Someone else was driving my car and it cut off on them. It ran hot but the temperature gauge didn't indicate it. They had someone look at it and was told the thermostat wasn't working properly, theref
Asked by Agift4rmgod Nov 27, 2015 at 10:17 PM about the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier Sedan FWD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
The fluids weren't properly getting through
my motor which caused knocking. We were
told my bottom part of my motor is
damaged, however my top part is perfectly
fine. Can someone explain what that means
and do I have to replace the entire mirror or
can it be repaired? Also, what's the price
range something like this will likely cost?
Finally, we were told the car is still drivable
but that will need to be replaced which
makes no sense to me. If the motor is bad,
how is it drivable?
6 Answers
A rod knock means rebuilding the entire engine. Sorry about that.
Driving a car with a rod knock is a bad idea and you can ruin what is left of the engine.
Agift4rmgod answered 8 years ago
so is it cheaper to rebuild the engine or just buy a new motor?
Probably best to buy a crate motor. For an old car like yours a used motor might make sense but it all depends on how long you plan to keep it.
Hi FoR. The information is rather vague and conflicting, but In my opinion you drew the right conclusion.
Is a 97 Cavalier worth the cost of replacing the motor? I don't think so, unless there is something special about your particular car. At some point you have to recognize when it is better to junk an old car rather than trying to keep dumping money into it. A replacement motor from a scrap yard will cost you at least 1K or more. Your car is worth half that. Less, if it needs additional repairs. A crate motor will cost you much more. Unload the car and buy another one.
