Is your engine rod bearing bad and urgently needs a replacement? Are you wondering what engine rod bearing replacement costs so as to get an estimate of what you will be charged at the auto repair shop?
Look no further because you are at the right place. We have analyzed the current price of rod bearing replacement this year from numerous auto repair shops and have included the average cost in this article.
In this article, we will provide you with all the information you need to know about rod bearing replacement cost, how to pick the best mechanic for your rod bearing replacement, is rod replacement is something you can do on your own? If so, how is it done? We also give you tips on how to save on rod bearing replacement.
Let’s get started!
How Much Does Rod Bearing Replacement Cost?
The average cost to repair or replace a spun engine rod bearing is around $2,500. This includes parts and labor. You’ll have to replace things like gaskets, cylinder head bolts, engine lines, pistons, crankshafts, and others.
Typically, Rod bearing replacement involves:
- Connecting the rod bearings.
- Flushing the cooler oils and engine out.
- Replacing the gaskets and seals.
Replacing the rod bearing is not for everyone. You can ask a professional service center for help if you’re unsure about replacing it yourself. For that, expect to spend up to$2000 to $3000 for the replacement cost, which includes both the labor and parts.
If your mechanic says that the engine is severely damaged due to a rod bearing issue and that you’ll need to get connecting rods and new pistons, camshaft bearings, a new crankshaft, and a new timing chain, It will be better and cost-effective to just purchase a new engine.
But if there’s no harm to your crankshaft and the rest of your engine, you just have to change the broken rod bearing.
Also Read: Tie Rod Replacement Cost
What Is A-Rod Bearing?
A rod bearing is a smooth two-piece metal band (bottom and top). For example, the top section is a semi-circle positioned under your vehicle in case of driveshaft rod bearings.
The other bottom half is tied to the first half when your driveshaft is in position.
This will allow the lubricants to flow through the interior of the bearing through a port in the other top half. It allows the shaft to rotate freely with less friction around the bearing.
Symptoms of a Bad Rod Bearing
1. Noise in Your Engine
Noise from your engine is one sign of a faulty rod bearing. A lot of drivers knows these sign even though most of them have not seen them.
The rod knocking is a symptom of worn-out piston bearings. Engine noises like those generated from the valvetrain and weary engine bearing in the crank can also signify that the engine bearings are worn out.
Another symptom of a worn piston is a rod knock.
A lot of engines have a main mechanism of oil which directs the oil pressure first to its crankshaft and then moves it to the rest of the parts.
Severe oil leakage at the rod and crankshaft removes the pressure the valvetrain needs. It could lead to a slight lifter tap displaying the crank’s worn-out bearings.
2. Loss of Oil Pressure
Normally, the oil will be pumped at a specific air volume ( around twenty gallons for each minute).
If the engine starts leaking around the hydraulic filter or the engine bearing, as the oil leaks through your oil pipes, the engine loses its oil pressure.
Additional bearing clearance due to severe wear out of the bearing will lead to loss of oil pressure, mainly at low RPM when your pump rotates at a slower speed.
3. Worn Belts & Transmission Noise
On the bearing, there are two types of bearing faces.
The first one is the center bearing pad where your crankshaft works, while the second one is the thrust bearing face that keeps your transmission so that it won’t be adjusting back and forth.
As time goes on, the thrust-bearing face’s major surface diminishes.
A damaged or worn-out thrust bearing might let the crank accurately turn backward to force the torque converter into transmission.
Moreover, if you have enough room for the rod journals, they can move very far backward or forwards to cause the belts to wear out unnecessarily.
This can lead to the noise of the transmission, and in some severe situations, it can damage the transmission.
As your torque converter puts pressure on the oil pump, dirt also gets clogged up in your filter. This can cause a loss of pressure that can result in the pumps breaking.
Also Read: U Joint Replacement Cost
Causes of Rod Bearing Damage
1. Debris And Dirt
You’ll have to know what the engine bearing noise is like whenever it is dirt-filled or polluted to know what exactly the engine bearing sound is like when it’s weak.
The debris, for example, gravel or soil, might damage the surface of the bearing, and you’ll be left thinking of what the bearing sounds like when it’s lousy.
Furthermore, the dirt can leave a scrape and get glued inside the paint, probably if your lubrication mechanism stops working.
2. Inadequate Lubrication
The next sector of engine bearing fault is insufficient lubrication.
Insufficient lubrication in the crankcase can cause your bearing to stop, and your engine would fail, which can be expensive to fix.
And also, as a result of insufficient oil, there would be metal-to-metal contact and lots of friction.
3. Misassembly of Engine Bearing
Engine bearing damage can also be caused by disassembly. If an attachment rod or bearing cap is mounted incorrectly, then there’s every possibility that your bearing won’t work well and, as a result, cause inadequate lubrication.
Additionally, you will hear a noise from damaged engine bearing due to lack of lubrication.
4. Engine Bearing Crush
A crush refers to an external force exerted by one part of your bearing, which passes the top housing bore if the halves of the bearing are located properly.
