Blown Engine

porkandbeans

porkandbeans

best 20 year old car ever
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Car
2003 FX45
It happened.
Over 220,000 miles.
I was planning an engine rebuild due to the burning oil issue which became widely assumed to a worn seals on a tired engine. I still don't know what happened in the last moments, but something broke. Seems like the bottom end, so I'd put my bet on a busted rod. But what caused that?... I don't know. Then whatever chewed up inside caused enough punching pressure to crack the oil pan.
I doubt this block can be rebuilt now, so I'm engine shopping. New and used.
I'd really really like to see the inside of this motor. But depending on which route I go, I very well may never get the chance.

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The oil pan crack is pictured below the wire loom, extending from the bottom side of that protruding boss and follows the line of seeming oil.
 
And SERIOUSLY, if you don't get back on the road... I might want that Red body. Maybe we can work something out.
 
jumbosrule said:
And SERIOUSLY, if you don't get back on the road... I might want that Red body. Maybe we can work something out.
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haha! You got it Brad. You'll be first to know if it goes that way.
I kinda like the thought of that. Your 3rd turbo project FX...
I don't want to give up red, but hmmmm, some kind of trade for Silver?
 
la_fx35 said:
Any sign of any noise before it happens?
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No. No signs as far as symptoms leading up to it, or even a small bang before a bigger boom.
Cruising casually as freeway speed and "crunch bang grind snap clunk". It was loud from inside the car and unmistakably bad sounding. Since I've known of my Chronic Catalytic Internal Corrosion for some time, I hoped that my exhaust had broke apart and fallen forward, lawn darting into the roadway bouncing and clanging every few inches of buttpuckering travel. Not the case. The undercarriage was visually clean and "almost" idled okay. Of course that was over freeway noise and the echoing of my load exhaust. It would very poorly run at this point and sound like a shadetree mechanic had lost a socket or two down the spark plug wells. The drive train felt like a pepper grinder.

I should be able to load a soundclip of the exhaust from a few hundred miles ago. I doubt any true engine noise can be picked up, but maybe a keen ear out there can detect a sticky valve or something. Who knows.
 
I've been doing my shopping and narrowing down my engine options. (in my previous post I mentioned "new and used" choices. What I meant by this was remanufactured with zero miles, or used with whatever miles from the salvaged donor.)
Core charge is looking to be standard around $700. They'll very likely inspect my core return and deduct for any parts not resaleable. Besides the oil pan for sure, the crank and block and whatever else may fall into this category. So, it makes me wonder if I want to keep the broken motor. Are there any easy parts on there that I can resell? Is there much of a market for the heads?
 
My opinion is that keeping the parts will not help that much in the long run, but they will certainly take up space you could otherwise use. I haven't heard of much of a market for these motors because they arent found anywhere else, are they?

If you really need every last penny squeezed out of what you have, parting out is long and tedious. If you can work out a credit deal with whoever does your motor replacement/rebuild, you might be able to negotiate a few hundred off the bill if you offer the dead motor up for parts.

On this and other builds, I've done it both ways and found that keeping the motor isnt really useful unless you have the space and the knowledge it is likely you will be doing this again someday. FX45 owners don't tend to dive into the motor too often, from what I have seen!
 
The assumption is that the motor is not rebuildable. The main reason I would even want to hang onto the engine is to keep the nostalgic "heart" of the car. The real question is whether (or which) key components are scrap. The core return gets me $700 minus what parts don't pass inspection as reusable. (I'd guess at an average of a couple hundred bucks per key part.) I know the pan is bad and then maybe the block and maybe the crank. So let's say I only got $200-$300 for the core return. That's when I almost want to say "why bother" and keep the dead motor. Of course, I wouldn't find out until the motor is already returned.
And then if I got full return value I'd be kicking myself because I should've had it rebuilt instead of swapped.
 
Dang Pork just saw this thread that sucks hope you get her back up and running soon.
At least you have a pretty sweet back up.;)
 
Has to be rotating motor to get core (typically). Side note: can't believe so many of you guys still have FX.☺
 
porkandbeans said:
It happened.
Over 220,000 miles.
I was planning an engine rebuild due to the burning oil issue which became widely assumed to a worn seals on a tired engine. I still don't know what happened in the last moments, but something broke. Seems like the bottom end, so I'd put my bet on a busted rod. But what caused that?... I don't know. Then whatever chewed up inside caused enough punching pressure to crack the oil pan.
I doubt this block can be rebuilt now, so I'm engine shopping. New and used.
I'd really really like to see the inside of this motor. But depending on which route I go, I very well may never get the chance.

