Looking @ a car // Please help !!

[skazzi]

Hey there. I'm looking to buy my first 240sx, and need some help..quick quick. It's going through a 150pt inspection today and I will get results of the test tomorrow morning. (Dec. 06) and possibily make my decision to buy with that. I really like the car, it's in beautiful condition.

New timing chain, new injectors, from headers back exhaust changed, recent throttle body adjustment for air care inspection and 217,000 KMS

On the drive test I noticed a metallic knocking sound, which (when the seller brought to his mechanic for throttle body) was diagnosed and the fix being R&R connection rod bearings.

I have already ready read a couple horror stories about this problem and bits of bearing floating around in the engine and I am now a little worried. I've been searching for a car for months now, I'm tired of it. I was told is not serious and have been getting a really good feeling from the seller on everything to date and feel he is being honest.

What are the problems associated with these bearings? What is the success rate for R&R or would these be a good indication that the engine is really worn?Is it bits of metal floating in the engine that causes the sound?

I'm sorry for the stupid questions, I know nothing about mechanics. Please help and thank you very much for your time.

[IvoryJ30t]

ok, let me start this off by saying im a mechanic, and anybody telling you that rod bearings going bad is "no big deal" is trying to **** you.

there is nothing but a blown motor that can come from bad rod bearings.

BTW- R&R'ing rod bearings involves removing and dismantling the engine. the motor on its way out, and hes trying to sell it before it blows up.

[IvoryJ30t]

oh, here, ill clear it up.

the piston rides up and down in the cylinder, and is connected to the crankshaft by the connecting rods.

the noise you hear is when the piston changes direction, the bad bearing has excessive clearance, and the rod slaps against the crank.

very very bad. the motor needs to be rebuilt.

[skazzi]

Hey Ivory. Thanks very much for your reply, I really appreciate it.After posting on the board here I went and called up Nissan and they gave me a pretty bad feeling about the idea of it too. I know now that there are reasons this has gone bad, it's rarely JUST one and it could only be a temporary fix and the end result could be ALOT of money.

This is depressing grrrrr.

Just wanted to clear up that it was my interpretation of what I knew and understood in saying "no big deal", not serious.

The mechanic (not the one who diagnosed it) but whom seems to be on stand-by to fix this car depending on inspection report. End result of a conversation with him is I now know that the seller does not want to sell his car knowing what the problem is and wants to fix it for me at his cost. The mechanic is not going to go for doing a "half-assed job", will only do and charge for what is nessacary (unlike Nissan or the like), is going to check on any other damage (once he has it apart) and is of the mind that if it's beyond the connection rod bearings it's not worth "fixing", talking rebuild. At this point it's not my money to worry about, which is cool and I'm not sure how far the seller is willing to go.

Quote »"the noise you hear is when the piston changes direction, the bad bearing has excessive clearance, and the rod slaps against the crank.[/quote]...does not sound nice.

[IvoryJ30t]

no problem.

what i meant as "half assed" was not in his manner of fixing it, but if its done without the motor pulled [ie- cheaper] you dont get an accurate depiction of the damage, and the quick fix might hold up, but then again maybe not.

its always better to go the extra mile when dealing with engine internals so you know you wont have to worry about doing it again.

[skazzi]

For sure. Thanks again. I would still like to know more about the mechanic's plan but hopefully either way it gets done RIGHT.

I've been through that internal crap with a over-heating and blown head gasket on a Pulsar. It cost A LOT of money to test everything but I knew it'd been done and it wasn't cheap and until I got rear-ended the car was great.

[skazzi]

Labor-wise, what would you say would be the time frame for pulling the engine and doing it correctly?

[IvoryJ30t]

doing everything, i would say over $1000 in labor.

its hard to pin down without knowing the exact condition of the internals, which you cant determine until its out of the car.

[IvoryJ30t]

but then again if hes goin to give you a break on the price its something you have to dicuss with the mechanic.

its a very labor intensive operation.