Ok I am in a pickle with my ole GT. I just got her back in my moms driveway and am trying to weigh my options.

I have a spun crank bearing. As SOON as I heard it tapping, I didn't move my car. I even got a ride home so to not cause further damage.

I have been told that to just replace a bearing it isn't a big deal(if you can find JUST a bearing). But if you have to replace the whole crank set it is 240 for the parts and 400-500 for labor since you have to pull the entire engine and take off the head to pull out the pistons.

The good:

Brand new $220 brake lines
New(used) tranny $650 dollars with less than 100k miles
Brand new $500 snow tires on stock 16s(black ICW Racing 17s going with it for summer)
Water pump 5k miles ago, $300,
Stage 2 clutch kit 30k miles ago
Drilled F1 fiber glass fenders to go with it
Still looks good
New header and dual aftermarket exhaust(less than 2k miles ago)
Plus the rest of the things ive done to the car

The bad:

Leaking fuel tank
Rust on sub frame
Crank
1 HID ballast gone for my custom HID projectors.

What do you guys think my best options are here? I want to buy a winter/job beater truck so I don't have to drive the slowbalt in the winter and to save some miles(ive already put 10k on it) on it. So should I fix it so it drives and sell it or just try to sell/trade as is? I already posted something on my local classifieds site as a feeler and got some people who were interested in trading.
Little cosmetic things like broken track on

ive heard of some having good luck with just swapping in a bearing whereas others have not. its really a gamble either way... but, if you feel like trying it and the crank doesnt show a bunch of wear then id say go for it.

ps, getting the oil pump off the chain and back on again with the crank in the car is a bitch so beware!

Thanks for the heads up! If the crank is bad and I need to remove the engine, I am going to just sell/trade as is and take my loss. The money will go towards either a truck, or 300whp in the slowbalt... but I'll probably get a truck.

My crank is on its second set of bearings...I had it churned down each rebuild. Seems to working ok for now haha

Did you do it yourself or what? How much was the part and how much for labor if you had a garage to do it?

I would never just put bearings in and go. I would do a rebuild or get a junkyard motor to replace it. The crank might be good but will at least need to be polished.



FU Tuning

lol technically... if you are ghetto enough, you CAN use some emery cloth and polish it up inside the car.

you might be considered the ghetto blaster if you do that. hey i have an extra crank polished and bullnosed with cleevite brarings. pm me and if you want it ill give you a price.

and you dont have to pull the head or pistons to change your crank. just pull the motor take off your oil pan and balance shaft oil pump remove your bolts from the rods, then your main bolts and caps. number your caps so you know where they go. use new main bolts its not hard to do buy a manual.

GTmatters wrote:Did you do it yourself or what? How much was the part and how much for labor if you had a garage to do it?

No I would never attempt to build a motor....I had the motor assembled at a reputable shop. As for how much it cost I have no idea, just I paid them $2800 for the entire assemble of my motor.

The problem is is that it isn't really worth 500 dollars in labor to do any of this plus 250-500 for parts. I don't want to be a dick and just put in a bearing for the next unknowing person because regardless I am selling it.

If the car is not worth $500 to you, then sell it as is.

years ago I rebuilt a LD9 using the orginal piston's, rods, cams. Had block hot tanked, rods checked and resized, crank polished, valve job done. installed all new bearing, rings, oil pump, clutch. Had $900 into it with all that. Put another 100k on that motor also.



FU Tuning

I would of done had the engine bolted to the engine stand.

Good luck.

Screaming for Mercy!! wrote:If the car is not worth $500 to you, then sell it as is.

years ago I rebuilt a LD9 using the orginal piston's, rods, cams. Had block hot tanked, rods checked and resized, crank polished, valve job done. installed all new bearing, rings, oil pump, clutch. Had $900 into it with all that. Put another 100k on that motor also.

900 with doing it yourself? And I have like 2 grand in newer parts into it... I hate to not fix it but you gotta know when to stop.

GTmatters wrote:

Screaming for Mercy!! wrote:If the car is not worth $500 to you, then sell it as is.

years ago I rebuilt a LD9 using the orginal piston's, rods, cams. Had block hot tanked, rods checked and resized, crank polished, valve job done. installed all new bearing, rings, oil pump, clutch. Had $900 into it with all that. Put another 100k on that motor also.

900 with doing it yourself? And I have like 2 grand in newer parts into it... I hate to not fix it but you gotta know when to stop.

Yes me and my exfather in law did it. He did get a couple hook ups on valve job, and having the block hot tanked.



