Car Question

My oil light came intermittently since monday, a few hundred miles short of my oil change, and I figured I'd wait a day or two since I didn't have a day off and last night the car started rumbling loud and just stopped while I was driving. I checked the oil and it was low, so I walked to WM and bought some oil and waited a few and tried to start it up. It turned over, but as soon as I let off the gas it died and smoked.

Today I walked back to where it was and the arm that pumps the piston was hanging down. I took it out and it was snapped. There was also a rod, likely the rod through the piston which connects to that arm. There were some other shredded metal pieces under the car too.

I know I did more damage by driving the car the half mile or so back home, but my question is, how much damage is likely done? Could I be lucky enough to only need one piston and assembly replaced? Did I likely crack a cylinder? Are more pistons likely damaged too?

I can buy a new piston and arm and stuff on eBay for around $100 and have a friends dad who works at a garage and is ok with me bringing my own parts, but is it even worth it?

start looking at a new engine.l you just fried yours. sorry man. but check the wreak yards, they make used rebuilts with 30-60 day warranties for reasonable. I was able to get one for my 94 ranger for 700 bucks and this is in california.
if your rod is broke and your arm this means the piston wall on at least one cylinder is fuc*ed up. Since your pistons work in a pattern by throwing it off when one snapped this means realisticaly all are jacked too. Its going to cost you more to rebuild this one then it will to buy a new engine.

future lesson, keep a quart of oil in your trunk. if the oil light comes on it means its low and pull over and drop it in.

Originally Posted by bluebikerboy1

start looking at a new engine.l you just fried yours. sorry man. but check the wreak yards, they make used rebuilts with 30-60 day warranties for reasonable. I was able to get one for my 94 ranger for 700 bucks and this is in california.
if your rod is broke and your arm this means the piston wall on at least one cylinder is fuc*ed up. Since your pistons work in a pattern by throwing it off when one snapped this means realisticaly all are jacked too. Its going to cost you more to rebuild this one then it will to buy a new engine.

future lesson, keep a quart of oil in your trunk. if the oil light comes on it means its low and pull over and drop it in.

Exactly what I thought. Thanks for confirming it.

Originally Posted by RuckusJr

Exactly what I thought. Thanks for confirming it.

besides labor to drop another engine in is alot less money then a rebuild.

omg im so sorry man, its definetly toast though that cylinder walls going to be shot like BikerBoy said not to mention all the extra metal parts inside that are broken and were flailing around in there. Try to get a replacement motor if you can, and good luck :-/

Dang, sorry man. Not really a good time of year to blow a motor.

Originally Posted by manicmotive

Dang, sorry man. Not really a good time of year to blow a motor.

Well I'm in AZ, so its still 70, lol. I found salvaged motors on eBay from 525-900 shipped. I don't know what I'll be getting though, so I'm kinda leery of it.

Wait, how did you see the piston rod? You had to have done some disassembly...what kind of car is it?

Originally Posted by PitViper

Wait, how did you see the piston rod? You had to have done some disassembly...what kind of car is it?

ive blown a motor before where the top of the block came off and you can see the rod and such. it can be done :(

Originally Posted by RuckusJr

Well I'm in AZ, so its still 70, lol. I found salvaged motors on eBay from 525-900 shipped. I don't know what I'll be getting though, so I'm kinda leery of it.

crack open your yellow pages and look under vehicle dismantlers and recyclers. you should be able to keep it local with a long block and have a warranty. Just a thought