So .. how much damage? 97 sidekick seriously over revved

[Kickmyself]

Hey all .. I've gotten lots of good info from this site over the years .. Here's hoping the experts have some insight for my situation ..

I have a stock 97 sidekick 4dr 4x4 1.6l 16v 5 speed 145k miles .. set up for towing behind my motorhome. loaned it out with incomplete instructions and they failed to get the transfer case into neutral. Pulled it in 2nd for 15-20 miles at speeds up to 60 mph before they noticed the smoke..

Haven't taken much of an inventory yet but for sure it melted the timing belt cover and the belt wore through it. Split the plastic top of the radiator wide open.

Went to pick it up after it cooled off and it started right up to put it on the trailer. Started right up at home to get it off the trailer. Idles fine. Oil light never goes out though.

So .. any guesses on what all the damage is/could be? Any chance I just need a new radiator, timing belt cover and a wire on the oil pressure sending unit? :-)

[fixkick]

you never said what both levers were set to, 5sp and tranfere case,
damage is unknown, nobody can guess, damage.
but the distance was short but speed fast.
this transfer case gets no lube to the rear bearing towed. thus the 200mile rule.
the correct tow is. method A or C (towbar, forward is A method)
http://www.fixkick.com/FAQ/FAQ.HTML


http://www.fixkick.com/FAQ/tow100a.jpg

my guess, and worst case, is in 2H mode
and then the 5speed in gear, the worst gear is Reverse, then first, it shure was not 5th to 4th, liming engine rpm.
but 1,2,3, would blow the engine do the RPM math backwards,, what is RPM in 1st, at 60, 20x speed, of rear axle. boom. really its 5.12 x 3.65

2nd is 5.12 times 2 or 10:1 ratio axle to crank. boom.
3rd. 5.12 x 1.35, might live.

really best is drop the rear, drive shift (at axle pinon) and make sure the front hubs are unlocked, and you can tow coast to coast.
autolockers, up front i'd never trust. most this old are junk,

the oil pressure at zero means, huge bearing damage, and boom soon. It amazes me that car is not just grease slick on the road....
like the end Scene in "Back to the future..." sans flux capacitor.

GOOD LUCK @!!!!!!

Hey all .. I've gotten lots of good info from this site over the years .. Here's hoping the experts have some insight for my situation ..

I have a stock 97 sidekick 4dr 4x4 1.6l 16v 5 speed 145k miles .. set up for towing behind my motorhome. loaned it out with incomplete instructions and they failed to get the transfer case into neutral.[color=#FF0000]
Pulled it in 2nd for 15-20 miles at speeds up to 60 mph before they noticed the smoke..

Haven't taken much of an inventory yet but for sure it melted the timing belt cover and the belt wore through it. Split the plastic top of the radiator wide open.

Went to pick it up after it cooled off and it started right up to put it on the trailer. Started right up at home to get it off the trailer. Idles fine. Oil light never goes out though.

So .. any guesses on what all the damage is/could be? Any chance I just need a new radiator, timing belt cover and a wire on the oil pressure sending unit? :-)

[Kickmyself]

you never said what both levers were set to, 5sp and tranfere case,

Sorry - transmission in 2nd .. transfer in 4H .. manual front hubs unlocked.

So I guess first step is try to check actual oil pressure and go from there.

Thanks

[fixkick]

ouch, double bad. almost worst case. near.
maybe the transfer case chain survived, but the engine is in big trouble.
we can work that backwards,
5.12 rear axle, 1:1 transfer, and at 60mph the stock engine turns 3000 rpm, in 5th. (overdrive .80)
so in 2nd gear, its 2 times faster , 6000 rpm. (assumes 60 was 60, and not 80) stock tires sized, larger tires, worse.
so that is max rpm spec on the engine, that be screaming its guts out. under the hood.
sure, you can start at low /no oil pressure as after all that is the sign of death or will be soon.
that lamp on can be mean oil pressure is 3psi or 0. (both are doom)

the stock engine with fuel pump relay pulled, can do 55psi just cranked, over, not started, with 10w-30 oil.
you could also change the oil see if chucks of babbit fall out bottom drain.

i bet big end rod bearings might be bad or bent rods, causing it.
the head runs off a .050" orifice in the head gallery preventing total pressure loss
in the event of total cam failure, (cracks in half, and falls apart,or seizes)

there will be damage, to what extent, be impossible to guess. (inspections only work on damage)

sorry for the loss. (best is to drop rear drive shaft, , even as one can hit a bump and either trans can bounce in to gear,
some folks tie the shifter's off, so that cant happen.

best regards.

you never said what both levers were set to, 5sp and tranfere case,

Sorry - transmission in 2nd .. transfer in 4H .. manual front hubs unlocked.

