1998 Toyota Camry Noisy Reman Engine

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DINKAR
  • MEMBER
  • 9 POSTS
Hello,

I have a 1998 Toyota Camry LE 4 Cyl with 89900 miles. A few days back when I took it for an oil change, the car suddenly stalled when the mechanic took it for a test drive (before doing the oil change).
The car had to be towed back and on preliminary inspection, the mechanic showed me that one of the pistons was misaligned. I was advised to replace the engien and the best option suggested by the shop was to get the long block replaced by a remanufactured one.
I got the job done, including changingt the plugs, timing belt and the water pump.
The final diagnosis - Connecting rod failure due to lack of oil to the rod bearing.
My questions are
1. How could this happen without any indication when the car was running so smoothly all along?
2. The remanufactured engine seems to be more noisy than the original one. What could be the possible corrections I should tell the mechanic?

Thanks in advance for your expertise.

Dinkar
Dec 14, 2006 at 1:44 PM
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CARUNDELL
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 602 POSTS
[quote:2a1a46d908="Dinkar"]Hello,

I have a 1998 Toyota Camry LE 4 Cyl with 89900 miles. A few days back when I took it for an oil change, the car suddenly stalled when the mechanic took it for a test drive (before doing the oil change).
The car had to be towed back and on preliminary inspection, the mechanic showed me that one of the pistons was misaligned. I was advised to replace the engien and the best option suggested by the shop was to get the long block replaced by a remanufactured one.
I got the job done, including changingt the plugs, timing belt and the water pump.
The final diagnosis - Connecting rod failure due to lack of oil to the rod bearing.
My questions are
1. How could this happen without any indication when the car was running so smoothly all along?
2. The remanufactured engine seems to be more noisy than the original one. What could be the possible corrections I should tell the mechanic?

Thanks in advance for your expertise.

Dinkar[/quote:2a1a46d908]

Hey Dinkar
Question one has too many possibilities to answer and with having not seen the vehicle I wouldn't even venture a guess.

Question two those engines have mechanical lifters vice hydraulic lifters and can be quite noisy for some time in a new or reman motor. I've had some that were very "ticky ticky" for a long time (300+ miles) before it quited down. So I would drive it for a while, keep a close eye on oil pressure and level!

Chris

p.s. one remedy I have found that works well is a quality synthetic oil, like mobil 1, ONLY after the break in period though!
Dec 14, 2006 at 8:16 PM

Suggested Repair

Drive the remanufactured engine through break-in and monitor oil level and pressure. Mechanical lifters can tick for 300 or more miles before quieting. After break-in, a quality synthetic oil such as Mobil 1 may help.

Conversation Summary

A 1998 Toyota Camry stalled before an oil change. The shop found a misaligned piston and diagnosed connecting-rod failure from lack of oil to the rod bearing, then installed a remanufactured long block with plugs, timing belt, and water pump. The owner asked why it failed without warning and why the new engine is noisier. The expert declined to guess the failure cause without inspecting the car, and said mechanical lifters can tick for a long time. The advice was to drive it while watching oil pressure and level, then consider synthetic oil after break-in.

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