my big Mouth!!! i got problems now

oh k i was excited that my car was going to hit 300k ..and not 10 mile past 300k my car shuts off on me...my oil light came on and then i started losing power .....as i was pulling off to get to a near by gas station...i notice my temp was steadly rising....then all of a sudden my steering wheel locked up on me and my brakes were weak..my car was off!.as i was PUSHING.( heavy mutha!) i then notice some fluid brownish dripping from my car...its only on the left side... its dripping on my front drivers side wheel and its splashed on the bottom of my driverside door.. ill post pics....any help would be nice....1991 caprice classic 305 5.0L

Sounds like you blew the engine - that brown liquid would be motor oil mixed with water in all likelyhood. The symptoms you laid out are in the order a classic case of engine lockup due to oil pressure failure.

Double Posting Bug

well my car will start but i get this sqealing noise like its dryed out or something .....i went to change my oil and it was very low ..also. this pipe that is connected to the radiator (right above the radiator drain screw thing) is leaking the brown stuff ( i think).. it was lose enough for me to turn it with my fingers with out any stress... im thinking thats bad! im waiting on some AA batteries so i can post a picture....

That sqealing noise your describing sounds like a shot bearing of some sort, either an accessory or main.

i put oil in it and now i get this skidding/ skippin sound...(like sneakers on a basketball court...then it starts to spudder.....it only does that as soon as i give it some gas after i let off it skips and spudders then it sounds some what normal ....any more help i would be so grateful

i put oil in it and now i get this skidding/ skippin sound...(like sneakers on a basketball court...then it starts to spudder.....it only does that as soon as i give it some gas after i let off it skips and spudders then it sounds some what normal ....any more help i would be so grateful

Your engine is damaged. It needs rebuilt. The noise you are hearing is called "spun bearings". It ran out of oil and this led to bearing failure.

Whew..What a shame! Did you run the oil low? Was the oil light on ever before this? Did an oil leak cuse it to run out quickly? Should find out where it leaked out.

the oil light came on right before it shut off....i wasnt due for an oil change for a nother 1000 miles....the low oil light came on and then the red change oil light came on.....whats this going 2 cost... can someone estimate a ball park price

A '91 should be a roller cam engine. New rings, new cam, rod, and main bearings, gaskets, timing set, new oil pump, and fluids/supplies should be less than $300. However, you will likely have some machine shop costs, including regrinding the crank, hot tanking and crack checking, possibly boring (requiring new pistons), and likely some head/valve work. I can easily see the total getting closer to $1,000 if you do all the disassembly and assembly work yourself. That's pretty cheap for a fresh engine. Then again, you can get a reman crate engine for about the same price, or a new Goodwrench/Targetmaster engine with a warranty for $1,800 or less:


http://www.sdpc2000.com/catalog/123/products/100/1987-95-Chevrolet-GMC-C-K-G-R-U-L0557K.htm

http://www.paceparts.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=42989

im not experinced when it comes to auto jobs.plus i dont have many tools...so i will go the mechanic route....now should i get it rebuilt or just go head and get a reman. engine?

If you're not doing any of the labor yourself, the costs will eat you alive. It's probably far cheaper to install a newly prepped or reman engine with a warranty than to pay your mechanic to rebuild your's. The machining costs alone for a reground crank, boring. align honing and head work will likely eat most of that $1,800. If you go with a new engine, all you pay the mechanic for is the R&R labor. There is no cam break-in for a roller cammed engine, so aside from the initial ring seating (if you get a GM/Goodwrench engine, it comes with instructions for break-in) you only need to take it a little easy for the first 500 miles of driving.

This is actually an opportunity. A 350 is actually cheaper than a 305 in most instances. The only thing you would need to change would be the two injectors, knock sensor, ESC module (if the '91 still has an external module), and the PROM. It would run with the TBI and PROM from teh 305, but just a little lean and not quite up to potential. All the accessories, manifolds, transmission, and controls would bolt right up.

By the Way, that red light does not mean change the oil.....It means you have 0 oil pressure.

i called a local mechanic and they told me i could could geta 305 reman from Jaspers..for 2740 installed and everything...does this seem reasonable....it comes with a 3 year 75,000 mile warranty....also if i opt for a 350 would i have to get a new transmission?

Same transmission either way. Did you ask about the cost of an installed 350 for comparison?

no i just figured it would be a lot more for a 350 (becasue there so damn powerful!...is it worth it?)

another question....... two bolt main or four bolt main....i have no idea what this means........ is it self explainatory?.......also roller or non roller cam? ....for a 350 or 305 information on both would be helpful!

another question....... two bolt main or four bolt main....i have no idea what this means........ is it self explainatory?.......also roller or non roller cam? ....for a 350 or 305 information on both would be helpful!

Two bolt main caps are fine for your car. The difference is the middle 3 main bearing caps generally have two long bolts attaching them, one on either side of the crank. The 4-bolt engine adds a shorter bolt outboard of each long bolt. On either engine, the front and rear main caps attach with two bolts.

What he said.

Two bolt main caps are usually not the limiting factor in an SBC street engine. 2-bolt blocks will typically handle 450 HP, whereas the rods (actually, rod bolts) more frequently let go at lower power levels and the associated RPM.

Your engine is currently equipped with a roller cam, and you should probably try to install a replacement that is the same design, mostly for longevity, and partly for the slightly lower internal friction.

A 350 may get about 1 MPG less in city driving, and should get identical mileage on the highway. If you tow or haul, the 350 will probably get a little better highway mileage.