View attachment 386421 View attachment 386422 View attachment 386423
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You should ask somebody, you know, to open that engine, and find out, what happened!!! Problem is, you have to "drop" the engine out of the car, and after that open bottom/ oilpan, even before you can open heads! Mine did not blow up "yet" , only 128 000 miles, started to smoke a lot!!! and drink lots of oil too, like a quart per week!!! white smoke, so I know, there is blown head gasket too, maybe piston rings??, bad valve, not really making noises,,,.... so I did rent a garage, got engine already out, opening it soon, will make it 5 litre engine, ordered performance camshafts, got pistons already, will put headers on, new cold intake and "my own plenum", we are looking for about 450-500 HP, after I am done, also got newer , 4 piston brake calipers, and lowering spring kit!! Front bumpercover will be changed to lower/ more aggressive look =)0, you can buy it, it is meant for G35, you have to modify it!! So, my advise for you, keep the car, make a deal with somebody, you can trust??/ to open it, take it out, not easy, you have to know, what you are doing, need some special tools too!! Front driveshaft goes thru the oilpan !!! Then, after engine is opened, make your decision, you can buy brand new short block about $2000, and then it is like new again! Make sure, you change your oil on time, always, and you'll be a happy camper ! I love this car, and mine will be a monster !!! Pictures/ story later here, after I am done =), Good Luck !!!
 
Hey AR,
Could you please keep us posted on your engine build, Photos (Videos if you could), part numbers of the aftermarket parts and brands. I'm still new to this vehicle, but I'm hooked. Picked up a used one late last year and love it. If I can pick up a New one great but if not, I'd like to know what to expect.

Can't wait for the updates guys . . . may all go well.


arcticpt said:
You should ask somebody, you know, to open that engine, and find out, what happened!!! Problem is, you have to "drop" the engine out of the car, and after that open bottom/ oilpan, even before you can open heads! Mine did not blow up "yet" , only 128 000 miles, started to smoke a lot!!! and drink lots of oil too, like a quart per week!!! white smoke, so I know, there is blown head gasket too, maybe piston rings??, bad valve, not really making noises,,,.... so I did rent a garage, got engine already out, opening it soon, will make it 5 litre engine, ordered performance camshafts, got pistons already, will put headers on, new cold intake and "my own plenum", we are looking for about 450-500 HP, after I am done, also got newer , 4 piston brake calipers, and lowering spring kit!! Front bumpercover will be changed to lower/ more aggressive look =)0, you can buy it, it is meant for G35, you have to modify it!! So, my advise for you, keep the car, make a deal with somebody, you can trust??/ to open it, take it out, not easy, you have to know, what you are doing, need some special tools too!! Front driveshaft goes thru the oilpan !!! Then, after engine is opened, make your decision, you can buy brand new short block about $2000, and then it is like new again! Make sure, you change your oil on time, always, and you'll be a happy camper ! I love this car, and mine will be a monster !!! Pictures/ story later here, after I am done =), Good Luck !!!
Click to expand...
 
arcticpt said:
You should ask somebody, you know, to open that engine, and find out, what happened!!! Problem is, you have to "drop" the engine out of the car, and after that open bottom/ oilpan, even before you can open heads! Mine did not blow up "yet" , only 128 000 miles, started to smoke a lot!!! and drink lots of oil too, like a quart per week!!! white smoke, so I know, there is blown head gasket too, maybe piston rings??, bad valve, not really making noises,,,.... so I did rent a garage, got engine already out, opening it soon, will make it 5 litre engine, ordered performance camshafts, got pistons already, will put headers on, new cold intake and "my own plenum", we are looking for about 450-500 HP, after I am done, also got newer , 4 piston brake calipers, and lowering spring kit!! Front bumpercover will be changed to lower/ more aggressive look =)0, you can buy it, it is meant for G35, you have to modify it!! So, my advise for you, keep the car, make a deal with somebody, you can trust??/ to open it, take it out, not easy, you have to know, what you are doing, need some special tools too!! Front driveshaft goes thru the oilpan !!! Then, after engine is opened, make your decision, you can buy brand new short block about $2000, and then it is like new again! Make sure, you change your oil on time, always, and you'll be a happy camper ! I love this car, and mine will be a monster !!! Pictures/ story later here, after I am done =), Good Luck !!!
Click to expand...
BTW, if you're gonna go that far with the engine, you should get coilovers instead of springs... AND you might want to invest in bracing, like an STB at the very least... GTSPEC used to make a full brace kit for the FX... Looks like you have starting and stopping figured out... But you might wanna turn and be able to go over imperfect roads too... ;)
 
Dang... Poor FX... sorry Pork! Much easier for us 35 guys when the engine goes. You 45 guys are screwed as there's no other infiniti that uses that engine.

Keep us updated.

Sent from my SM-G935V
 
Thanks Andrew. Engine options are slim. (and honestly, that has been a tiny bit part what has been in my mind when when pondering a FX50)
My options are a used salvage motor with high miles, a zero-mile rebuilt engine.
A couple months ago, the plan was to have my same good(enough) running engine rebuilt. That would have been the best option by faaaar!
But... my new exhaust manifolds are in transit, the engine will be ordered, and the transplant in my sights.
 
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