Clunking in the oil pan!

[grandprixgtp_91]

HI i just did the timing in my brothers 91 GTP automatic, and i just did a stock timing job and i did the back cam without taking off the cam carrier! well anyways i did the timing and fixed the oil leak and it ran awesome! well that was on saturday. now today i purged the injectors and changed the oil and we weer driving it and the engine started clanging really bad and really loud. it sounded like it was comming from the back cam carrier but when i used my stethascope i found out it was comming from the oil pan. what could this be? i tihnk maybe rod bearings or a broken piston. well ive got until monday to fix it. so i might just be taking the motor from my 5 speed GTP and dropping it in his! and input would be great. thanks

Jake

[grandprixgtp_91]

Can somebody please tell me something. anything i dont care how big of a guess it is! i need to find out if i can fix it soon or if im gonna have to change the motor!Thanks!

Jake

[RacerX11]

My guess is bad rod bearing. Has your oil pressure dropped? You are probably going to at least have to drop the oil pan and take a look. Bottom end noises are usually expensive.

Marty

[bud36light]

whats the oil look like? Since you just changed it should look really good. Coolant? Transmission fluid? Check the easy least expensive stuff first.

[grandprixgtp_91]

the oil actually doenst look that good even though i just changed it. i drained a little bit of oil to see if that solved it, but no success. i think it is gonna be way to much work to drop the oil pan. and no my oil pressure doesnt drop to low. when its cold on an idle the needle is almost at the top and when it warms up on an idle the needle sits right above the orange zone at the bottom, but my other GTP was about the same. do you guys think that maybe fixing the oil leak screwed something up with the drive or the pump? and also the noise dosnt happen all the time it does it on and off. there is a coolant leak so there is always new coolant so it looks good. the transmissionwas just recently changed and we did all the fluid and we checked it it seems alright. i dont think the tranny is shot and if it is im gonna be pissed.we did do a port and polish on the intake and plenum but that isnt that much. but the noise seems to definatly be comming from the oil pan and its very loud, by the sounds of it , it sounds like a rod broke or something thats how bad it is, but if a rod broke it would do it all the time right? oh well any more help is apreciated!Thanks!

Jake

[grandprixgtp_91]

anyone?

[jmgtp]

well if you want any guess... maybe theres a possibility that its the throw out bearing for the clutch release. Does it do it regardless of clutch engaged or disengaged? Does the car stall or sputter when you disengage the clutch (ie toasted thrust bearing)?

[RacerX11]

Could be the chain that runs the idler shaft. I am assuming this is the same type of silent-link chain used for the OHV cam drive? If so, I had one stretch on my 2.8 and it started knocking against the timing cover. It sounded exactly like a rod knock. I took it apart, and found a stretched chain.

Marty

[pontiac92gp]

well if you want any guess... maybe theres a possibility that its the throw out bearing for the clutch release. Does it do it regardless of clutch engaged or disengaged? Does the car stall or sputter when you disengage the clutch (ie toasted thrust bearing)?

He as an automatic .. do autos have throw out bearings ?

[jmgtp]

whooopsy! youre right! no TO bearing for the auto... I just looked at his sig and saw "getrag" and overlooked that he posted was his brothers auto trans!

[grandprixgtp_91]

im gonna unbolt the tourqe converter and see if it still does it, and if it does then its time for another tranny. ive already replaceds the timing chain less than a year ago so i dont think its that.

Jake

[ryan.hess]

Good luck to you... but it sounds like you spun a bearing (i've seen them go, and the oil pressure still be good). It should be noted that those stethoscopes lie.. I had a horrible screeching noise on my grand am, traced it to the alternator with my mech. stetho., and turned out to be the AC clutch.. whoda thunk it

[grandprixgtp_91]

shit i hope i didnt spin a bearing. oh well time to drop out the motor, i already got the motor out of my other GTP so it shouldnt take long now, by the way is there anything i should do when i put this 5 speed motor into this automatic? the only diffenece i know of for hook up is there is a vaccum line that runs to the tranny on the auto and on the 5 speed it goes to the fender. anything else i should do? Thanks.

Jake