1997 Buick Lesabre Knocking
 

Can anyone help me. My 97 buick Lesabre 3800 L36 engine throw up a code p0302 (cylinder 2 misfire) and now has a knocking noise with great lost of power. Checked the oil which revealed gray shade looking color with obvious small sparkly metals within the oil. I'm guessing spun rod bearings from what I'v researched. Which makes me believe that cylinder 2 is the issue from the code giving. Question I'm trying to give is can I fix it without pulling the engine? I seen some Youtubers doing it without pulling the block by removing the oil pan to gain access to the cam and rods so, second question is can I on this type of engine? I can't afford a pick and pull engine but I can get under the car and do it myself. The prices are affordable for rod bearings.

If it spun a bearing, replacing just the bearing is nothing more than a temporary fix at best.

Usually the best bet is swapping in a good used engine, just be sure to address common issues before the engine goes in. .

More than likely, not only did you spin a rod bearing, but you probably took some material from the crank also. That's a bad thing.

For those doing it on YT with the engine installed, are probably seasoned veteran engine guys. This isn't for someone that considers rod bearings "affordable". I can pretty much guarantee you, by the time you are all said and done, you would have wished you had gotten a used engine and paid a shop to do it.

Agree with both guys, but I think you have two problems.....the injector circuit and the rod knock.....there are a ton of the 3.8's in the bone yards, with probably a lot less mileage than yours on them......I would go with another engine, like the guys said...

Agree with the guys above. Also, these are pretty tough engines. For this one to have this problem means it has likely been through some kind of major trauma. If replacing the inserts on the #2 rod were to fix this issue (this is a very long shot in my book), many more issues are likely just around the corner. They are either lurking right in line behind what you are seeing and/or are going to be caused by metal being pumped around in there.

Playing with chance...
 

Come to find out it was cylinder 3 that spun. So, I put on new bearings on all of them and order a .010 undersized rod bearing to see if that would help reduce the play it has. Its a old car not looking to do any major overhaul to it.

Also like to note, that Im planning to drop the oil pan once again once the part comes in (obviously). I don't feel 100% comfortable driving it to much with the little tap noise from cylinder 3.

Did you even measure the clearance with plastigauge? Or did you just guess on an undersize and hope for the best? Because if you didn't measure and are hoping, you will be right back to square one, if not worse, punching a rod through the block.

Yeah I'm playing with risk here. I'm going to try some other experimental ideals to insure its not going to rub tight against the rod journal for cylinder 3. I know I'm probably being stupid or lazy or both.

Well, now your just wasting your's and everyone else's time.