I have a 1996 Chevy pickup with a 5.7 motor. I pulled the plug, oil is draining and I usually lift the hood; but this time I didn’t (don’t know why). Something came up and we had to leave quickly and we jumped in the truck and got 1/8 mile down the road - sh*t, I pulled the plug on the oil. Turned around and parked it - the oil filter was still in - so there should of been some oil in there!?!? Do I need to be concerned that I damaged anything? Any info would be appreciated - I can’t believe I did that?!
Yeah, it’s quite possible that you damaged your engine. How badly only time will tell.
Did the oil light come on? If not, you might be lucky.
If the plug was out of the oil pan you had no oil pressure. Some damage is likely.
If your oil light didn’t come on you need to find out why!!!
There’s no question that you did some damage. But at this point there’s nothing left to do except finish the oil change, motor on and see what happens. Check you oil very very frequently at least for a while.
I once took my car in for an oil change and the guy who did it, didn’t tighten the drainplug on it tight enough and it fell off the next day and oil drained from my car. Scared the dickens out of me. I was thankful that happened while the car was parked and turned off. I promptly called a tow truck to tow my car home, had to buy a new drainplug and of course more oil to replace what drained out. I went back to the shop who did the oil change, talked to the owner, showed him pics that I took of my car being towed and all the oil that drained out of it, and he promptly refunded me the money I spent on the change and oil, plus the money I spent buying more oil and a new drainplug.
You druve the truck 1/4 mile total, the oil film on the cylinder walls may have lasted that long. Change the filter and refill with oil. If it doesnt smoke, knock or burn oil in the next thousand miles you are probaly ok.
I have seen people try to destroy an engine in an okd junker by draining the oil and running it. It takes longer than you would think.
It’s damaged goods, pure and simple. How much further it goes is the lingering question.
A wet engine can run maybe 30 seconds without oil pressure before the oil-starved bearings start scuffing…By the two minute mark, serious damage begins…
Hydraulic lifters will usually be the first tell tale of a problem on most push rod engines. They will pump down and begin to clatter and power will be reduced. Continued running would likely begin to spin inserts and cause a rod to seize and break. But my speculation is from “autopsies” of catastrophic failures and the stories that accompanied the failures. I could write a book, but no one would buy it.