oil leak...possible damage????

[otisringle]

I crashed my truck the other night and one of the bumper bolts poked a hole in the oil cooler, I did not know this at the time until the next morning. I drove the truck about 10 miles with the oil leak and when I cheaked the dip stick there showed no oil.I was wondering if this could have damaged the engine at all. The truck is in the shop right now getting body work done, and I was wondering if there is anythn ig I can do to cheak for possable damage. Any suggestions?

 

[78Suburban]

Do you hear any clacking coming from the bottom end now? I would try to fix the oil cooler, change the oil and filter, maybe twice (run it between changes) and see what happens. Its certainly not good for an engine, but I wouldn't give up on the motor just yet. Listen to your oil pan as it runs... hopefully the main bearings are all still good. I'm not the most knowledgable motor person around, so just wait around, I'm sure somebody who knows alot will chime in soon.

 

[1979jimmy350]

fill it back up and run it, if you hear noises from the crank case you might have messed up some of your bearings

 

[BranndonC]

yeah, crap could have easily gotten in the engine, and crap = no more workie, so change the cooler, change the oil, and make sure to listen for engine noises. Make sure you put some in before you drive it anywhere though. I dont know how it'll stay in with the leak though, but you dont wanna drive oil-less

 

[otisringle]

The shop that the truck is at are a bunch of A-Holes, They wont change the oil for me and they wont let me change it there. They are just gonna add in a few quarts and thats it. Should I start it up and drive it out of the lot then change the oil out on the street? Or is it ok to drive it about a quarter mile to my friends house then change it there?

 

[78Suburban]

how big is the hole in the oil cooler? is it spewing out, or just trickling out? I would probably fill it up with oil, drive it out to the parking lot, install a new oil cooler and top it off for good measure. Then I would drive it to the buddies house and change the oil/ filter again.

 

[otisringle]

I forgot to mention that the shop is replacing the oil cooler. The hole that was in it was about the size of a dime perhaps a little smaller, but it was oddly shaped. Im not sure if it poured out or trickled out, it was a bad night lots of rain and hail, didnt get out and cheak the damage just drove straight home. I get the truck back in a few days, its just hard waiting and wondering what the possible damage can be to the engine after spending 2000 on body work. But insurance is paying for it.

 

[1985_K5_Silverado]

Did the oil pressure gauge show any loss in pressure? I know my eyes do a quick sweep over all the gauges (I love gauges ) whenever I'm at a stoplight or every few minutes on a stretch of straight road. Or any time the truck makes an unusual noise. Or startup and right before shutdown. Maybe it was just a slow leak and you retained adequate oil pressure.

 

[nemesis_pyros]

Ya did you have oil pressure?? My dad use to wait untill the oil pressure gauge showed 0 when you went around a corner to put oil in it . He also just put used oil in it from all the other vehicles oil changes. It was a bagged out 305 and we were waiting for it to blow so we could put the 350 in it, but it ran like that for 2 or 3 years before a rod bearing went.

The same motor the weekend before it died ran out of oil and started making a squeeking noise, 0 oil pressure. So we pulled over and filled her back up with oil. Ran great all day while we where hunting but the next weekend when we went out it started knocking really bad.

Now like was stated, what happend to you is not good for the motor but if you didn't hear any noise I'd fix the oil cooler throw oil in it and see how it runs. Pull it on the street and do your repairs immediatly and do an oil change soon after. If you engine was damaged in the accident insurance might pay to fix it. I'm not sure how good your insurance company is but it may be an option.

 

[otisringle]

I wish insurance would pay for it!!! They didnt think the truck was worth that much and wanted to total it because of a little frontend damage, but I wouldnt let that happen. They cut me check for 2000 to fix the front end and Im stuck with fixing the rest on my own. Im not sure if there was enough oil pressure or not, I failed to look at the gauges, I was extreamly pissed off at what happend and was pre occupied with yeilling and screaming profanities.

Anyone know if its possible to mount a 87 Blazer smittybilt bumper on a 1990 blazer???? Would I have to rebuilt the mounts for it to fit or will it bolt on the existing holes??????