The strangest thing......

1988 4runner
22re
340,000 km's
Stock engine
Pre-Trip inspection in December was great

....December - Put 500 km on my runner through the Rockies.

January - Put another 250 km's on my runner when I bottom end noise started.
-Held a wrench to the oil pan and to what I thought sounded like a spun rod bearing, it only got worse having to drive another 250km's to get my runner home....

I parked it for 2 months, meanwhile searching for another 22re, fixing up the interior, etc...ect... I would start it up again from time to time to let everything flow. And each and every time that bottom end noise was VERY apparent!

1 week ago, I killed the battery while testing a newly installed stereo. I charged the battery and started the runner up and to my surprise I heard no horrific sound coming from the bottom of my engine!!!

Since then, I have put 350 km's on the engine and it sounds as good as it did the day i bought it, which was so, so.

Some applicable factors-
-I drove to Calgary where the temperature dropped below -20 in the evenings.

-I had 10W-30 oil, fresh oil change before the trip

I am doing an oil change on the weekend with a screen to catch anything that comes out... But ANYBODY have any idea what may have happened???

 

Oil is thicker from the colder weather maybe?

 

I hear ya, unsing 5w 30 oil would have been a better bet to use in the cold climate and could have caused the rod bearing to spin.....But! The noise from the, what I thought to be a spun rod bearing just went away after a couple months. I dont have a freakin clue as to why!!!!