Mechanics help...what should I do?

[lowviscosity]

Coppell (dallas area) TX

Alright I was driving monday on my lunch break in the black 1993 240sx coupe (KA24DE) As I drove the engine bogged down, I was hardly getting any power, and when at idle it would vibrat terribly. The engine has not made any noises nor has it ever failed to start, I have changed the oil around every 3,000 miles with Synthetic although I only have had the car for 6,000 miles about. But the car was terrible it would hardly pick up speed, it sounded like sh*t, and at a stop light it idled like a cammed LT4 where my whole car rocked back and forth.

I didn't want to drive much further so I stopped at the mechanics shop off of 3040 and 121 its the Goodyear shop. I stopped in and told them what was happening. They said they could handle it. I dropped the car off Monday... since then it has been hell (without a car that is)

First they replaced the plugs, distributor cap, and injectors, they said it wouldn't turn over after that, guess why it wouldn't turn over.... Because the damn starter case was broke... they showed me a big half of a chunk of case ... now how in the hell did that happen? Bad luck? maybe... scam... I am not saying anything about that assumption yet... I mean this is a 1/4" metal cap basically (measurements could be off but by eye) and its broke. How does that happen when I leave the car there? Where did you take it out to the dirt track or go offroading? but no i'm not laughing because its MY CAR.

Well they say they'll replace the starter on them since it happened while it was in their hands and obviously it wasn't broke nor cracked before I brought it in. Funny...Car still won't fire on that certain pistion hell it doesn't even run. He takes the valve cover off... shows me how the two cam gears are not in time or some bullsh*t... then tells me that the car has "jumped time" ... I think to myself and sort of laugh " you mean my car is like a back to the future car?" of course I didn't say the remark because you know if you make a mechanic mad... (its just like if you piss the people handling your food off) He shows me where piston one should be and how its not at TDC when the cam gears are in the correct position. He says a valve could be bent or possibly a piston rod... because these are "no tolerance engines" Now i'm not a knowledgable person about these cars thats why I'm asking on these forums. It seems I got myself into one of those holes, in which I can't blame anyone but myself. They still have the car and its Wednesday, I feel the longer I leave the car in their hands the more will go wrong with it. But I can't afford to tow it... and I don't have a trailer. I am in the middle of a move right now and need it badly because its my only car at this time. I just have a question... does it sound fishy? or does the terms he used like "no tolerance engine" sound true?

[Burnsey]

thThey still have the car and its Wednesday, I feel the longer I leave the car in their hands the more will go wrong with it. But I can't afford to tow it... and I don't have a trailer

not trying to sound like a d!ck ... but the longer/more things that go wrong will cost you a lot more than a 70 dollar or so tow ... or a rental from Uhaul and some friends to help you get it up in a Uhaul trailer (~30 bucks) ... so you might wanna consider that?

[lowviscosity]

Yeah i'm towing it Friday or Sunday to a shop in Forney to get a rebuild or a new engine overall.. I did budget today and its looking good for a newer KA swap from a guy I know up there

[caspers_240]

i wold like to know what happens to a KA (withoutexperiencing it first hand) when it jumps time myself...

[racin-type]

our engines are "no tolerance" engines, that means if you either keep the valves open and keep rotating the pistion the piston will hit the valve and vice versa.jump timing means that your timing chain could have somehow jumped a link. This does explain your bad idle and everything else you've said.Camgears contro your mechanical timing so to show you with the cover off is the easiest way to see it.

Now i'm usually for the consumer but with mechanics they usually don't try to f*** you over that hard to get an extra buck, if you know what i mean. and everything he said and you said connects. good time to look for a new engine just like you've already done.

good luck

and please learn more about your basic engine terms

[180fan]

"no tolerance" is actually interference engines. timing belt or chain in this case jumps or snaps you're in for a hellufa surprise when you pop the head off.

[smokin240]

Just out of curiousity myself, is jumping time with the timing chain as you are speaking of different from jumping time with the dizzy? Or the same?

In my opinion though, I think the mechanic is telling the truth. If that happened then I would assume your motor is bad now, or you have alot of work to do to get it running well again. If you know nothing about cars, then your better off selling it as a shell with a bad motor for some decent cash towards a new one.