Bad noise, lost power...not good

Driving along at 80 kmh. going up a small hill and experienced loss of power and a slapping noise that got louder. Similar to the noise I'd been hearing before but not as severe.

Got a video, you watch!!!

This is us on the side of the road. once the engine had cooled a bit we started it back up to see what happens. We pulled the timing belt cover, no broken belt or anything.

help me out guys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcbodgj4Z1M

 

I can't give you anything solid, but from my experience I would expect it to be something in the valve train rather than a piston or rod bearing.

Reasons:
1) Lost power, but didn't stop entirely.
2) The rattle sounds like half the RPM (cam turns once for every 2 revs).
3) The rattle itself is steady, consistent, and not too heavy.
4) There are many small pieces in there that could cause that (push rod, rocker, valve, spring, adjuster, etc.).

Get the valve cover off and see what's loose. You may find the adjustment has backed off on one valve. You may also find that the push rod and rocker are battered from running it that way.

I once had a valve spring break and it sounded something like that. I don't want to give you unreasonable hope, but don't give up on 'er yet. This could turn out to be a relatively simple job.

 

Dont sound good. I wouldnt run it any more till you tear it down. I'll put up a six pack its a rod. Awful load.

 

so are these parts available?

 

Shouldnt have a problem finding them. Depends on where you are? UK,Canada,USA,Japan?

 

I won't be doing the work this time. I'll be trucking it over to my mechanic in the morning. I'll let him know what you guys have said, all sounds good.

First time he'll have seen this truck but i have the service manual and he's pretty handy with a wrench so I feel confident that if he finds the issue, I can come away with a shopping list of parts I need. I've been looking around on japanoid and the like and I'm not seeing a whole lot in the way of engine parts.

The rest of the truck is in prestine condition and it would be an utter shame to be brought down by something minor.

finger's crossed.

 

Japanoid doesn't list their inventory on line, talk to Dean in parts, he can help you out.

 

my mech hasn't had a chance to pull the bottom end out, but thinks it's most likely a damaged crank, crank bearing or con rod bearing.

he's talking to a JDM parts source to see what they have, but suggests I start looking for a good used or rebuilt engine.

So, any suggestions for rebuilt engines? Given the fact that prior to this damage, my engine could have been considered "used" with a ticking time bomb bearing (possibly) waiting to go. Ultimately a rebuilt is worth the peace of mind at this point for me. The rest of the truck is in excellent condition so I'm willing to put money into it.

 

would that even work? I don't know lol.

To rebuild my engine may be cheaper, I've also considered that. I want to hear back from my mech before pulling the trigger on anything.

The truck as 95,000 on it. would this be considered a typical life span or might this be bad luck or perhaps the engine was neglected. Too many highway miles or too many cold starts, bad oil?

I've only had the truck for several months and I know there's nothing I've done to cause the issue but I want to understand the anatomy of this failure so I know what to expect from a rebuilt/used engine.

thanks

 

I'm sorry to hear it's not a quick fix.

I'm watching this thread with interest because I have a '92 Sambar with 95,000km on it. My truck runs well and doesn't make any scary noises but if 95,000 is considered a lifetime, I'll start saving.

So what do you think we should expect from these things?

 

it's a good question and I think one that needs to be asked to everyone.

 

not sure where you are from but Japanoid sells fully rebiult engines.

 

200k is not out of the ordinary...mincara review in japan has tons of minitrucks with well over 200k on them ...I will say something that may not be popular though..on this forum when an engine has a major mechanical breakdown..it's more often than not a Subaru..........

 

boo hisss!

oh well, I haven't heard from my mech yet and I'm too busy to chase after him at the moment.

i'll keep you guys posted once I know what's going on.

 

SO my mech pulled the oil pan off, says the con bearings definately need to be replace and the crank ground. The oil smelled like fuel so there must be fuel leaking into the crank case somehow which could have lead to the failure.

any thoughts as to why that would happen? I need to make a decision on whether or not it's more economical to get a rebuilt engine and start fresh, or put the money into this engine only to have the same issue next year or a few years down the road if I can't solve the gas leak.

 

getting close to lift off.

The engine arrived this week. I need to see about rebuilding the carb or having it rebuilt. I want to eliminate all possible variables, and not just throw the old carb back on there.

It's getting exciting because I'll have a beautiful new engine and perhaps I'll see some better fuel mileage. With gas where it is, and where it will be come mid summer, the cost savings on fuel alone will help offset the cost of the engine (wishfull thinking!!)

CARB'D ENGINE? CHECK YOUR OIL. Smells like gas, replace the oil and think about rebuilding the carb.

 

Awesome. Is it new? Where'd you get it? Did you buy it pretty much assembled (I mean apart from things like manifolds, plugs, etc.)?

I'm interested because I have this idea that one day I'll be putting a new engine in and I will need a source, and lots of research material.

To your question from the last post: I think gasoline in the oil can only really get into the oil by getting past the rings. If the rings are really worn pressure from the combustion chambers can be forced past them (blow by) and unspent fuel will contaminate the oil. It would always be accompanied by a host of other symptoms (low and uneven compression, lost power, running erratically, smoke, etc.) so you would have been putting up with a really tacky ride there for some time.

