I'm not an "expert trained" mechanic, just someone who enjoys working on the car (even enjoys rebuilding the motor if it wasn't for the money part), but being someone who has also had that "little bit of coolant" in his oil before, it cost me more than 4 rebuilds and many THOUSANDS of dollars because I didn't do it RIGHT the first time. I chalked it up to an EXPENSIVE learning experience. You see, you can shake the motor on the stand like it was full of mexican jumping beans (anyone remember them?
), and blow it out with compressed air, even perform a exorcism on it. But that water contamination is still in all those oil passages inside the block. You can't blow them out with the bearings installed!! And God can't even help you if any damage was done to the bearings and those small bearing fragments are in those passages (this stuff all happened to me). I can't believe you wouldn't change the bearings out with the motor out of the car already. It's a simple job and doesn't take but a couple hours and it's cheap. Damn, EVERY time I take the motor out of the car from now on, I will be changing the bearings just to be 'safe'. Now I know you have taken your father's advise, and this doesn't affect me in ANY way, but just sharing my personal experience. I got water in my oil (leaking intake manifold gasket) in 1996. I kept changing out wiped bearings (with motor in car) until last summer (2001) when I finally tore the motor out and tore it down and brought the block to have it dipped and cleaned.
Some parts ruined during this time period due to my ignorance include :
COUNTLESS Bearings
Turbo Crank
2 intake manifolds (cracked because of taking them on and off so often)
Countless little problems like stripped and heli-coiled bolt holes
Damaged rods
My MARRIAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just letting you know...... I almost just gave up on the car, but did it RIGHT finally, and she runs GREAT!
Derrick
