Help installing bearings

[tezzz]

I bought this gj s.e. auto sigma wagon '84 job . I drove it from adelaide to western vic in that big heatwave some months ago. Unfortunately i drove it up mt barker road in 2nd (auto l 2 d r speed) at 100kph. it conked out at the top of the hill. I had just bought it and was getting it home. I realised i hadn't put additive in the petrol.
I did this and continued home at 80kph aircon not working. Everthing was ok . so a couple of weeks later I drove it around the block and the oil light came on, the engine was hot enough i couldn't touch the dipstick.
I figure the bearings are gone, but would the crankshaft need grinding or could i get away with sticking a std set or next size up big end bearings. there is no grinding or knocking from the engine it runs smoothly.
IT has only done 68,000 k.
I have to work outside on a concrete slab so I dont want to dismantle it until the last minute in case it rusts while I'm waiting for parts. I live well out of town.
Any clues anybody? can I do with the engine still in the car?
What are bearing worth?
Thanks

[Rally_2.6LC]

bearings are readily available on ebay.
just because the oil light came on doesnt mean the bearings are stuffed....if you drove it around for a while with the oil light on then the bearings might be stuffed.

If the bearings are stuffed when you drive it there is a loud tapping noise like a midget stuck inside ur engine with a big hammer trying to get out. If this sound is present then the bearings are stuffed and you will have to pull it apart and change them.

What I would do to determine if the bearings are stuffed (if they are this wont hurt the engine anymore) would be to do an oil change (filter and oil) and then turn the car on let it run for a while and listen for the banging sound. If no banging is present drive it up and down the street and listen for any noises. Dont thrash it but get the revs up past 2500 RPM at least and it should be noticeable.


Should ur bearings be stuffed you dont need to pull the engine out to change them, however u need to check the crank and rod of the bearing that was stuffed. If they are black, scored or disfigured you will probably need to get the crank checked.....this involves pulling the engine out.



Cheers Matt

[Torana68]

if the rods are gone the mains will be gone , put a pressure gauge on it and see if there is any pressure before you pull anything apart and buy a workshop manual
you dont need any fuel additive.

[81GL]

so a couple of weeks later I drove it around the block and the oil light came on, the engine was hot enough i couldn't touch the dipstick.

Are you sure your cooling system is working??? If the engine is getting that hot the oil will thin out and yes, pressure will drop off.

Have you got an after market temp gauge?

Nick.

[tezzz]

It's a g j by the way.
I did an oil change and filter change and put it castrol? magnetic oil but it made no difference.
Why would I need an after market temp gauge? The car is stock standard.
I think i'll take the sump off anyway and have a look first.
Last time I did this was on a morris minor fifty odd years ago, things where simpler then, it
even had a switch under the bonnet to start the engine.
I fiddled with the carby to tune it a bit, it was ok before then.
I'll check the water pump see if it's working.
The car has container of a fuel additive for valve lubrication and has a wide filler pipe not an unleaded orifice.

My next problem is the aircon but i'll leave that til ive fixed this.
thanks for the info everybody.

[75wagon]

tezzz to my knowledge (in other words til someone proves me wrong), Mitsubishi have been running hardened valve seats in their engine since the late 60's. You won't have a problem from valve burn in your motor. So you wont need fuel additive for valve lubrication.
I don't use it in my Galant Wagon, never have.

Anyone else have an opinion on this?

[tezzz]

your not wrong , it's just that i found 2 bottles of additive in the boot and assumed it needed the stuff.
My wife used to have a magna and that didn't need it.

[tezzz]

Righto!
I bought a set of main bearings 5M1139 std some time ago and now the weather is warming up I thought I'd get stuck in.
When I took the first bearing out it was Quite clean, no burn or anything. Still I thought I'd go ahead. When I compared shells the new one was a lot bigger than the one I took out. In fact you could fit one neatly inside the other. I checked the box and the label states Main bearing 4G52, 4G54 - 77-.
The engine number is M531S 36114. Which is Astron 2.6 litre auto 1985? silent shaft north south. But..... under the starter motor on the engine block where the model number is it says 24A4. It's supposed to say 4G54 . Any clues anyone?The vin num is GJ 2P45 RB06 0088etc which is 2.6 litre auto wagon 1984 feb 06.
The conrod bearing are clean and no burns.
i have the workshop manual and it is no help on this. I wonder if this is from a different model. I've googled 24A4 with no
results.

[C_Fernance]

There are 2 different sized mains available. The smaller (60mm) is most common. I've never seen the larger (66mm) myself.

[tezzz]

Well I just measured them and they are about 70mm across the ends.

But nowhere in the manuals does it mention this. Ah well I only paid 20 bucks for them so if anybody wants 'em.....

[trainzkid88]

using a additive such as flash-lube it wont hurt too since the fuels we have today are shit compared to what was available back in the 70's/80's
and the astron 2 started 1985 onwards and were unleaded engines its made for unleaded if it has a cat converter in the bottom of the exhaust manifold. also don't use ethanol blended fuels in them as carbie engines aren't made for it and unleaded engines don't need flash lube.