This bearing material press the exterior diameter of your bearing against the housing bore. The crush of the bearing helps the bearing of your engine properly.
Also Read: Wheel Bearing Replacement Cost
How to Replace Rod Bearings
The importance of connecting the rod bearings is to guide the crankshaft and the connecting rods from damage due to friction. The lubricating oil helps to reduce the heat that is generated from metal parts and also the fiction.
As time goes on, the rod bearing gets worn out. So, you must regularly check to know if they’re still good. You could face severe engine issues if you don’t examine them regularly.
If you notice that the engine is having rod-bearing issues already, follow the steps below to fix and check the problem.
Step 1: Prepare the Tools and Materials
The tools and materials that you’ll require to repair these issues are:
- Pan gasket
- Wrench
- Drip pan
- New engine oil
- New rod bearing ( the part and size figure for the car’s engine)
- Gas sealant
- Oil pan gasket
Step 2: Buy the Right Bearing
If you can do it, dismantle the faulty rod bearing from the connecting rod. Take it to an auto supply store to get the exact bearing and make sure it’s the exact one for the car’s engine.
Step 3: Put Marks on the Parts
You’ll have to take out the bearing from the crankshaft. To take out the bad bearing, you have you lose many nuts and bolts. To avoid making mistakes when coupling them back, mark the parts as you disassembling them.
Put the parts inside a clean plastic container. Label them to assist you in assembling them properly when you want to put in a new rod bearing.
Step 4: Take Out the Old Bearing
Taking it out might be somewhat hard. In some cases, the old bearing comes out effortlessly, but in some, you need to tap it before the connection gets loosened. To loosen it, make use of a squishy rubber mallet. Then tap the top edges, not the sides.
Step 5: Clean the Parts
Wipe all the parts that you dismantled from your crankshaft. This would help not establish a new foreign matter that might lead to other bearing issues as time passes. You can use mineral spirits or a degreaser to clean these parts.
Step 6: Install the New Rod Bearing
Immediately you’ve clean all the parts, begin to arrange them back in reverse. Before putting the new rod bearing, put lubricating engine oil in it.
Check out this video for more tips on how to replace rod bearings.
How Much Are Engine Rod Repair Costs?
The repair cost for the engine rod is based on different factors, which include:
- If your engine is salvageable
- If the engine is of high performance
- The degree of the damage
- How long the engine has been knocking.
If you want your engine to be restored, it’ll cost about $2500 to $4000. The complete replacement of the engine could cost up to $10,000 or even more.
So, on average, to repair an engine rod for both labor and parts would cost about $2000 to $3,000. Normally, the job involves flushing out the cooler lines and engine cylinder head bolts, connecting the rod bearings, and replacing the gaskets and seals.
Although, if the damage is severe, you might need to change some additional parts such as the timing chains, camshaft bearings, connecting rods, pistons, and sometimes the crankshaft.
Frequently Asked Questions – Rod Bearing Replacement Cost
What happens if the rod bearing goes out?
A worn-out or damaged rod bearing might lead to severe rod knock, and it’s a rapping sound created by your engine. It implies a change of clearance between the crankshaft and the connecting rod, which then produce the knocking noise.
What causes the rod bearing to fail?
The majority of engine bearing that fails is as a result of either of these 3 factors:- Fatigue of the bearing materials, mixed lubrication with the crankshaft surfaces, and direct contact of metal to metal. One major cause why engine bearing fails is mixed lubrication.
How long does it take to replace rod bearings?
Usually, it takes about 8 hours. And I’m convinced that people who do more of these like Active and EAS can do the replacement in one day if they begin on time. we can assure you that a person with prior experience can do it within 8 hours.
Should I replace rod bearings?
An original rod bearing should be changed every 60 to 80,000 miles, most especially on vehicles that followed the recommendation of BMW’s 15,000-mile oil replacement. Regular maintenance is important for vehicles with high performance.
How can you tell if a rod bearing is bad?
Most times, if the rod bearing has failed (or it’s failing), you would notice a sign of low oil pressure. Usually, this is more obvious when you start your vehicle. In most cases, a Faulty rod bearing would trigger the check engine oil light on your dashboard.
What is the most common cause of bearing failure?
One major reason for bearing failure is basic wear and tear. In the end, all bearings fail as a result of wear. Nevertheless, force or vibration and excessive load can lead to early wear out of your bearing. Improper installation causes most of the excess force for bearings.
How much does an engine rod cost?
Just like any part of a car, as time goes on, the engine rods wear out and have to be replaced at the end. The average cost to rebuild an engine rod is about $2500. The standard price is between a minimum of $1000 to a maximum of $4000.
Conclusion – Rod Bearing Replacement Cost
The rod bearings enable the rods to move efficiently around the piston wrist pin and the crankshaft on both ends. Rod bearings in vehicles can be changed as part of the engine service.
Keep in mind that the longer you stay, the more the conditions get worsen. And regardless of how you see it, the repair will be costly.
Nevertheless, handling the issue immediately instead of waiting might mean the variance of whether to get a new engine or be able to repair the old one.