Doh....

 

Would it have a bent rod if it still spins over freely?

 

Probably not, but if any of the bearings are damaged the end result could be the same: a blown motor. Do you really want to abuse this beautifully built, alloy VQ by running it without properly assessing any water damage?

 

Very possible. But if it's that bad you hit one hell of a puddle to do so.

I would also recccomend pulling the block and inspecting full internals.

 

Wouldnt it be more cost and time effective to buy a new used engine and be done with it instead of pulling the block and disassemble everything. It's fairly cheap anyway ?

 

I stalled in a puddle before also, I traded that car in asap and never got a cold air intake again, I still have the intake in my shed to remind myself.

Luckily my car started back up and didn't have any major issues. (That I was aware of anyways)

 

A "new, used engine"? What you really mean is a used engine from a totaled car. That is an option, although it means you don't have much idea of what condition that engine is in, outside of what the scrap yard tells you. Another option is to buy a rebuilt shortblock or engine, and use the water-damaged engine as a core. Either way, it's still a serious penalty for misjudging a "puddle".

 

Change the oil get to start trade that bad boy into a dealership...

Wouldnt milky oil be a head gasket problem, I cant imagine water from a puddle got into your engine that much.

 

Thats what i meant haha and it is what it is man, thats why i dont run CAI. Barely any gain if at all , not worth the trouble

 

Yeah, not a new engine. Just a salvage engine and use mine as a core to pull parts from. Cheapest I could find so far in Texas is around $1700. I hate to give up on the car since it's in excellent condition and relatively low miles.

Ethically, I wouldn't feel right about passing on a problem to someone else. Even a dealership.

 

Good on you!

 

Dealerships are the worst, I wouldn't feel bad about passing on a problem to a dealership, they would just stick it in an auction anyways...

I wouldn't sell private party though unless I disclosed everything I know...

In your situation I would probably just start taking it all apart.

 

What is the likelihood that its the head gasket? If water is in the oil then it's all over the engine block and heads. Any way to flush that out?

 

You're grasping at straws, but the likelihood is higher if you were losing significant compression and engine performance BEFORE the swim. There's no way to shortcut repairing the damage to a flooded engine. After disassembly, you'll need to use a good parts washer and some elbow grease to properly get all the water out. Oil, water and the precision build of your VQ are not a good mix.