Yeah, Captain Hooks nightmare ... Tic Toc Tic Toc

[Tom G]

If a bearing has spun, it's not just a "replace the bearing" job. You also likely have to replace what it goes into.

 

IE, replace the rod, and then possibly also machine/replace the crankshaft.

 

And you want to figure out why it spun, it happened because something went wrong (like, say, it stopped getting oil).

I think the crankshaft is alright. I guess I could replace it if it isn't.

 

The reason I am leaning towards a spun bearing: It is my work truck, I take excellent care of it, but it's home is an open faced rental garage that shares a yard with what is almost a junk yard. This fella I know, Terry's (the owner) son complained that the engine in his just bought vehicle had just gone because it mysteriously ran out of oil. A few days later, I found my truck making that noise. My truck ussually was about 1/4 of a quart low whenever I changed the oil (about every 7 months) and has been checked for burning/leaking oil and is not doing either.

 

My truck now fills with 6 quarts and was running on 5 quarts for maybe a few months. I'm not sure if that is enough low to make a difference here though.

 

I would rather go into the engine and replace the connecting rod and bearing, and fix or replace any other parts that may have been affected. I do not mind spending some time on my truck as it is.

 

I saw a guy do a quick fix on a spun bearing by getting to it from under the vehicle. He sanded down the connecting rod with a small circular strip of sand paper to as smooth as he could get it and then installed the new connecting rod bearing. VWOLLA, problem fixed. or something

[Tom G]

Depends on the end use...if you want longevity and value, full rebuild; if you want to get a few miles out of it before it's scrap, emory cloth and a new bearing.

 

I've done that more than once (not that I'm proud of, but it got me or a friend by for a spell), I have even pulled a rod and piston from a cylinder with a hole through the block and ran that engine on five cylinders for a long time...I think that dozer is still going to this day.

 

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If I get into it and find that the repair is beyond my budget I will probably do it that way. If that is the case I will need some instructions on how to get to the part, most likely from under the vehicle.

[Raptordude]

How many miles are on it? Out of curiosity

 

 

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[Tom G]

I have put 20xxx on it since I bought it two years ago. When I drove it for the first time it had 90xxx. Now its at something like 113xxx. I wonder how much damage I am doing to it driving it with a spin bearing.

[Tom G]

That noise will for sure give you a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach......... First thing that I would do would be to pull the serpentine belt just to make sure I do not have a belt tensioner / AC compressor /alternator etc mimicking a push rod click.

I unstrapped the belt and started the truck... still no fix. After going into both valve covers and checking all the push rods and rocker arms, Im thinking that it is a connecting rod or connecting rod bearing.

[Tom G]

Hey, I am looking at bearings for connecting rods. 2005 sierra 2500hd vortec 6.0 What size should I get? Should I replace the rod itself too? Should I also replace the cam?

 

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/gmc,2005,sierra+2500,6.0l+v8,1431215,engine,connecting+rod+bearing,5212

[davester]

Have you taken it apart?

 

You can't really tell beforehand. You replace the rod if the bearing surface looks damaged.

 

The different bearing sizes are for if you need to regrind the crank because it's scored from the turned bearing, and how much material they had to remove to make it good again. The machine shop will grind all the surfaces the same amount, so you put the same size bearings in all the parts.

[Tom G]

Have you taken it apart?

 

You can't really tell beforehand. You replace the rod if the bearing surface looks damaged.

 

The different bearing sizes are for if you need to regrind the crank because it's scored from the turned bearing, and how much material they had to remove to make it good again. The machine shop will grind all the surfaces the same amount, so you put the same size bearings in all the parts.

Thanks. I may just buy a new crankshaft, a new conrod then because Ill have to take the truck apart and let it sit while the parts get machined and then get bearings based on the remachining is what Im gathering.

 

Is it really difficult to install a crankshaft? Im taking the engine apart from the top. At least that is my plan right now.

[davester]

It's straightforward to do with the engine out on an engine stand. It's definitely more challenging if the engine stays in the truck, as the crankshaft is heavy and you want to install it without knicking it on something and all the bearings properly in place. Taking the engine out likely would make the overall work go faster and result in a better job.

 

I HIGHLY recommend either buying the full-service manual for your truck or sign up for an online subscription to alldata.com or helminc.com for your truck, which details how to do this work. And read up on how to do all the work before starting (both removal and installation), so you know what to expect to do, parts and tools you likely will need..

 

It is likely to be significantly cheaper to get your existing crank reground (if needed) than buying a new one. If it was even close in cost, nobody would bother with regrinding them and making/buying oversize bearings.

 

If time is an important consideration, you might also consider just swapping engines with a used engine from another truck. It would go much faster, and you only need basic tools to do it. And if the used engine has a problem, many places will get you another one (assuming you find a place with a good reputation).