Did I Just Kill My New Engine?!

Yup, kinda like a person with a colostomy checking their underwear after a fart... ain't gonna be anything there....

Bob

 

If you just dump oil in it and don't look at the bottom end now to see if everything is OK, are you EVER going to feel certain that the motor is OK? When it's time to take that 1000 mile weekend cruise, are you going to be hesitant to drive it?

In your original post, you said you ran it for a few minutes until it warmed up. Warmed up as indicated on the temperature gauge would be plenty of time for a cam/lifter or bearing to get scored.

Gauges are your friend. They have a very useful purpose, and are the first things I look at any time I start an engine. I even look at the amp gauge on my garden tractor when I start it.......

 

He had a full filter and 4' of hoses full of oil that would of circulated for the 5 minutes he ran it.....ask.......no metal in mine.....ran it for the rest of the season......

 

I remember seeing this event used as a full page ad in Car Craft, Hot Rod and similar magazines for Amalie Oil. Struck me as a pretty good endorsement. For the oil, not for Gene.

 

I pulled this same stunt once. I left out the drain plug and poured 5 qts. of new synthetic straight through the engine and into the catch pan. Fired her up and waited for the presssure gauge to lift... but it never did. Funny now, but it was my daily driver, and I'd have been up the proverbial creek if I'd lost that engine.

 

You have gotten all the options now you have to ask yourshelf if you want a fresh engine in your car or a used one that you dont know anything about.

 

Except the pump picks oil up from the pan, pumps it through the filter into the crankshaft and the rest of the engine before it returns to the pan. The oil pump won't pump air.

Texaco had a commercial for their Havoline oil where they drained the oil in Taxi cabs, drove them around New York for a while before re-filling them with oil. Since you just had the pan off, I'd pull the pan and look at the bearings.

 

Don't call yourself an idiot. We've all done things like that. Learn from the mistake. Always complete a task and next time put a big note on the dash that says "no oil". I have notes all over the place because I suffer from CRS.
My advice would be to do it right or don't do it at all. Take it apart. You'll eliminate the risk and all you will lose is some time. Cheers.

 

Once you sort through all the advise and decide how you will proceed let us know! The suspense is killing me!


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Just to be clear, the suggestion of cutting the filter was made AFTER you put oil in it and ran it for a few minutes. Some folks like to pull down engines, some don't. If the engine is fried already, putting 5 QTs in it and running it for 5 minutes isn't going to fry it much more if at all (just listen for bad sounds after the hyd lifters pump up and the valve clatter goes away and watch your pressure gauge).
If you want to pull the pan first,that is prudent but the OP said he didn't build the engine so we don't know if he is up to that and he wanted some help in evaluating the bearings.
The easiest thing to do is put oil in it, run it for a few minutes, then pull the filter and cut it open. If you don't find any debris in the filter media, you are good to go, I would suggest taking the filter to your local airport and having a mechanic do the cutting and examination. He may charge you $25 bucks but he does this on a daily basis and knows what to look for.
I may be a FNG here but I have been at this a long time.

 

Dear Clay Mart,

Could you please take my quote concerning g.s. out---at least the 3rd sentence?; i now feel it's inappropriate because of his tricky/difficult legal situation.

It was inappropriate for me to make that statement, it displayed poor judgment on my part and i apogle to anyone if any offense was taken or any trouble was caused.

Love, C-10

 

Had a 390 ford built for my 64 ford f100.Full roller motor.Let her loose in front of the guy's (high revving power shift's).Drove a 1/4 mile further down the road ,stopped at the light and looked down to the gauges and to my horror no oil pressure.Shut it off called the tow truck.Upon checking things out at home found the oil pump shaft had broken.Talked to my builder and he suggested I yank the motor and bring it back and he would check it. Far cheaper to replace the bearings and a gasket set, than to drive it as is and either granade it, or buy a new crank and all the machine work that goes with it.
Once he pulled it apart the bearings, mains and journal were fine.There was some fine scoring on a few cylinder walls which he said he wouldn't pull it apart to repair.

Cost me a gasket set and 125.00 for his time.Have been driving it for about 3 years now and all is good.

I also (at his suggestion) have a "T" fitting in the oil line which I have an Idiot light wired into and when it comes on stares me right in the face in my instrument panel.Far easier to see the light than look for the gauge

 

Fuck me is right!!! I had several mopars in my 20's and three of them were 383's not cheap to rebuild!!! Good luck man!!!

 

My wife had a job where she traveled 40 miles a day to work, hit something on the road one morning but kept going. Car sat all day, she drove it home with the oil light on, said she didn't notice it until she was almost home.