I suppose if the carb was not shutting off the fuel flow completely when stopped, the gas could dribble into the manifold, leak into the cylinders, and seep into the oil past the rings. Pressure in the fuel line could force a little gas in each time you stopped. I suspect a little goes a long way, so you wouldn't need much gas to ruin the oil.

 

All very true. However. I've only owned the truck since January 2011, waiting 40 days before insurance so I've only driven it February and March and it died first week in April. Not enough time to get a "feel" for it. A whole host of issues could have been there but I have no history with the truck. I did, however, post a few weeks before the engine failure that I was noticing a rattle noise at a certain RPM. It's a noise I will never forget as I am sure it was a con rod bearing (I know that now) on it's way out. I bought the engine from japanoid and it's a complete rebuilt engine minus carb and the things you mentioned. Everything on the engine is new except the block, which has been machined. So, as new as I can expect for a vehicle over 20 years old. Spoke with James several times and he hooked me up. He said they don't recommend going freeway speeds for very long, and anything around 80kmh is fine. I know the Sambar is advertised to reach speeds as high as 120kmh, needless to say i won't be going that fast (never did anyway). Hopefully everyone here can learn from my misfortune and naivety.

 

Well, good news on the new motor. HOWEVER, I do drive mine (Suzuki) WOT for hundreds of KM on end. Have for years and years.

I disagree 100% about not doing 100KMH. The biggest problem is that fuel economy gets worse, fast! Of course you should "break in" your motor prior to such driving habits!

 

truck is almost back!

new engine, all new hose, thermo, etc, the list goes on.

Apparently the coolant system had what my mechanic called "missisippi mud" clogging the flow of coolant. Could have contributed to the engine failure. It's something you wouldn't fix by flushing the coolant, you'd have to remove the thermostat and flush it several times.

something to look out for on these little things.

 

Another way fuel can get into the oil would be through a defective fuel pump.
If it's a block mounted mechanical pump, it can leak through the diaphragm right into the engine oil.

 

I've had my Subaru for over a year now and I'm still not used to some of the sounds it makes (which I take to be ok since it's still running well ).

I've got about 145 000 kms on it and it doesn't seem to have any mechanical issues beyond minor wear and tear stuff. My plan was always to run it until the engine dies and then put an electric motor in there instead...If that ever happens though I'll probably miss the screaming sound it makes now!

I also run it at 100-120km/h somewhat frequently (my first trip was to drive it home from Calgary to Edmonton). The SC model has slightly better gearing for high speeds though, but I'm still riding 5th gear from 60 out to 120 km/h. A 6th top end gear would be the greatest!

Jessf, maybe you could take a video when you get the truck running with a "new" engine so we have a reference of what it's supposed to sound like!

 

will do. Have you listened to the video in my first post? It should give you an idea of what the engine was doing just after the failure. The ticking noise was present long before the bearing finally went, but it was much quieter, and was only noticable at a certain RPM and just as you let off the gas.

 

I've read about that. The sambar pump is mounted to something else, if I recall it's the frame.

 

I picked up the Sambar c/w new engine last Thursday and have driven it approximately 240km since then. Smooth as butter. I'm not sure how many here have had the opportunity to drive a mini with a new or otherwise rebuilt engine, but it's a pleasure.

The truck didn't appear to have any loss of power before the failure, average fuel consumption was 35mpg (highway and city combined). The power at the time seemed fine.

With the new engine, and a rebuilt carb, what a difference in performance. The truck pulls like it has power to spare. It's virtually silent when heard from the cab, rocks caught in the treads make a louder noise. I'm going to run it for 1000km and take it in for a tune and a fluid change. We weren't entirely sure we got all the **** out of the coolant lines (it's been flushed a total of 5 times), and I'd like to change the oil after the rings have been well seated. I've got the recomended 30w oil in there, and I'll be switching to 10w30 after the first frost. I don't know the fuel economy yet, I just filled up this morning so I'll be tracking my kms until the next gas-up. Anyways, truck runs great and I learned a lot from my mechanic throughout the whole process.

 

Well, my worst fears have been realized.

My truck has the same noise, the same symptoms, the same result. Loss of power, loud snapping engine noise, top end is in really good shape. I guess I have lost the bottom end. The biggest issue is that the truck is not as prostine as Jessf's by the sound of it, and spending $4k on it would be a bit crazy.

My mechanic shop is a very reliable, honest place, and they just did the head gasket the day before she blew. They have inspected it and listened to the noise on the video, and their take on it is that it is the same issue.

Anyone got an old EN07 lying around that I could tear the crank out of?

 

I have my old engine, but there's no telling how good the crank is. I could rip it out and send it to you if you wanted to have it honed. If the crank is bent, it's likely other things are damaged as well. until they pull the bottom end out and do a full inspection you won't know for sure, but the cost to inspect + the cost to get the parts, you're looking at a pretty sizable price etherway. You might want to give japanoid a call and see what they have in used engines. Those guys are awesome and I've trusted them with a lot of money and time and have never been disappointed. Keep us posted.