Operator

Ladies and Gents, new to this site but from what I have read so far I have great faith I will be helped.

Here is my issue. I just rebuild my 22RE. It had 229K miles and was running fine, just needed a little more power and had nothing to do (yeah right!). Got it bored over and cleaned and balanced at a engine builder shop and then put it back togehter myself. All new parts, at that time added a LCE mild cam and emission legal header. Got it all together and it fired right up. HOWEVER, the oil dummy light does not go out in idle. So I replaced the sending unit, same thing. When I rev it up it goes out fine. The pick up screen was thoroughly cleaned before reassembly, new oil pump, all new gaskets and Castrol GTX 10W 30 oil.
More to it: Drove it to the gas station and it makes rattling noise in the top end, sometimes more sometimes less while going there. When I pushed the clutch in after getting there, it dies. Starter engaged afterwards put wasn't able to turn engine over. Towed it home and after it cooled of I can turn the engine over just like before. All valves are and were before adjusted, took valve cover off, normal amount of oil there and no abnormal signs. Has plenty of oil, oil is clean. Took oil pump of, there was oil in it and seal looks good.

I am out of ideas! My next step is getting a new oil pump even though the one I have is brand new. Any pointers or ideas from anyone?


Thanks

abecedarian

put a mechanical gauge in and check the actual oil pressure. should have around 7-10 psi at idle.

desert-rat660

did u change the rod and main bearings?

Operator

Yes, all new bearings everywhere.

I think I found the problem though... The machine shop took all the screws out to clean all canals and didn't put one on the front of the engine back in and I didn't catch it during assembly. So probably the oil pump pumped oil to the sensor and filter and then most of it back out into the timing chain cover, draining straight back into the pan. Meaning while running it got some oil (making the dummy light go out) but not enough for sustained operation. Hence the seizure and sounds. Hopefully I didn't do any severe damage as the engine turns over fine again. I alrady tore into it to get to the plug.

desert-rat660

im sure the engine is ok its a 22re

Silas

should be fine hopefully as long as the bearings got plenty of oil in the bottom end....i've siezed a few motors mainly top ends with bikes and atvs and after tearing down and replacing oil pumps etc they've been fine.

Operator

Fixed the plug, put it back together and oil pressure issue fixed. HOWEVER at a certain RPM without any load (i.e. reving it up or load changes when shifting) the engine has a nasty knock to it. Pretty metal sounding, a little diesel like. I have changed the oil and the oil itself didn't look too bad. I haven't cut the filter open yet, I left it on to get the new oil to run through it and "wash" any bearing material from the engine there. Any thoughts on the sound?

yoterr

so it knocks when you let off the gas when shifting or on the gas at a certain rpm?

Operator

Yes. I would guesstimate (no tach) the RPM to be around 2K.

desert-rat660

does this knock occur when the engine is cold

86tuning

I would find an experienced ear to listen to it. If it sounds like rod knock, you get to take it apart again.

iamsuperbleeder

lol, PROBLEM SOLVED!

guess I don't need to do my timing chain afterall either


that's pretty close to sig material there, lol

Operator

Yes, engine knocks cold and hot, no real difference. I am already tearing into it. But I will leave the intake and head on and just get to the bottom end and look at that first. I just hate to do all this work twice, engine in and out of the truck and the whole nine yards.

desert-rat660

i have the same knock but only when cold, its piston knock on mine. once it warms up and the pistons expand it goes away

Operator

I have read about that one, seems common on these engines, but mine does it hot and cold. Engine is already out and I will tear into it latest this weekend.

desert-rat660

maybe it wasnt bored correctly

abecedarian

or maybe when it was driven with low oil pressure, one or more rod bearings got a little bit hot and seized on the crank: may only be piston expansion seized the pistons in the bore... but either way, some damage was done.

and a knock, cold or hot, points me at rods

Operator

Damage was definately done. I just took the oil filter off and cut it open but nothing. So I took the oil pan off and tata!!! Huge metal shavings even way too big to fit through the oil pick up screen. No more time right now but I will now have to search for the orgin. I don't think it is piston, they fit nicely snug but moveable when I installed them. I am guessing main or rod bearing. They will all come out. I just hope my crankshaft isn't ruined! I am going to have a word with the shop that forgot the @#$% oil plug!!

abecedarian

hope you're taking lots of pics else they're gonna be arguing with you tooth and nail that it's your fault and not their's.
and by the way, feel free to post pics here.

desert-rat660

if your the one that assembled it i doubt they will do anything for you.