So a truck popped up on FB Marketplace, it's a 97 1500 with a V8, looks pretty good for its age and has (supposedly) 173k miles. It's cheap because "the thrust bearings on the crank are worn out" and the crank has 1/8th of an inch end play. That's according to "a mechanic"....

Anybody ever seen anything like that ? That's 10 times the service limit, there must be nothing left of the shoulders of the center main bearing. It's an automatic too so can't be anything wrong with the clutch. It does run so not sure how that would even manifest itself.

Not that I need another project ....

 

I personally would buy it have the crank turned pop in new bearings and bam a cheap truck

 

That's what I'm thinking but I wonder if the crank has some other wear/damage on the "web" adjacent to the center main bearing given the large amount of end play. Hence my question if anybody has actually seen an engine like that.

 

Back in the early 90's, GM had an issue with some of their front drive cars with manual transmissions munching up the thrust bearings in the engines. The warranty answer was just to replace the bearings, or, if it was really bad, replace the crank, as well. Never got any worse than that.... (no warranty engine replacements at least....)

Now, personally, I have NEVER seen an auto trans vehicle munch of thrust bearings, at least, not without munching up other bearings as well. (oil starvation, or something similar) Think I would buy the truck, then check end play myself. Likely it isn't as bad as reported, and even if it is, it can be repaired fairly quickly/easily.

 

Go look at it, Start it up and listen for any noise(rods). And look for the balencer to move. I had a LA motor that had worn rods and mains that sang(made noise) above 2500 rpm. Well one day one of the bearings spun and it was time for a rebuild. When i took the crank out the bearings/crank where worn but even that motor didn't have that much play in it.

 

Check the balancer condition and make sure the torque converter hasn't ballooned, then repair the crank/thrust bearing issue. While you're in there, install a new high volume oil pump and oil pump pickup screen/tube and clean out the oil pan of any sludge.