FU Tuning

Yeah see I don't have all of the tools to do it myself though I do have almost all of it. I may ask my buddy if he would want to get into a project hahahaha.

I would probably just cut my losses and either sell it or buy another one and use it for parts. Sounds like it does need abit of work and doesn't sound like its worth it. Buy another beater or a truck if you need one, but if it was me, buy 16" rims for the Cobalt and put your new winter tires on it. Not sure why people dont drive their "sporty" FWD cars in the winter. My Cobalt SS was amazing in the snow (I also had the G85 package(LSD)), not sure how big of a differance it makes compaired to the non LSD Cobalts. I Plowed through over a foot of snow, never ever been stuck in it. Here in Alberta, we get winter for 8 months of the year. Just seems like a waste to spend all that money on a newer/nicer car and not even drive it. If its some old muscle car or something that is not really meant for winter, then I can understand but at the end of the day, its just a FWD compact car.


2000 Cavalier Z24 5spd - Intake, Dynomax muffler, Hawk Pads, Powerslot rotors, Sportlines/Koni reds, Neon Coil, MSD 8.5 Wires
2005 Mazda 3 GS Auto- Wifes car
2006 Cobalt SS/SC - Intake, 2.5" Exhaust, GMPP Brakes, Solid Mounts, Ported S/C - Sold
1991 GMC Sierra - Lifted on 38.5" Swampers, Too much to list off. For Sale

Lol the point is I DO drive my Sporty FWD car. In fact, I already put officially over 10k miles on it since I have owned it. THATS the problem. I would rather not put 25k miles on my car in a single year considering I have to sit on it for 4 years.

Plus I LOVED my sunfire in the winter with my snow treads. A good set of snow tires make the vehicle in the winter, even with trucks. So it's not like I am worried about that but yes you are right it will PLOW the snow and the paint and clear will start rubbing down on my front lip kit and stuff just like the side skirts on my sunfire from the friction against the snow.

But yeah cutting my losses at this point with the sunfire is probably the best option. I am getting it taken to a licensed mechanic to take off my oil pan and have him give me the official word though.

To each their own I guess, I put about 40k km's/year on my SS and would not regret it, Was paying $500/month for it plus another +450/month for insurance, seemed like a waste of money in my eyes to park it and drive a beater around.... The car that I bought for over $30000 (Canadian) back in 2006 now sells for less then 10000. Due to my financial situation , I had to return my car to GM but if I still owned it I would have enjoyed driving it for almost 200k km's before it became an "older/outdated" car. When I first bought it, people would ask me what kind of car it was(it was de badged) but now everyone knows what a cobalt looks like. Not knocking cobalts or anything, just saying... They lose their value so quickly, to me, it makes since to get the most out of a nicer/newer car. I dont mind seeing cheap low mile cars that are only a few years old though....seen a mint Black 2009 SS/TC, fully loaded, 3 sets of tires/rims, like 10000km I think for $16000, was listed few months ago for 25000 and keeps dropping the price.....
Also, I think my SS took a bigger beating in the summer with all the rough roads and pot holes, I dont think the snow really does much to a car, salt is another story though.



2000 Cavalier Z24 5spd - Intake, Dynomax muffler, Hawk Pads, Powerslot rotors, Sportlines/Koni reds, Neon Coil, MSD 8.5 Wires
2005 Mazda 3 GS Auto- Wifes car
2006 Cobalt SS/SC - Intake, 2.5" Exhaust, GMPP Brakes, Solid Mounts, Ported S/C - Sold
1991 GMC Sierra - Lifted on 38.5" Swampers, Too much to list off. For Sale

Yeah I hear yea and understand some of your points. Regardless, I want another vehicle that is 4X4.

I just got done doing a rebuild on an LD9 with a spun bearing. Two bearings actually.

I have about $750 into it including the $240 for the crank, $85 for new oil pump, new water pump, all new seals and gaskets, hot tanking, getting the new oil pump drive gear pressed on paint, assembly lube, locktite. Everything.

I was lucky enough to have access to 2 good pistons/rods from the same year motor.


Having the tools and knowledge is the biggest benefit since you can do it yourself. If you have to pay, I image the cost would be 2-3x as much.

The guy I did the motor for was quoted $1900 plus parts from a shop to rebuild it. With me doing it, he was out less than a grand total.


"Oil Leak ? What oil Leak ? Oh, Thats Just The Sweat From All The HorsePower!!"

Yeah.... I will figure it out eventually. I will probably just trade it as is for a 4x4.