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OK, I was driving my car on the freeway and suddenly lost power, I started to move to the right shoulder and I heard a "boom", steam started to come out of the hood, opened the hood and saw that the radiator exploded where one of the hoses are connected; I towed it home, I bought a new radiator and a new thermostat, installed them.. drove the car a few blocks and I start to hear a clacking noise, a friend says that the engine is gone that I need to replace it. Could this be true?, what do you suggest?, and where to get it if I need it besides the $ 2,500.00 from the dealer?.. Any advice?

Thanks..

Well, the clacking could be a number of things. Does it sound like a bottom end knock? To me, it seems like the engine was overheated severely, so it very well could be a rod knock. If you can isolate the noise and determine that it's indeed a rod knock (you can leave the car in park on ramps or jack stands, crawl underneath and put the blade end of a screwdriver on the oil pan and the handle end to your ear) to hear if it's definitely coming from the bottom end. If it's a rod knock, the motor is toast.


http://www.car-part.com should be able to help you locate a cheap low-mileage motor for a decent price if you do have to replace the motor.

I agree with ccmarnaj. Not sure what the set up on your motor is but I had something similar happen in my wife's Durango. Aluminum heads with steel internals. Aluminum expands when hot while the steel does not expand at all or as much. Valves and other internals in the heads can suddenly move around freely and you can end up with valves hitting piston heads and other problems. That could be the 'clacking' noise you hear. I would also look for a substantial oil leak, who knows what happened when you heard that 'boom.'

I would look around or contact a local shop about a motor. They should have connections and can help find a good one at a good price. Also, I've been told it's just as quick and probably cheaper to just replace the motor rather than trying to rebuild. Good luck.

3800's are all cast iron, it's not the different expanding rates doing it, it was his radiator blowing and no coolant for some time.

FWIW, all metal expands when hot, aluminum just expands at a faster rate than steel does, and it eventually causes the head gaskets to fail on engines with that setup if it's not properly equipped.

Your best bet is going to be finding a good low-mile used engine and replacing it. That might cost $800-$1,000, whereas a rebuild, if it was salvageable, would probably be around $1,500 to have a shop do, at the minimum.

I replace the engine, and what is happening now is that the lights of the radio are not turning on, and when i tested on the freeway I kind off feel the same thing that happened when the engine broke down, the warning light "check gauges" came out so I looked and the battery gauge was at the red mark, so I barely made it back home, I check with a voltmeter and the reading was 6 volts, do I need I new alternator?, or is it something bad connected?, any ideas?, how much is the range price for alternators?, thanks for all your help....

I replace the engine, and what is happening now is that the lights of the radio are not turning on, and when i tested on the freeway I kind off feel the same thing that happened when the engine broke down, the warning light "check gauges" came out so I looked and the battery gauge was at the red mark, so I barely made it back home, I check with a voltmeter and the reading was 6 volts, do I need I new alternator?, or is it something bad connected?, any ideas?, how much is the range price for alternators?, thanks for all your help....

First, check your battery condition and cable connections. Check all ground connections, especially ones that may have been disconnected during engine replacement. Then check for power at the big wire on the back of the alternator. If you have battery voltage there, the alternator is most likely toast. Price range is anywhere from a few bucks at a junkyard to several hundred for a new dealer unit. Call NAPA or a reputable local parts store for pricing.