# Need help broken ka



## 240ethan (Dec 4, 2020)

Hey guys I’m having some trouble with my 250,000+ mile single cam ka s13, I’ve had it for a year now engine completely bone stock, everything was going fine, just some minor maintenance’s and the occasional timing chain rattle but ultimately pretty reliable for how old this car is. I daily it for work but also kind of beat on it and have some fun in the process, so I’ve put a good 25,000 miles of wear and tear on it. My tranny started making some noise I ripped it open and found some bearings were shot so I replaced them along with a synchro kit and seals. Everything was feeling great for a couple months, but one day on my way home from work I pushed it a lil too hard, brought it up to redline and heard it knock. Now ever since it makes a loud rod knock sound and feels a bit sluggish, I’ve asked around and everyone I’ve talked to says it’s not worth it trying to fix this motor, it’s a single cam and the technology is old, I’ve been told I should just be looking for a new dual cam ka. I just wanted to know what u guys would do if u were in my shoes. I’m currently saving up for a new dual cam however I just poured my savings into my tranny so moneys kinda tight rn. If u guys know of any dual cam ka’s pls link them. Also would it b a bad idea to drive it how it is, if I’m already looking for a new engine does it matter, idk lmk. ty sm have a good one


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## Oldcivicjoe (Jun 21, 2021)

Do some research on the swap and what's required, if you dont feel you have the experience needed to pull it off (it's not exactly easy), contact a few shops to see what they will charge, then add $1000, if that final number is out of budget stop driving it immediately and contact a machine shop for a quote on a rebuild of the long block. tell them it has a rod knock and will likely need the valve guides replaced, not refinished for a more accurate price.


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

240ethan said:


> Hey guys I’m having some trouble with my 250,000+ mile single cam ka s13, I’ve had it for a year now engine completely bone stock, everything was going fine, just some minor maintenance’s and the occasional timing chain rattle but ultimately pretty reliable for how old this car is. I daily it for work but also kind of beat on it and have some fun in the process, so I’ve put a good 25,000 miles of wear and tear on it. My tranny started making some noise I ripped it open and found some bearings were shot so I replaced them along with a synchro kit and seals. Everything was feeling great for a couple months, but one day on my way home from work I pushed it a lil too hard, brought it up to redline and heard it knock. Now ever since it makes a loud rod knock sound and feels a bit sluggish, I’ve asked around and everyone I’ve talked to says it’s not worth it trying to fix this motor, it’s a single cam and the technology is old, I’ve been told I should just be looking for a new dual cam ka. I just wanted to know what u guys would do if u were in my shoes. I’m currently saving up for a new dual cam however I just poured my savings into my tranny so moneys kinda tight rn. If u guys know of any dual cam ka’s pls link them. Also would it b a bad idea to drive it how it is, if I’m already looking for a new engine does it matter, idk lmk. ty sm have a good one


You probably ended up with a spun rod bearing. Try not to run the engine to reduce any further damage to the rod journal. If the knock is there during idle, easy enough to find by pulling a plug wire one at a time. If knock goes away during a pull, you've found the bad rod. Drop the oil pan, pull off the rod cap. Use "plastigauge" to determine bearing clearance. This would be a quick fix which works in a lot of cases saving you money and time. A lot of repair shops and Nissan dealers stay away from this method. See picture:


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