Is this the truth ?

[TIFFnGARY569]

If a car engine (4 cyl.) locks up due to driving it with no oil in it. Do you really have to take it somewhere to get a new engine, or can you fix it yourself ?

[gary baldy]

If you have the skills, tools and time to completely strip down an engine and rebuild it then you can 'fix' it yourself. Otherwise your old engine is goosed and you need a new one (and i speak from bitter experience)

[Whickerman]

If there's no oil, there's no lubricant, hence friction, and the parts can actually weld together.

Might be quicker to get an answer in the motoring section btw

[jake-the-peg]

You will have damaged the cylinder linings and the pistons will need to be extracted and the engine will need reboring which needs special equipment.

Depending on the engine and how bad the seize was the engine may be beyond economic repair.

However if you can get a replacement engine it is possible to replace the engine yourself on most cars but you would need a decent place to work and to rent kit like an engine crane.

As you're asking the question I'd assume you've not attempted anything this complex before but in theory with time and facilities you could learn on the job but I wouldn't recomend it.

[gammaray]

This happened to me about 20 years ago. The engine fractured into three distinct parts. It wasn't a pretty sight. The only remedy was a new engine.

[ezapf]

Happened to me nearly 20 years ago as well. I blamed it on my girlfriend at the time for failing to check the oil as she knew it leaked and she drove the car daily. Of course I knew it leaked too and could have easily checked it. Anyway, the engine was beyond economical repair and the car was beyond economical engine replacement. It got hauled off to a junkyard.