So my turbo builds been done for about a month now, and was getting ready to go to the dyno. I have a 1.8 vvt motor, all stock internals, running on ms3 at 5 psi currently. I was on a drive a few nights ago, and while I was doing a pull, i heard the expensive sounds of broken parts in my engine. Was able to make it home, and when I drained my oil, there was about 8 quarts of black oil/water, no metal chunks to be seen. Just for reference, I had changed the oil right before after a light track day with no water to be seen. I’m getting ready to pull my motor this week, and already ordered a cometic head gasket and arp studs. My best guess right now is that a rod bearing failed. Can anyone give me some more insight on what I should be replacing/ what is ok. I’m hoping I can reuse the vvt head, and if the cylinder walls/piston rings are ok just swap the bearings. If the block/pistons are messed up, I have a friend with a 95 block that I believe should be interchangeable. Should I try and get an endoscope to check the cylinder walls before I pull the engine? Is there any chance the issue isnt in the bottom end? Probably wishful thinking, but figured I’d ask for some help.

 

How do you get 8 quarts of not milkshake out of the pan? Is it water thin and reeks of gas?

I would be doing a compression test.

 

Not sure exactly how much it was, but significantly more than normal amount. Did not smell like fuel at all, but very thin. I run straight distilled water for coolant. I know the head gasket is 100% blown, so I don’t think compression test will be that useful. Compression test before turbo was good on all 4 cylinders though.

 

Ask yourself where the water(?) came from. One thing you can be sure of, it didn't come from a rod bearing. Maybe it came from the blown head gasket leaking water into an oil gallery, it might be leaking into the combustion chamber, but a 'significantly' elevated fluid dump from the sump sounds more like a hole in the water jacket to me.

Only one way to find out ...

BTW, driving on after noises start id a good way to turn a bad situation worse. It's a bit late now, but best advice is to park it and trailer it home. I blew a heater hose off, drove about 5 klicks at 110/120 pumping coolant out, coolant everywhere in the engine bay when I eventually stopped. Trailered it home, filled up again, it started immediately and has driven thousands of klicks since. I was lucky to get away scot free, but it might have made some difference to your damage bill.

 

Noise started literally less than a minute down the street from my house, and coasted down the hill most of the way back. I’m assuming water started entering the oil some time during the 30 minute drive, and when something broke (possibly rod bearing), that was because the oil was so watered down and wasn’t lubricating/cooling enough.