1996 Saturn SL1 my engine has failed due to a lack of oil.

YTIZZO24

MEMBER
1996 SATURN SL1
6 CYL
2WD
MANUAL
200,000 MILES

There was a loud knocking noise before the engine failed. Due to my engine failing because of a lack of oil, Is it mandatory that I replace the whole engine or can I repair the part (s) thats damaged. I bought the car for $500 bucks so replacing the engine is out of the question for me.

Thursday, January 7th, 2010 AT 6:13 PM

1 Reply

PEAR69

MECHANIC
1,482 POSTS

When an engine fails due to no oil in it, you must tear completely down to determine the extent of the damage. Then you must rebuild everything -- this involves machine work and percision measuring of all clearances -- even then it is not guaranteed that the engine is rebuildable. That is why it is best to replace the entire engine with a new one - or a remanufactured one. Rebuilding your existing engine (now-a-days) is usually not cost effective.
BTW - The parts that are damaged are probably the rods - pistons - crankshaft - camshaft - and the block. Even if the block is good (which I doubt) those parts add up to a replacement engine.

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Friday, January 8th, 2010 AT 1:36 AM