Coolant Drop and Heavy Grinding

[team_ream]

Posting from the side of the freeway while I await a tow! I was driving along the I5 southbound from SF to LA and shortly after I passed the spot where my very first van caught fire in 2013, my delica shuddered and started making a grinding sound. I immediately pulled over, smoking (white) to see a puddle of Fluid (coolant?) form under the van. The thing is, there is still coolant in the reservoir. After poking around and failing to locate the source of the leak. I attempted to start the van and it basically sounded like a garbage disposal with a fork in it, so I gave up on that immediately. Any ideas of what might have happened to my van?

[Growlerbearnz]

Eeek! Ignoring the fluid, my first guess would be a broken timing belt. That would create the "bag of spanners" noise in the engine, and the sudden white smoke out the exhaust.

The fluid is interesting (though I expect you'd use a different word). It could be coolant, diesel, engine oil, trans fluid, or condensation from the AC condenser. I think you'd have noticed if it felt oily, so I'm going with coolant or AC condensate. AC condensate is cold, and dribbles out the front of the van, just behind the bumper. Coolant is usually hot and bright green or red.

[team_ream]

Welp. I wish that was the case. Unfortunately it's a big ol' hole in the side of the engine. I suppose I am to blame for this one. As an engineless Delica would probably fetch next to nothing in the US, I think I'm stuck with it. Mulling over my options here and even considering the HYundai swap, though not sure how to get one in the US. Anyone know anyone who imports them?

[Growlerbearnz]

Ouch. That’s the worst case scenario.

What did you do to I5 to make it so pissed off with you? Maybe take 25 to 101 next time?

When (if?) you install your new engine, make sure you clean out the oil cooler and lines (or even better, replace them). You don't want any shrapnel getting into the new engine.

[kyre]

Oof sorry to hear.

So it was the timing belt breaking?

If so how many km since last done? I hear every 90,000 km. Good to know the breaking point.

[weelsey]

I don't know if there is anything of use in this old group buy post at mightyram.net about crate engines or not: http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin/sh ... 4d56+crate