Did I Just Kill My New Engine?!

i'd pull it apart hey everybody makes mistakes thats why they still put erasers on pencils

 

I sounds as if it is still in the car, so I agree with the others about dropping the pan and checking bearings, although replacing them will not help the lifters or valve guides.

If it were me, seeing as any damage is already done, I would fill it and run it for a few minutes, then drain and check for spare parts. If it's just flecks, fill it and run it, unless you feel like rebuilding the engine. It really boils down to your own comfort zone. Nervous? Rebuild. Wanna drive the car? Run it, wreck it, don't never check it.

 

Kick the dog.
Get drunk.
Go fishing.

If the pan was dry I don't see how any metal would get to the oil filter. You could pour a couple quarts of gas in it, drain the pan and see what flushes out with the gas.

 

I was snickering, thinking the same thing. Note To Self: never stop until you get to a safe stopping point without a note or something over the ignition switch.

 

I would do the same, if the inserts are goine they won't get any more gone with fresh oil in it.

Probably din't do it any good, but sometimes they are more forgiving than we give them credit for.

 

I would not be comforable without dropping the pan and checking the mains and rods--then go from there--good luck !!
As a sidenote, you surely aren't the first one to do this.

 

Good point: with so little oil in it would anything have even been deposited in the pan yet? Does it make sense to do some kind of flush first so I can see what washes down into the pan?

 

Unless you tear it down, you're never really going to know what the damage is and even if it survived, every time you run it you're going to wonder and and feel like shit about it. If it were me, for my own peace of mind, I'd tear into it and see what's up.

Sorry man, I know this sucks. I've done stupid stuff too. 30 years ago I filled the cooling system of brand new motor with water until it ran out the exhaust pipe. Yep, the head gasket was one year off and the cooling passages didn't match. I didn't catch it when I put it together. As I was putting water in it I remember think "damn, this radiator sure holds a lot of water."

 

I'd put oil in it, prime the system BEFORE you up and start it. then start it and listen closely for any noises.

 

Never, ever pour gasoline into a crankcase unless you like things that go BOOM, destroying your oil pan and valve covers.

I'd fill it with oil and test it out. Any funny noises or behavior and out she comes for some new bearings and maybe more.

Oh, the other bad news is that you don't know YET if you fixed the pan leak. Sorry for that.

 

Same thing my wife just said. But its just so stupid of me... It is one thing to make a mistake, another to make a stupid mistake.

But thanks though...

 

Don't beat yourself up. The forgetting is only gonna get worse. Your not the only guy who has done something like. Your the one who told all of us. Like don't store the power steering fluid next to the brake fluid. You might fil the new master with power steering fluid......jus sayin

 

Some women have run with that oil light on for weeks. You might be okay.

 

Dump some oil in it and whatch your oil pressure and see if it is what you had when you first had the engine running that could tell you how loose it is now. And dont wast any money on a loto ticket if it is ok you have already used up your luck.

 

At outdoor hot rod shows I've witnessed "engine blow" contests where they run an engine without oil and spectators wager how long it will last. I can't believe how long the run with no oil before anything happens at all - like a half hour! Evidently the film of oil on parts keeps it lubed for a long time.

Why borrow trouble by tearing your engine down? Fill it with oil and run it. Then sell the car

Just kidding...it will probably be fine.

 

Please let us know how this turns out.

 

I have done it many times, no boom. Of course I don't run it that way, drain and fill with oil. Draining flush gas out of the pan results in no more fuel than having your carb flood over and leak into the crank case.

As for forgetfulness, if I leave a crank case dry I always set a fresh quart of oil on the engine or seat to remind me. Normally I just forget the drain plug...

