i have a 98 blazer 4x4 4 doors. 4.3 auto.

intake gasket broke last winter and the engine was burning coolant and some got into the oil. i didnt know and i ran the truck for about a week adding a little bit of coolant everyday.

now, 1 year later, the engine knocks on start-up for about 1 min.
to reduce the knock, i add 1/2 bottle of lucas additive in the oil. that helped a little but it increased my oil pressure and now the oil pan(or front/rear seal) leaks oil.
i asked a couple of mecanics i know around and they all told me its because of the coolant that went into the oil and it ruined the crank bearings.

im looking for a used engine aound my town, they go for about 500$ at scrapyards.

my question is, how many hours the engine swap should take at a local garage ? they charge 60$/hr so i wonder how much it will end up costing me.

what are additional cost that may be added ?

thanks for any tips.
Anthony

 

anyone knows ?

 

Additional costs woud be anything they break in the process. I would estimate about 2 hours to prep the engine for removal... possibly 3. Then they will need to make sure the replacement has all the correct sensors. Installation should take roughly the same amount of time. So, I would guess anywhere from 6 to 8 hours. The real hangups are the oil cooler lines and making sure all the wiring is disconnected and out of the way.

None of that includes any work trying to get it to run once the replacement is done. If any may be required.

 

We started on our engine swap at a friends home shop (well equipped) and in 5 hours yesterday we had the old engine pulled and set aside and the 'new' engine unload, engine stand mounted, fluids drained, oil pan and filter adapter removed (O-ring to replace there), then the top side striped down to start the intake manifold gasket replacement.

Knocking for first minute then stopping sounds more like a lifter sticking to me.

Knocking Rod bearings do not stop after one minute.

RV.Net Open Roads Forum: Tech Issues: Radical High Mileage Engine Flushing Thoughts?

This thread covers my recent rod knocking experience that made a hole in the oil pan.

Your leaking is not just due to the Lucas but due to the age of the engine. The 524K mile engine we pulled yesterday leaked badly and the 'new' 119K mile engine we are prepping leaked badly. Both are 1998 models.

We are replacing all lines going to the radiator and power steering pump to help this and replacing ALL gaskets in the engine except for the head gasket including the rear main seal which is a snap to change. It also lets you know what the valve train and crankcase oil pan looks like on the inside before you install it.

I am going back with a new starter, SCPI to MFI spider injector up grade, all new hoses Oil cooler and power steering as well as coolant), belts, water pump so counting the $450 complete used engine with 119K miles the engine swap-out will run $2000 or $2500 if I go with a different 5 speed transmission.

Most often it is cheaper to trade but this is a project truck for our 14 year old son to get ready by the time he starts driving. If he tears it up he knows what he has to do to fix it. :B

5W-40 T-6 Rotella (my standard oil from lawnmower to diesel backhoe) is the oil that I would put into your engine if it was my truck. If the knock did not go away after a few hundred miles I would add 6-8 oz of Sea Foam to the new Rotella and drive that until the oil got dark then change the filter only if it got very dark quickly. While not on the label but with the Lucas in there I would warm it up add 16 oz Sea Foam to the crankcase and let it idle for 20 more minutes before shutting it off and draining the oil. For full time driving one is to add 1.5 OZ of Sea Foam per quart of engine oil in the engine for safe operating.

First thing I would do today is to shut it off after 5 minutes and start it right back up 5 seconds later. Does it KNOCK?

 

thanks for the reply, it only knocks when started for the first time of the day, or when it had time to completly cool down, like after work when its been sitting for 9hrs. if i start it up when warm or when it has been running for a couple minute it doesnt knock.

i live in quebec, canada. do you still recommend your oil in cold climate ?
lask week we had -20celcius weather... it knocked really bad for the fist minute, then went away as usual.

 

Yeah i have to agree...i am no pro mech but mine did that tapping first couple minutes and i started addind lucas to every oil change and it has gone away....i think its a lifter. If it were rods it wouldnt stop.

I hope you can find a good easy fix for your ride.

 

warthogdriver, the knock does not go away even with lucas.
it used to help, but not anymore.

 

My friend who is doing the grunt work on my swap out stated the coolant cut out your bearings and I was used engine time or sell as is.

Replacing the engine seems to run about $2K more or less for a shop to do it. $500 engine, $500 for parts and $1000 for labor. In place you can cut corners will lower the bill.

The 'new' 1998 119K mile 4.3 was seeping oil at most common places and maybe a leak at the oil/power steering lines so we are going new gaskets except for head gaskets and new lines. The intake manifold was near the point of failure yesterday. Doing this on the engine stand takes little time effort vs. in car fix.

It cost more than it adds to resell value BUT if you come out with a reconditioned vehicles good for another 100K-200K miles you can come out on top often.

 

Have you considered just putting new bearings in it? if it runs fine otherwise i'd drop the front diff and pull the pan... Just another option an way less time then swapping a engine

 

yeah the trucks runs really good, i would like to just change the bearings, but i need to make sure it really is the bearing knocking and not the lifters.

dropping the front diff is how much time aprox ?

thanks again,
Anthony