Help - mechanic says motor gone

[whimsyone]

We recently purchased a 1987 Delta '88 and when we drove it home it ran great - expect that it needed a new fuel line as it smelled of gas and the muffler needed replacing. NO big deal.

However, when we took it to our mechanic, he said that the motor wasn't getting any oil.....however we drove it over 300miles (500km) and it ran great.....

We thought we needed new lifters? and/or oil pump but now we are confused.....can an engine run for that distance without seizing/knocking with no oil?

The dipstick reads that it's over-filled in the oil - are we likely really looking at a new motor?

I don't know anything about vehicles so an help would be appreciated!

Wendy

[kmohr3]

I'm a former mechanic and I am confused, too. I would think after driving a motor with no oil pressure for 300 miles that it would be seized up or knocking. Did you bring it in for a motor problem? Did you have an oil light coming on? Is the motor still running ok? Are you still driving it? Is the motor making any weird sounds - other than the exhaust? Do you trust this mechanic? If so, ask him to explain. Maybe go there with someone that is kind of savvy about cars.

[whimsyone]

Yes, we drove it that far with no motor sounds. We had taken it to the mechanic because we knew we needed a muffler and a gas line (we could smell gas so we wanted the line changed as well).

The girl we bought it from said that the oil light was always on but when she took it to the mechanic they found nothing wrong. There was no knocking before we took to mechanic, but now we can hear a slight knocking when we start it up.

We aren't driving it - too scared to take it anywhere yet we are looking at close to another $1500 to find and replace the motor. Should we just get rid of it? Otherwise it's in mint condition (body, interior, etc.) - has a remote start, cd player, burgundy plush interior....

[kmohr3]

If it was my car the first thing I would do is to check the oil pressure, with the engine warm, at idle and at higher rpm's and compare it to factory specs. If the oil light is always on it could be a bad oil pressure switch or wiring shorted to ground or it truly could have low oil pressure. Is the oil light still on? I can't imagine putting a motor in a car that old, fuel line repair might be a bit pricey, too.

[DrJay]

If you have access to it pull off one of the valve covers and check to see that the rockers are getting oil. If you've run it for more than 5 minutes in the last week or so there should be some residual oil left, so you won't need to start it to check. If they are oiled you have at least some flow and you should continue on to test the actual pressure.

There are a few things that can make a knocking noise similar to the feared 'rod knock' one being the dampener. No sense in assuming the worst yet, and I would double check whatever the mechanic tells you.

Good luck with it, hope it works out.

[Hansnet]

my dad bought an 86 olds 98 for a beater "valley car"

It has the loudest "lifter noise" I have ever heard and it has been getting worse but he keeps on driving it without a hitch, I think he has driven it about 5,000 miles like that. It has about 300,000 miles though so he is driving it until it blows up. He actually just drove it from wyoming to california without a problem.


the late 80's 3800 cars range in price from $100 to $2000 in most cases I would just say find another one.