well i just purchased a 92 cavalier z24 with 205000 k on it for $1700,well it ran great i did plugs and wires on it,then i took it for a 4 hour road trip 20 mins away from where i had to go i noticed the oil pressure dropped a couple pounds,than the temp went up a couple degrees than i heard a god awful knocking,i think its a lifter or bend pushrod,what are the most usual internal parts to go cuz i drove it to camp and i have to drive it back home so i need to know what to buy for it to hopefully cure this problem,thanks for any help

You paid $1700 for a 1992 cav with 205,000 miles?




Sold 6/30/06.

OK, I think I can help you find out where on the engine your knock is...

At idle, count the number of knocks you hear in a 60 second period. If the number is approx equal to the number of RPM shown on the tach (should be about 900 or so), then there is a good chance of the knock coming from your bottom end (crank or main bearings, rod bearings, etc.). If the number of knocks is about half of the RPM, then that would likely indicate a top end (cam, lifter, valve) problem. This is of course, assuming there is only one knocking part, which could be incorrect, but at least its a start.

The theory is that you have a four stroke engine, so for every rotation of the crankshaft, the cam is making 1/2 rotation (it takes 2 up-down cycles for each cylinder to make a complete combustion cycle) since each set of valves needs to open only once per cylinder combustion cycle.

Either one is going to be expensive, but at least you will know what to look into. Just a wild guess, but I would think if you lost oil pressure, then it would be in the bottom end, but I can't be sure.

With that many miles on the car, it would probably be a good idea to rebuild the whole thing if funds allow, no matter where the problem is.


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When American astronauts first went into space, they discovered their pens wouldn't write. So the government spent $30 million to develop a pen they could use in space........ The Russians used a pencil.

all you got to do is a compression test, That will let you know what kind of condition youre engine is in. If the bottom end is shot, either you get a complete rebuild motor or a used motor from the Junk yard. Sometimes you can get a good deal on a used motor with low Km's.

Good Luck.

ya ill try that after work today,it has 205000 kilometers on it,so if its either im pretty much screwed for limpin it home cuz a tow truck from here would be more expensive than a motor,i might limp it till it blows and tow it from there,ill let you guys later what i figured out

i still cant get over the fact you paid that much for it

That's only about 122k miles. Have you checked the oil level/color? Like stated before if it's about 8 knocks a second it's topend, about 15 a second is bottomend. Also doesn't hurt to listen to if it's louder under the hood or under the car. A good ear could even tell you which cylinder it is.

Your oil filter may have collasped, if you haven't changed the oil since you got it god only knows how old the oil or filter are.


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'96 Cavalier Good ol' Pushrod 2.2
-24X,000 miles on factory build
-Some oil loss between changes, me thinks it be rings.

127,305mi...

but still:
KBB w/ standard features @ fair condition = $775

And with problems it's probably not in the best of shape.

Sorry I can't really help you with the problem. I'd try to drive it back and then get a new motor.




Sold 6/30/06.

ya but in canada those things still go for abit,but it came with a stereo tint alarm and the body is in great shape and its fully loaded,the motor ran fine,the oil was change before i bought it it still had the sticker on it there was no metal shavings in it,its weird but i guess with that kind milage on it it was bound to happen

Like 92z said, I noticed cars up Here in Canada are more expensive then US, A 96-97 2.2L cavalier with 250,000 kms sells for $2500 to $3500 cdn easy. Now in the US looking around $750- $1400. Like I say Canada is over priced on stuff.

If you plan on limping it as far as possible, i have heard that if you add some 80w-90 gear oil to the engine oil, it will "pad" the knock if it is in a bearing surface (it could be in other things, too) for a short time. Also, the lower rpm you keep it at and the more softly you accelerate, the better chance you have of getting farther. I have never personally tried the gear oil trick, but several people have told me they were able to make a dead engine live another 500 miles or so on it just to get it home.

This is still by no means an optimal solution, even if it does work. Attempting to drive it may get you stranded in the middle of nowhere, so you would need to plan ahead by pricing tow trucks, making sure you have cell phone reception, etc. Another suggestion would be to pay a friend with a truck $20 plus gas to tow you and go rent a towing trailer for the day. Should be cheaper than an actual tow truck, and there's less chance of getting stranded...


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When American astronauts first went into space, they discovered their pens wouldn't write. So the government spent $30 million to develop a pen they could use in space........ The Russians used a pencil.