate your E30.

Also, don't drive it until it dies. You could rebuild your M20, and if you torch the crank and put a hole in the block, you'll have to source another one. Granted, they're like $50, but your bottom end is likely in better shape than most junkyard engines.

[Desaevious]

No one is forcing you to buy the M20 that sat for three years. If I were you, I'd like to be able to breath freely and not worry if it's going to grenade on you, ya know?

Sorry to hear about this though :(

Any luck on CL? Try throwing up a wtb here on R3v. I'm sure there has to be someone in CT or near by, who's swapping their M20 out for a 24v.

Haven't seen anything on CL, but the nice thing is I wouldn't be buying it I'd get the M20 for free, which is generous as all hell but I don't know how smart putting in an engine that has just sat is. Unless you could all tell me differently.

drive it till it dies. m20's are dime a 2 dozen.

I'd rather not find myself with a blown out engine after driving it for the next several days. I'd rather resolve the issue immediately to have a reliable form of transport for the 40 mile total commute I need to make daily to school.

[Desaevious]

This kills me inside that this happened to your car. Ugh. The path that lies in front of you will take a LOT of effort.

My suggestion is to buy a $1000 Toyota and run that while you slowly reanimate your E30.

Also, don't drive it until it dies. You could rebuild your M20, and if you torch the crank and put a hole in the block, you'll have to source another one. Granted, they're like $50, but your bottom end is likely in better shape than most junkyard engines.

Right? This is killing me man. My parents have an 2001 piece of shit Chevy Venture that they unregistered when they got a new car 4 months ago because it needs 1) new front breaks 2) sloppy trans on the highway (I can get to Uconn via backroads, but the commute would take an extra 10 minutes but so be it), and 3) new battery since it has just sat for the last 4 months. I might just revive that piece of shit, uninsure the E30, and drive that around for the next few months until I figure out what to do with the E30...

Now while an M50 sounds good and all, the price of getting one and alll the parts and a new transmission would take me well over $2k to have it professionally installed. Unless somebody were to use their garage expertise and help me through it bwahaha.

[Blendercloud]

Why not build the M20 that the local person wants to donate to you? That way you could limp along in your car for a week or so while you rebuild the donor.

[jlevie]

If the engine has been stored inside for three years, it is probably okay. But to be sure, pull the head (it probably needs a valve grind and seals anyway) and take a look at the cylinder walls. If they aren't rusted they should be fine. Liberally douse each cylinder with penetrating oil, let that sit for a couple of days and then rotate the engine a few turn to make sure the rings are free. Pull the oil pan and make sure that there isn't a layer of congealed oil it. I'd also pull the intake and replace the gaskets and oil return tube seals. Reassemble the engine and drop it in the car.

Other than the head work, there isn't much cost in the parts for that work.

[Desaevious]

Thanks jlevie I'm going to grab it in two weeks and rebuild it slowly. Spring semester just started and with this being the semester my med classes start kicking in (OF COURSE) I'm with less time than ever. I'm going to beat the piss out of a minivan for however long it takes to get this up and running after the rebuild...plus, I've not dealt with the innerds of the engine and this will be a great time to.

[ldsbeaker]

If the engine has been stored inside for three years, it is probably okay. But to be sure, pull the head (it probably needs a valve grind and seals anyway) and take a look at the cylinder walls. If they aren't rusted they should be fine. Liberally douse each cylinder with penetrating oil, let that sit for a couple of days and then rotate the engine a few turn to make sure the rings are free. Pull the oil pan and make sure that there isn't a layer of congealed oil it. I'd also pull the intake and replace the gaskets and oil return tube seals. Reassemble the engine and drop it in the car.

Other than the head work, there isn't much cost in the parts for that work.

Thanks for the advice.

[SickE30]

Change the timing belt in that donor engine and be done with it. My cousin just dropped in an m30 that has been sitting in our grandpa's garage since the early 90's. All he tossed in was the e34 oil pan and fresh Castrol. No lie it runs like a top

[Danny]

You're fucked.