So I guess first step is try to check actual oil pressure and go from there.

Thanks

[fixkick]

let me explain 2nd gear in the tow charge.
2nd locks the 5speed so it can spin, the rear shaft, so that not lubricated bearing there can be damaged.
they can't protect the rear bearing of the transfer case. so just tell you, 200miles, max, the do the steps in the book to lubricate it....
nor the front bearing,
one can make a case for both boxes in neutral, the above, is just one mans Idea of best. (long ago in Japan,,,may never have seen and RV like this ever,dig)
its not the best setup, for RV towing at all, mostly just for short runs,
the best setup if not liking drop axle and bailing wire it up. is REMCO.

http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/xfr-case/R...onnect.JPG

sold here
http://swdriveline.com/remco_driveline_disconnect.html

the only other way is the addon lube system.

I dont think anyone stocks the Remco on a shelf now (its too old)
the prices when sold are $800 + , not cheap, some are more expensive that the car.

tow Dolley (the operators guide covers all ways here.) (you can tow forward and backwards, the backwards way saves the transmission.)
lube kits (drilling holes in the transfer case, to put on oil fittings)
remco , axle dis-connector.
or use N and drive slow. (test it first start engine shift to 1st hear/feel the transfer case slip.) Some cars have bad parts here, and can go to N or have trouble staying in ,"N"
or drop the rear axle at the pinion of rear pig and tie the rear up with bailing wire so the front slip yoke can NOT FALL OUT.

that be all ways, ive towed my jeep backwards, for 1000miles once. it does work. and zero damage, drove it 250,000 more miles. 5sp 4wd.

[fixkick]

the transfer case shifter has its own box. in the case. to shift (not a body fitted shifter like some 4wd have)
and only the lever is subject to forces, that can cause it to shift out of N, ....
the lever how ever, fits through body boots, and if the transmission mounts are loose, and and you hit a large bump
the transmission will move upward (it will bounce too) and this can cause the lever to move, against it's boot and shift out of 'N" BAM.
these are things to think about, when RV towing. (bumps happen)
some folks pack camping gear in to the car, on seats ,etc, and can bounce and land on the shifter... all are problematic.

not letting part #18 move, is a key fact.

[fixkick]

damage,
blew the engine,
at least. might wreck the clutch too, it slips and burns up. my guess now as to the smoke thing, just the clutch screaming in pain smoking, your killing me and my friends.
if say the clutch is near new? and did not slipping too much, then the engine went past redline at 5000, (ecu limits near or just after here) but the ECU is off
and now there is a RPM mechanical limit, for bent rods, and valve float. (ive no spec on valve rpm max, it's not published)
cam turns 1/2 speed of crank so maybe it survived.

towed in gear the engine spins, and the oil pump runs, the pump just works, it only knows, that crank spins, it just works. It will make max PSI oil pressure, cold. a fact.
so that means there are RPM limits.(the engine is cold so RPM limits are less on a cold engine, so 5000 and 6000 rpm is a killer now) dragging a dead cold engine that fast is , a super bad deal.
I'd wonder if the rods did not get tweaked and bent , even streached or pistons cracked.

and just because and engine starts, means little on the walking wounded.
if I had oil lamp on, now, (that tells you damaged happened, its not just the sensor wire fell off and grounded out all at the same time.)
id not run it.
id crank it , fuel pump off.
and see what you have with a real gauge, may be 0. 55pis is spec, and true, and the oil pump pressure regulator is set to 55psi. so. that is what you get, cold oil. cold engine.

here I just did that, and shot this photo. (all new bearings, pump etc)
I have primed my new oil pump and oil filter and then crank it dead fuel pump, and check pressure first then top end oiling 2nd. (all part of overhaul)
http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/shifting/4WD-shifter.jpg