JH Cruze 1.8 Knock

[Citroënbender]

Have picked up a cheap 2014 auto Cruze with 105K, contrary to most advice offered.

Terrible knock from it, haven’t had a chance to put in the air yet.

Is there any specific element to look at, or is it just run-of-the-mill diagnosis?

[smoo]

Engine knock, suspension knock?

How cheap is cheap CB… Risky investment?? Might strike it lucky and find an old Bintang bogan who’ll buy it for his Mrs and park it in the garage next to his VZ SV6 with HRT seat covers and fake HSV body kit.

[lra]

Do you have a good collection of AccaDacca CDs. ?

[roKWiz]

For all the Cruze owners out there.



sorry CB.

[Citroënbender]

Originally Posted by lra

Do you have a good collection of AccaDacca CDs. ?

Actually, yes!

[Cav]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Have picked up a cheap 2014 auto Cruze with 105K, contrary to most advice offered.

Terrible knock from it, haven’t had a chance to put in the air yet.

Is there any specific element to look at, or is it just run-of-the-mill diagnosis?

Have you checked the boot?

[Citroënbender]

Good point; no!

[lra]

Originally Posted by lra

Do you have a good collection of AccaDacca CDs. ?

Play them at volume setting 11, problem gone.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by smoo

Engine knock, suspension knock?

How cheap is cheap CB… Risky investment?? Might strike it lucky and find an old Bintang bogan who’ll buy it for his Mrs and park it in the garage next to his VZ SV6 with HRT seat covers and fake HSV body kit.

Post of the day!

[Citroënbender]

$500, five months’ non-concessional registration, clean PPSR, good black leather. Cold AC, a few bruises, but nearly full of petrol too.

No oil on the dipstick, I’m tipping a holed sump or stripped and lost sump plug.

[prktkljokr]

Worth more in parts, couldn't get a grille or a front bumper for one a few months back, paid $500 for a bumper in the end.

[lra]

"No oil on the dipstick, I’m tipping a holed sump or stripped and lost sump plug."

I'm tipping the previous owner had no idea.

I have a son like that. Years he blew the clutch in his 4WD, and I had to go rescue him.
Out of curiosity, pulled the dipstick out and not smidgen of oil on it, I must be not seeing things, did it a few times, same result. He had never checked it in over a year. Told him he as lucky just to blow the clutch and not the engine. How does this happen.

[Citroënbender]

Previous owner was fully imported, no speak Ingris. So you may be right. They certainly struggled to know the position of the car relative to minor obstacles.

[roKWiz]

Seems Ok for what it is.
I don't understand why just because you don't speak our language, you don't know how to park, put oil in an engine, get on a bus, get on a train, buy a ticket.etc etc.

[Citroënbender]

I can only assume that in other countries, the social cachet of car ownership brought with it starry-eyed lackeys hoping to elevate themselves by association. Those people being the ones who checked or repaired stuff…

[danzvtil]

When my company had 1.8 Cruze fleet, one of them just used oil from new (mine) if not topped up between services it would have run dry. Maybe this is the case here. And coolant, they all went thru coolant even from new.

[Citroënbender]

There is definitely an oil leak near the bottom front of the block, seemingly when running.

Sump is sound. There is no oil slinging so it’s not a crank/damper/seal issue.

I plan to hoist it on Sunday and see what gives.

Who’s cheapest for cheap oil? Coles allegedly have 15/40 at $28 per four litres. 10/40 might be better for seeing where it comes out.

[smoo]

Supercheap currently have Gulf Western on special 15 40 five litres for $20.

[Citroënbender]

Cam timing is well out, explaining the engine light and stored codes, but all compression is good - 200-250PSI. So the head is fine. I’m half thinking the oil leaks are camshaft seals. The lower part of the cam cover seems to do a good job of stopping oil from slinging much - hence my earlier misapprehensions about where oil was coming from.

I’d have expected low oil pressure to be stored as a fault code?

[Citroënbender]

Number 4 main bearing cap and journal. Almost new. No wear or any marks - can still see factory machining on the bearing metal.

Number 2 isn’t much different. A couple of lines so fine you can’t feel them with a fingernail (and as some here may observe, I have a decent supply of fingernail today).

Looking at the location of the oil filter/cooler setup, I believe it feeds the rearmost bearings first. Obviously I won’t disturb 5, as that would impact the rear main seal.

[OneMadMan]

Is the knock at engine speed or half engine speed?

I have heard valve guides make serious 'let's replace the lump' kind of noises...

Harmonic balancer lose?
Cam wheel(s) lose?
Deep knock?
Light metallic knock.
Bit late to ask for a video now.. obviously.

Just saying..

[Citroënbender]

I think it’s a variator knock. Random journal shown here - being 4.

Again, the shells are good, no heavy grooves or major discolouration to the journals. The cap pictured has some scuffs in the shell seat I initially wondered about, but decided they were irrelevant.

I pushed each piston to the top of its bore in turn, felt for pin slop, then pulled back down and reassembled. As the bottom end uses stretch fasteners, I’m up for eight rod bolts and four main cap bolts. Plus another tube of Ultra Black RTV.

The sump had only debris I’d equate with manufacture. Sump plug is fairly stripped.

[smoo]

Conduct an experiment and save some cash.
Run the cap bolts again…

[Citroënbender]

It’s all together and driving again, I did recycle the bolts for now.

[Citroënbender]

Who is good (reliable and sensibly priced) for Holden/GM parts at the moment? Mainly to order relevant bolts.

[lra]

Holden service centres still exist, AKA AC/Delco, and sometimes are cheaper than other outlets.

[Citroënbender]

Indeed - I’d wondered about Sutton’s, as it’s reasonably close - haven’t checked how sharp their pencil is, though.

[OneMadMan]

Fun fact:

As far as I know, the whole reason they use Torque to yield bolts is to maintain the same tension upon reassembly in any condition, in any workshop, in any climate in the world.
Eliminating the torque wrench as the problem for over / under tightening.

I have reused bolts without problems. If it works, any your not planing on entering Bathurst, leave it be.

[Citroënbender]

Provisionally sold subject to a successful repair, first looker. Tidy interior, low km and honest exterior were the clinchers. I’ve literally put it back together unrepaired and sat it on the street to achieve that result.

[OneMadMan]

yeah but, did you fix the knock?