 

4woody>>>Does it make sense to do some kind of flush first so I can see what washes down into the pan? >>>


Makes sense to me. Pre-prime with 5w-20 for the flush --- no gasoline please. Idle and occasionally rev under no load till fully warmed up --- prolly clatter a bit when warmed up with this oil weight. Then see what you can find floating around in the oil and filter --- likely not too much I suspect. Also check for the pan leak while you're at it. 8^)


Jack E/NJ

 

Well my 2cents sez, to pull the pan and have a look at bearings. I did have customer drop an oil filter off at turn one on a road race track. He spun in the oil and drove about 2 miles wondering what just happened, without oil back to the pits..We had no choice and installed a new filter, poured in a complete load of fresh Valvoline racing oil..like what had just come out, crossed our fingers and fired it up. Ran ok..no noise so he raced the car with that engine for 3.5 more years...after that we opened it up and found no damage anywhere.
Last week I fired up a new race engine, I primed and ran it the day before...very good oil pressure but did not get it hot. Next day I was warming it up a little bit of up and down blips and then let it idle while I walked across the shop to get my sunglasses to take it out for a spin.
The engine suddenly slowed down and died. I refired it and blipped the throttle again and it slowed and died again..I then fired it again and looked at the oil pressure and the gauge said ZERO!
The new made in ? oil pump ate itself and seized. The rod bearing are toast and the engine is now being re assembled. Other than the rod bearings all is well. just have to clean the block and every hole out.
I build all my engines the same way, have for years..this time I think the pump was too tight..or made out of a metal that grew too much when hot and ate its self. i think the pump seizing is what stopped the engine.

 

I'm with oj - correct any issues now, before they become even bigger issues. 5 minutes is a fairly long time without oil. You have at least taken a lot of miles out of the bearings - correct it now and it will be a LOT cheaper than when it goes BOOM

 

If you want to flush, I'd use kerosene or diesel instead of gasoline.

 

Go get some Marvel's Magestic Mystery oil and some synthetic oil. Pull the plugs and pore some in the cylinders too. turn the motor over by hand or just with starter. pull the coil wire first so it does not try and fire. Let it sit overnight to really soak in and try it. Warning: it will smoke like a SOB so have good ventalation and call off the fire department. And say 12 Hail Mary's. Good Luck.

 

You'll sleep better at night and trust the car more if you pull it apart & check the bearings. I'd be tempted to replace the oil pump too if the bearings are scored up.

On the plus side, the procedure is fresh in your mind and the tools are probably still out.

If I ever have the oil out of an engine for some reason, I'll put a big note on the steering wheel or pile cans of oil up on the air cleaner as reminders to fill 'er up.

Bob

 

How long do you want this motor to last?
If not long (say, you're selling the car real soon) then dump oil in it, flush it, replace and go.
If you don't want to have to rebuild it anytime soon, then for the love of hotrods, open it up and do it right!
r

 

It's not about the liquid fuel, it's about the vapors. When a car floods the fuel gets blown out the exhaust valves, and a little bit may blow by the rings into the crankcase. The crankcase at that point is filled with oil and oil vapors which will dilute the gas and keep it from vaporizing.

Pouring gas into an empty crankcase is asking for big trouble. When the engine cranks, the vapors are going to be pushed out into the air, the pcv system, egr system -- everywhere. It just takes a spark and BOOM.

 

I'd drop the pan and take a look. You MIGHT be ok, or at this point, you MIGHT have to change the bearings. Its a wing and a prayer, but idling for a couple minutes on something really fresh, there was probably still assembly lube on the bearings and so on, you have PROBABLY just dodged a big ugly bullet here. Did you wing the throttle at all? I would be willing to bet that if it just idled for a couple minutes, and the temp didnt get up, the crank isnt scored, and you are probably ok. But I really would NOT just put oil in and hope for the best, you could end up doing a LOT more damage.
And if you pull a bearing and it DOES look bad? You have to pull the motor, completely dis-assemble it, clean EVERYTHING (oil passages, EVERYTHING) thoroughly and put it back together.

 

sad drop pan ck.bearings good luck

 

One of the best Home Improvement scenes was when Jill was explaining that very thing to Tim.

 

...or solvent.,,,
I agree, never use GAS