Problems with sohc, head breakage

[Alex_V]

Well I was driving on the highway and all of a sudden i heard a ticking and lost power. Well great im thinking on my way to work and this happens. So Im super busy that day (turs) and yesterday, and my maxima isnt running yet. I had to drive about 20 miles like that and finaly last night i get to take the valve cover off.

It was the #4 cyl exaust valves. The round bar the rockers piviot on, broke at the bolt between 3 and 4 cyl's because the last bolt to the right of the #4 stripped out. SWEET! my luck strikes again! I took out all those parts so there wouldnt be anything clunking around and possibly REALLY screw up my heads. so I tried driving it home (1/3 of a mile, from my old houses garage to my new house, almost done moving) and it was terrbile, I also pulled the injector connector and sparkplug wire. Ran like hell and had no power, barely made it up to 3K. Well im not driving this car any longer then i have too. to make it home i put the connector and wire back on so itd get fuel and fire. only diff from be fore is the exaust would open a little now it didnt. It gained some power but it just lost it after I got down the street. Imthinking it was essentually filling the intake and other cyl's with exaust. but i thought it'd be better then pumping #4 w/o spark& fuel.

Any way I just needed this car untill my maxima was done either today or tomorrow (when ever the flywheel gets here for my 5 speed...) so i can replace that rod or since the last bolt stripped out can I put a bigger one in ( i have a big assortment) or so i have to replace my heads? If I have to can i get one off some other car with this engine, as ive only seen 2 mx3's at the closest junkyard, but i can go to others.

Also my friend has a title-less 6cyl with a bad tranny i could get for a few hundred bucks, i saw on the front page sohc, to v6 swap isnt recoomended wtf is with that? Ive heard of crazier stuff. I do have a whole car to pull stuff from. or is the auto box diffrent? oh there was an auto v6 in the junkyard earlier this week. whats the fresibility and worthfullness of this swap? and hows the mpg on it?

Any way thanks alot for the help and keep in mind ive done alot mechanicly so dont assume im an idiot 17yr old as Im not. Thanks again!

~Alex

PS this car has 92K miles and is a 1992. Its in awsome shape and Im selling it when its fixed or for the right price as is.

[Typhoonk]

where do you live. If we new that more people could help.

I'm in canada, ontario - in oshawa. If you were around there. I have a 92 SOHC engine sitting in my parents garage. Was going to take it apart this week. U could have the whole head for $50

[Alex_V]

Columbus,ohio. My grandparents just left canada last week doh! ><

I just threaded a longer and bigger threaded bolt and it worked. Idk how long its going to last but my maxima isnt quite done, but its close, and it will be tomorrow. So I can stop driving it and get it fixed.

Ill check junkyards around me. I looked at a bunch of fords today, and they were all 12valve engines, and one was a ford V6, obviously a mazda design.

Oh I drove a few miles w/o fuel and spark on the 4th cyl, after that i added some oil and drove for about 35 more miles. I did I do any real harm? I didnt think the fuel and combustion did much to lube the upper part of the cyl so I didnt think it was important.

Thanks for the offer, i may take you up on it

~Alex