I checked the oil, nothing showing, looked under the car and could see a gash about 1 1/2" long and 1/8" wide in the oil pan next to the drain plug.

Long story short, cleaned it good, tapped the gash together and braised it up, dumped some oil in it and crossed my fingers. She drove that car 3 more years and then my brother bought it and drove it 2 more years before rust killed it. (Off topic 2.5 L Mopar.)

Yeah, I'd fill it with oil and drive it.

Edit: Where it is a new rebuild I might be more concerned, but think I would drive it anyway.

 

My uncle worked in the Chevrolet dealer in Spokane, Washington in the mid thirties as a machanic. An older lady brought in her brand new 36 Chev to have the oil changed. My uncle drained the oil and put the drain plug back in. Something came up and he forgot to put new oil in the engine. When he was going to go home that night he noticed that there were some bottles of oil on the work bench. He got her address and when he was driving coal truck that night he went to the lady's house found the car sitting in the driveway. He had brought the oil with him and put it in the car. She never came back about her car, so I guess it was OK. Everyone makes a goof up.

 

Let us know if it turned out ok, and what kind of oil is bulletproof.

 

New motor, with tight clearances.....hmmmm......rods (bearings)are probably toast. And you revved it to 3500 coupla times, and let it run till 190 deg.....ima thinkin scored crank, startin to spin a bearing or two.....but stranger things have happened.

But, it would be interesting to add the oil back in and start it with an eyeball on the gauge to see how it does.....

Ive done it before, but not let it run that long. Changed GF's little Honda's oil, had it on the stands, filter on, plug in.....got distracted, started the thing up to check the pressure, as soon as it started it dawned on me and i shut it down.....no foul, but scared the shite out of me.....

 

No big deal, my daughters run their cars without oil all the time

Then there was the time we put the back-up engine into my friends race car, started it up and waited and waited for the oil pressure to come up. "Must be something wrong with this gauge." He reved the thing until it started to "tie up" That's when he realized that he drained the oil out of it the last time he pulled it out of the car. This is a guy who has been racing for over 45 years! It happens!

I think you and Tempor are on the right track. Let us know! Good luck.

Sean

 

Sorry, meant TERPU not Tempor

 

That's a good way to fix an oil leak, just run it without oil. Saves on gaskets.

Put some oil in it and give it a try.

 

Above all...let us know how it turns out!

 

Did he just say "pulling boners" in a post about Gene Snow??? Sorry, I know, I know, just couldn't let that slide by...

 

Honestly, if we are taking bets, my guess is its fine. But to roll the dice and hope for the best on something you just spent at least a couple g's building?? FOOLHARDY.

 

the berings are probably hurt but it wont get any worse if you put oil in it check pressure and then cut open the oil filter

 

Now THERES some SERIOUSLY poor reasoning. If the bearings ARE hurt, the debris from the damage to the bearings will now be circulating around with the oil. This is exactly why you SHOULD pull it down.

 

I have not read all eight pages but it does seem that while there may have been some name calling, there is no resolution yet to the OP's dilemma.

The motor most likely saw little if any damage since it was running at no load and did not run long enough for anything to get real hot.

You will not hurt it any more by adding fresh oil and filter and running it.

If you are anal you can quickly change the oil and filter. If you are really anal, you can pull the pan and check the bearings.

But I can guarantee you that you did not hurt it. Maybe it will only run 150,000 miles instead of 200,000. That's about as bad as it will be.

 

He said a few minutes, and warmed up. There's a high likelyhood of some damage.

Except for the fact that the oil will now be carrying metal particles to all areas of the engine.

I recommend "really anal". It'l be the least cost in the long run.

Does your guarantee cover parts and labor?

 

This is getting good !!
The original question is old, over and done with but the posts get better and better.
I'm going to get my popcorn and see if this gets another 8 pages of nonsense posted up

 

A few minutes might be hot to a human but not to the metal. There are no metal shavings. The motor was not under load and it still had assembly lube on the bearings.

This is kind of like an argument over religion. 'My religion is better than yours', LOL. So, everyone has presented their opinion based on their own life experience and now the OP can do whatever he wants.

(But that motor is still OK.)

 

Why risk a catastrophic failure ? Pull the engine, tear it down and see what's hurt. If nothing is "hurt" vat the block and rebuild with all fresh bearings.
I don't know about you guys, but my luck SUCKS..If I tried just putting oil and hoping for the best, that thing would scatter all over creation. Then I'm replacing blocks and rods and pistons and heads..NO THANKS. I'll take my chances with a lottery ticket, not an engine