So I now have had my Lexus 5sp Sc300 for about 4 months now.

I originally bought this car and gave up my Evo. The car needed a clutch so, that's not biggie. Come to find out the car has a rod knock...Great. So I throw a clutch in to see how far I can get away with the engine knock. I got 30miles.
Pow, hole in the block. So now I shop around for another motor cause I can't afford the gte swap. I find a engine for $500 bucks and it comes out of a running car that was wrecked. I hear the motor run, runs perfect. So now me not being familiar with the car was going to have my ex boss do it for me and a shop. He doesn't have time so, 2.5 months later I decide I can read instructions and do it myself and save money. Well, I started on the car last week and got the motor out of the car. While removing the motor, I find that the motor mount is shot. So that's it for that weekend. I get a motor mount out by friday thanks to zegnaguy. I go down this morning. Put in the pilot bearing, resurfaced flywheels, motor mounts. The motor goes in.

The car starts, work out a few kinks like vacuum lines etc... The car runs smoothly after fixing it. It took us about 30-40 min of the car running to find it. It's fixed, I drive it though the car wash and now it's time for dinner. I take a short drive down to Carl Jr's but, leave my wallet in my Galant. So I head back mind you, the car is running perfect. I get back to the shop, put gas in the car and find out that I left my damn card at home. No money. So my ex boss spots me. I get in the car to go and pick up the food and I start the car only to hear a ****ing rod knock. No way I thought, this couldn't be happening. I shut it off and start it back up and it's louder than ever.

Conclusion/vent. I've had my car for 4 months and have driven it for a total of 45min. It really upsets me. I bust *** to get the motor swap done. Did it pretty much all by myself aside from having help to drove the motor on the mounts. And I drive the car for about 2 miles and the same damn deal.

I don't really know what to do. It's just money wasted.

I'm done now. I just had to vent.

 

Need to make sure you didn't push the oil pan up when swapping the motor. Could be starving it.

 

Wait.... how does a perfectly running motor just start knocking out of hte blue like that? This is the most bizzarre story I've ever read on here.

 

The oil pan is fine. To my understanding, once it's knocking it's pretty much done for?

 

OK then, if it is not starving for oil how does a perfectly running motor start knocking out of the blue 45 minutes after a swap?

 

I agree bizarre. I took every precaution, triple checked everything. I drove it on the street.

??????

 

That's crazy, 2Js are reliable, I drive the **** out of mine daily and haven't had any issues yet...you sure you're putting enough oil in it and stuff? That's nuts.

 

you got the lemons

 

Plenty of oil. Seriously, it's as unbelieveable as it sounds.

I'm just pissed I put in that much time with no results.

 

that sucks dude...sounds like u need to go back to where you got the motor and do some investigating. I have a rod knock too...sucks..but im getting a new motor put in as we speak....but I really hope this doesnt happen to me...knock on wood. But thats weird mines a 92 5 speed...so yea

 

"I find a engine for $500 bucks and it comes out of a running car that was wrecked"

if you paid a bit more from gspeed you could of got one from them and they give you a 90 day warranty..... some times trying to save money doesn't in the long run......thats why warranties kick *** but it is very very odd that after 45 min you get rod knock... if the motor was shot it would of done it right when you fired it up

 

How much are they from gspeed?

That's what pisses me off the most that it worked. While trying to fix the vacuum. The car just ran. Perfect idle after it was fixed. The only thing was I need an exhaust gasket by the tranny. That was it and to replace some light bulbs.

 

wow that is really weird, there has to be something else thats happening...

 

I agree. But after going over the car. I just don't have a clue. There is nothing on the car the same as the last engine.

 

gspeed is usually around 800-1000 the have a page if you wanna look them up