My dad died and I have his truck. Developed "thumping" noise...checked oil, transmission fluid...OK. Noticed oil pressure was low, brake light, check gauges light flashed. Talked with a friend who knows a mechanic. Mechanic said needs new motor or crank "something" done (can't remember the words). He has suggested a "used" or "rebuilt" motor. Tune of $1200 plus. This truck is about 15 years old. I'd like to keep it. Has only about 90,000 miles and is in pristine shape. Does this price sound reasonable? Should I get another mechanic to have a look? Any help appreciated. My knowledge is limited!!
When do you hear thumping noise?? While moving or while sitting still revving motor. It could be a u-joint, which you would hear and feel while driving.
Thumping truck... U-joints dont cause low oil pressure. New motor sounds about right. You could try to rig it by putting STP oil treatment or Motor Honey in with the oil, to quiet it down. But I'd take it straight up to TAG auto, or have them tow it. Good luck.
With a used engine you never know what your going to get and (sooner than later) you'll be dealing with issues again. If its a truck you plan on keeping I would suggest you look at installing a Jasper engine. They come with a 3 year 100,000 mile warranty parts and labor. Their pretty affordable as well. You can call Jasper Engines directly for a price. Good luck!
If you'd like a good honest second opinion, take it to Carwell Auto. He's in Clayton on Crooked Creek Rd., just off Ranch Rd. Jeff is the owner of the shop and he is super honest, a very nice guy, and they have a good shop. We've been using them since we bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee 5 yrs ago. The Jeep had been previously serviced and worked on there, so we tried them and are glad we did. We have turned several neighbors onto them too. They've worked on my Nissan car, my Mitsubishi & the Jeep GC. Just a couple weeks ago my Jeep was making horrible noises in the front end, he could have told me it needed new rotors on the brakes, or a whole new axel or driveshaft... I would have said OK... but he looked at it, road tested it, added differential fluid and the noise quit. For his time and a synthetic oil change, I was out of there for $80. Talk about a blessing for what could have been a disaster in a very broke (moneywise) week after Christmas. 2010 Crooked Creek Rd, Clayton 553-7612
I never said u joints cause low oil pressure shadetree, I was merely given him an accurate opinion on what else may cause a thumping noise prior to spending 1200 on a motor. Process of elimination.
Thanks for all the help. I had it towed to a local shop. The thumpinging noise was constant with the motor running either in drive, neutral or park. Mechanic is advising new motor. What a way to start a new year..but it could be worse. Now, for a dumb question..if the motor is replaced could there have been damage anywhere else caused by low oil pressure? I forgot to ask after the shock of replacing the motor. Sometimes I think I'm just a dumb woman who shouldn't be driving something that she doesn't understand anything about! LOL!
Truck... Back in the old days I'd say have the motor rebuilt, its always nice to keep stuff original. But nowadays its cheaper, easier & you get a warranty with a crate motor. Other than specialty stuff, my days of rebuilding engines are over. Good luck, post how it turns out. Thanks for the compliment Monkey, where I come from the shadetree mechanic is "Tha Man".
See if the mechanical can tell you what caused the low oil pressure. Years ago I had the engine on a vehicle blow out because of low oil pressure. Turns out a quickie oil chang place I took it to in Raleigh used the wrong size oil filter causing all my oil to leak out. I had to fight them but they ended up paying for the new engine.
No such thing as a free kitten It is worth mentioning that any vehicle not been driven on a regular basis may require repair to all systems involving seals, gaskets, and electrical contacts. Those are the kind of repairs that will nickel and dime the average shade tree mechanic and break those relying solely on the local mechanic. If I were in your position, I would crunch the number to see if the free truck was worth the effort in the long run. Add the cost of the crate engine plus at least $1000.00 per year in unforeseen storage related repairs. Sentimental issues aside, it won't take long before the 15 year old truck becomes a costly burden. Also, I can't imagine the project being an immediately reliable success with the engine change alone. There are going to be other issues that eat into your budget. The numbers are even worse if you are dealing with any make other than GM or Ford (both have cheap parts, lots of mechanics, and great crate engine programs) Good Luck
I know how to put gas in a car, check oil and transmission fluid and have changed one tire in my entire life...dumb question....what is a crate engine?? Mechanic said he could order a motor through Advance Auto with a 3 year warranty and unlimited miles...that last sounded a little strange unless they think the truck will fall apart before the motor goes! This is a Chevy truck that was my Dad's pride and joy. It has been a good truck with very few problems except needing a new radiator (Dad kept careful records). I think it might be worth the money envolved if I have it repaired. (Key word there is "think.") Its a good driving truck and I'd like to keep it, so I'm going for the repairs. Hoping I've made the right decision. Thanks, y'all. I'll keep you posted on how things go.
A crate engine is built by the manufacturer is meets all of the tolerances and quality standards intended. Anything else is likely a re-build from God knows where. The latest trend is that most parts and rebuilds are sourced from China. You get what you pay for. That's especially true with Advance Auto. The factory built engines are so much better that I'm surprised that a meticulously cared for GM engine would develop a terminal bearing/rod knock at 90K. If it were me, I'd search high and low for a reliable diagnosis before I spent the first dime. Once you start the project there''s no turning back. It's a lesson that all shade tree types have to learn the hard way. PS- I second the Carwell recommendation.
Got the truck back this morning and it runs great. Purrs like a kitten, no knocks and everything seems OK. Hopefully it will last a while longer!! Thanks for all the help and advice. If there is a problem, I'll be sure to let you all know!
