My truck took a crap on me tonight

[Droopy]

Poll question: My truck took a crap on me tonight

I was planning on restoring it. It's a 1989 Isuzu pickup with 96,000 miles on it and a rough body. It was running as good as the day I got it until today. When I started it up this morning it was running real rough and a lot of smoke was coming out of the exhaust. I put it in second gear and revved it up real high and that seemed to straighten it out. Then tonight I was over at my sister's and brother in law's house and the damn thing made a chunking, metal on metal sound when I tried to start it. Now it will turn over fine, but it won't fire. I'm leaning toward calling the junk yard and having them tow it away and then buying a new truck. What would you do if you were in my situation?

[rwenos]

1. Sounds Like Old Truck Needs a Ring Job

Are you thinking Izusu is blowing by one or more rings? That would explain the running rough, the smoke (was it white? That means burning oil) and the steadying out on increased RPM.

That engine is toast. You're talking a new (probably used) engine, or it's time to replace the vehicle.

[Droopy]

2. It's strange that it would go so quickly if it's toast

I haven't had any trouble out of the engine in the 9 years that I've owned the truck and I've changed the oil religiously every 3000 miles. If the engine is toast I'm not even going to fuck with it.

[nolabels]

3. Find a Mechanic to figure out what went wrong

But only because I am a mechanic. Punch up the kelly blue book online you can figure what it might be worth and you could go from there. Odds on it's sounds like scrap material, but who knows for sure

[rwenos]

4. Agreed - Get a Mech to Check Cylinder Compression

That'll tell you where you are with the engine. My money would be on a ring job, which is just a notch short of a short rebuild. I'm thinking you pay a mech for a diagnosis, for like $79.95. That'll tell you what you're faced with. Then decide whether to replace or repair the vehicle.