Hello All, Im pretty much new to the board havent posted in a realllllly long time. Im really sorry this is going to be kind of long Im trying to give details as to what happened completely.

Anyway, I recently picked up a 1997 Camaro Z28. During the test drive I drove the car normal and pretty hard just to "test" it, and everything was fine no pings/knocks/ticks/taps/clicks/clanks. When we got it back to the lot we checked for leaks and checked the fluids, no leaks all fluids were good, probably coming up on needing a oil change, but I decided everything was good, no overheating no engine rattles/knocks. So I bought the car.

On the way home with the car after filling up with 93 Octance, about 45 miles away from the lot, I hit rush hour traffic and get slowed to a crawl, I keep checking my guages cool not overheating Oil pressure looks good, I keep following my wife in the other car we're creeping at about 10 MPH and the Engine Stalls so I try to crank it barely turns the starter sounds like a Dead Battery Im pissed. already long enough story short I talked to the guy at the lot got it towed back for him to fix in the morning when he got back.

The next day, he calls me from his lot and tells me they jumped it and it cranked right up, but now there is a Knocking sound at idle and when you rev the motor. He says it sounds like a bottom end Knock and Ill probably need to replace motor.....

We talk for a bit and I decide to have him bring it here just so I can check it out and have a buddy mechanic check it out. He puts it on trailer and on his way up he stops at a friends shop and his friend he says told him it sounds like a lifter/bent pushrod/broken rocker. He gets it here and we put it in my driveway and crank it up and HOLY CRAP it is a loud clink clink clink, and it increases speed when the motor is revved it sounds horrible. I get in the car while it's running and oil pressure is at 45ish psi, at cold idle and here I am

Im totally at a loss right now, Ive been reading searching the forums searching google, trying to figure out what it could be, Ive read everything from Carbon Deposits in Combustion Chamber, to Spun rod bearings and im going to have to replace my whole bottom end. I was hoping it was maybe a exhaust leak threw the exhaust manifold gasket, or a loose rocker. Anyone have any ideas what may have happened after going 10 mph and stalling. Also now Im looking at the car it seems to be leaking coolant/water out of the water pump, maybe my opti is fried???

I hit 70 a few times during that 45 mile trip on the highway but I wasnt racing it, it sounds like a extremely loud clinking noise, seems to me like its coming from the upper drivers side of the engine near the valve cover, but its pretty loud so its hard to pin point. It does increase with Engine speed, my idle is not choppy it has a steady Idle, Oil pressure is 45 - 50 at Cold Idle and raises when pressing the throttle, Im scared to run it to much though I dont want to do any more damage than may already have been done. I did take it around the block and I didnt floor it but I gave it a bit of gas to see if the powers still there and it doesnt seem to have lost any power. I hope I gave enough info for you to help, thanks in advance, really sorry this was so long.

Thanks alot,
Michael

 

Take it back..... Texas Lemon Law might apply here.... I dont have the info on the law, but you should find it at thr registration office.....

 

Take the valve covers off and inspect in there first. See if there are any broken pushrods or anything. If all checks out fine in there, i would pull the intake and see if there is anything in the lifter valley. If they both check out, i would then start to get worried about it being a spun bearing or something more serious.

 

Take it back. I'm pretty sure you still have time.

 

I didn't think the lemon law would apply to a used car.