So, on my 86 pickup 2wd I think I broke a connecting rod. When I bought the truck it had 348,000 miles on, it had a small tick that I thought was top end it and it was leaking oil like crazy. So I decided to pull the engine and replace all the gaskets and check the lower end bearings to make sure it was in good shape. I checked all the bearings, they all looked good so I put the bottom end back together. I followed the correct torque specs in the manual, I put on a new timing chain. And finally after about a week of cleaning and assembling I got the engine running. I was still making the funny tick, but it was a little louder. I thought it was valves out of adjustment so I went around the block. I floored it a few times and the tick became a very loud knock. I drove it in my drive way, the nock was getting louder and shut off the engine. I let it sit for a bit, than I started the engine back up and after idling for about 3 seconds it got louder and when CLUNK!!! and it died. I bumped the engine with the starter and it clunk again. So any idea as to what went wrong? I have not opened the engine back up yet, but I will when I get home. I know that I got all the rod bolts tight, I went over all of them 2 times with my torque wrench to make sure they were good. But thankfully the engine did not punch a hole in the block or oil pan. I also never had the oil light come on.

 

Let me get this correct !!

You pulled the engine

Just how did you check the bearings pull the crank measure everything using both inside and outside micrometers.

Do the math

At the least plastic gauge

Just what kind of clearances did you end up with ??

Did you just look and say looks good ??

You did lube the bearings after the inspection ??

The hard part was done main and rod bearings and a crank are not that expensive .

At least you will know how to get the engine out again

 

Any ideas anyone?.............

 

So I discovered what happened, turns out one of the rod caps fell off. Thankfully I have a spare rod, and it did not damage the journal to badly. I already got a set of rod bearings (amazingly the auto parts store had a set) and another head gasket.