So it was raining here in AZ today and there was a little pool of water, so I thought. when I drove through it my neon started knocking real bad then clinking bad. I turned around to try ad get home because I was just down the street and right when I got in my apt. complex it just died.

I saw a lot of oil leaked out and the dipstick showed no oil. I got under it and saw a big hole in the oil pan, right next to the oil filter. My question is, have I done severe damage to my neon? Is this gonna cost me my entire engine possibly? I just want to get some opinions before I tow it to a shop and find out its going to be $3000 for a new engine and everything. Its an 05' sxt with about 173,000m.

 

If you were driving it without oil, you did some damage, yes. How much? Unless there is a trick I can't think of at the moment, there's only one way to find out...
You can find out if it is seized up by trying to turn the crank with a breaker bar.

 

One of your connecting rod broke. That piece flew, and made a hole through the oil pan.
Why it broke? I think it did not finish it's compression stroke because water got in the cylinder.
Also, you ran the car home without oil so, pretty much everything is toasted.

 

Sounds like you hydrolocked your motor. Water does not compress which usually bends/breaks connecting rods. Engine is probably toast unfortunately.

 

Yeah im an idiot for driving through that water!
Well guess im gonna have to just pony up and get a new engine. What is the average cost for a shop, not a dealership, to do the whole kit and kaboodle?

 

I searched the internet a few weeks ago:

A brand new short block (With no cylinder head) is around $2500
One of the member on here got it for around $1700, because he is an employee.

A brand new cylinder head cost a little less. Around $1700.

A remanufactured cylinder head is all you need. It cost around $250.
Or, you can use your old cylinder head if it can still be used.

A used long block (The whole engine, no rebuild needed) cost you around $600-$700. Or, you can pull one from the car junk yard for cheaper.

I don't know how much it cost to have a mechanic to do the works for you.

 

If you just put a new connecting rod in. Your car might still run but you lost power, poor gas mileage, engine noises, vibration, ..., because everything have wore out, and out of balance in this engine. They will wear out even faster after this incident.

If you take your car to a shop. They will inspect, measure cylinder bores/piston sizes, all the clearances, and tell you which part need to be replace.

You are looking for serious engine rebuild here. I will just put a new used engine in. It maybe a better engine than the rebuild one.

If you rebuild, you want your engine to be like new. To be like new, lot of things need to be replaced here.

 

It wouldn't be worth it to rebuild it at 170k miles. Reman or Used block would probably be the cheapest.

 

I was thinking hydrolock, but I couldn't remember what broke when that happened.

 

Just guess man. I'm not a rocket scientist either.
I think the result always turn out to be like this, that is why they called it "hydrolock your engine".
It's an interesting topic. You learn from other people mistakes.
Also, search "throw a rod" on Youtube. It bunch a hole through the block every time.