i got a 95 cavalier for $150. with a blown 2.2 engine. The guy i bought it from said that it spun the bearings.How do i check to see if this is so? If it is , is it this possible to fix this problem? i plan on building it for a turbo any way,I was just didn't know if by the bearings being spun if i could or not. thanks

drop the oil pan and take a look inside.

Yep pull the pan , check for slop in the rod bearings. If its a bottom end issue 99.9 percent of the time your going to need a crank.
Dont try to just change the bearing, It will not work. Depending on which bearing it is and how long it was ran like that will determine whether you need connecting rods or a line bore done.
If you decide to unbolt the rod caps to see how bad it is, dont switch parts around, nuts go on the same way and the caps go on the same way on the same rod.


01 cav w/01 3400 gam gt 4t45e

thanks for the advice. how can i tell if the motor has been ran for a long time in this shape.

The bearings will be squashed out the sides and there will be a whole lot of slop in the bearing.
Metal pieces stuck in the oil pump pick up tube and screen, plus in the pan.

Actually if the bearing is squashed out at all, the rod and crank are junk.
If you can catch your finger nail in any scratches on the crank, thats a good sign.
If you pull a bearing and see any copper color showing, thats bad.
They should all be silvermetal colored, there may be a couple very fine scratches here and there in the bearing surface but not all scratches.


01 cav w/01 3400 gam gt 4t45e

copper showing isn't bad.. most bearings are made of copper with a aluminium shell, it would only mean the bearing has been there for awhile,it would be a sign of any damage....when you pull the bottom apart index and blue print everything... the pistons do and a top and proper orientation, also what how the bearings come out when you remove the caps.. if the tab that holds the bearing in its journal is gone or the journal is groove its more than likely spun... i can get some pictures to explain better tomorrow at the shop for you to help understand. also a spun bearing will produce blueing...its do to the lack of lubrication when the bearing spins and block the oil passage.

If a main bearing spun find a new block. (you could have it line bored, and turn the crank but it would require special bearings. personally cost wise this isn't a good solution)
If a rod spun, turn or replace the crank depending on how bad it did and replace the rod.

i personally would also recommend investing in a vernier caliper or a nice set of micrometers and bored gauges.

for the price of a 2.2...just grab one..they are free most places lol..

i got a spare 2200 in the shed lol

i personally would also recommend investing in a vernier caliper or a nice set of micrometers and bored gauges.

Now common Corey, these guys are working on their cars in their back yards and carports, What would they need those things for if they didnt already own or work at a machine shop.
The most that they would need is some plastigauge, If they were going to put a new set of bearings into a non knocking engine as preventative maintenance. And still at that, I wouldnt feel comfortable telling them how to do that on here. There are just some jobs and tools that are to be left to professionals.

Besides he just wanted to know how he would tell if it had a spun bearing and if it could be fixed, not a machinist tool shopping list.
Im going to leave it at that.

Shane , Copper showing is bad, the bearing needs replaced , the nickel (not aluminum) plating is the bearing surface not the copper.


01 cav w/01 3400 gam gt 4t45e

everyone should own a vernier lol. you can pick them up at canadian tire for $14 on sale. but as for the bearings i would have to say you are more correct...( i went to a book to lol)but i personally feel that most case when copper is showing on a bearing it is just signs of wear , not damage to the rotating assembly. plastigauge will tell all. lol but i'm out gotta be at work in 7 hours....

Yeah, copper showing is like a car teetering at the edge of a cliff, Its so borderline severe damage that thousandths of an inch are at play. Unless the crank is mic'd, then im going to say bad for this forum's sake.

I would agree with you , they do come in handy if your in the automotive field but most guys wont use them.
Oh yur in canada, well for us that would be like what 20 bucks if not more now since our moneys worth toilet paper now.


01 cav w/01 3400 gam gt 4t45e

Thanks . Im going to a junk yard in a few weeks where u pull ur own parts what should i look for in a motor to tell if its good . im gonna build it up none the less. I just am a noob at looking for the right thing to look for.