Tough decision I need to make really soon, would really appreciate some help. Stuck at a Motel 6 in the middle of nowhere.

Today, I was driving my 94 Civic (standard) and took a sharp turn onto an exit. Something banged on the bottom of the car, and when I pulled into the gas station, the steering was screwed up and it sounded bad.

Looked under the hood, took it to a mechanic. The harmonic balancer (AKA damper) on the driver’s side end of the crankshaft (the one with 2 belts running around it) is chipped, and so is the crankshaft (small chips, maybe 4mm each). The mechanic said he’ll try replacing the damper to see if it’s tight enough to drive. He says that if it’s not, I’ll have to replace the whole crankshaft (i.e. I’m screwed).

Here’s my problem: let’s say the new damper fits on. Won’t that little chip eventually wear more and more, to the point that the crankshaft will be loose again, and I’m back in may-as-well-engine-swap territory? If so, shouldn’t I sell this thing ASAP, let the person who buys it know what’s up so they can make the call? Everything else is in perfect shape, so someone who can fix it themselves could get use out of it.

If I *should* sell it, there’s another problem: I’m 900 miles from home, 100 miles from my parents’ home. I’m afraid that if I try to drive home, it could wear out and come loose again after a few hundred miles. Then I’d really be screwed and need to have it towed hundreds of miles. So, maybe I should just drive it the 100 back to my parents’ and try to sell it from there. I have no “home base” besides these 2 places from which I could sell a car.

 

Well just a few ideas...

You could sell it on Craigslist for pretty cheap to get a quick dollar(explain what's wrong with the Civic).

Buy a For Sale sign and sell it for cheap.

Call a junkyard, and have them tow it & buy it from you(if they tow).

Or.....Just pray to God that you make it to your parents house & give it a drive.

 

Theres a good chance just put the pulley on tight and it will be fine. The bolt must be properly tightened, if it's not really tight what happened to you will happen again.

 

If you're looking to get rid of it in a hurry, call a few tow companies and check the yellow pages / google for local we-buy-your-junker-car companies. They won't give you a ton of cash, but its definitely better than nothing. (Around where I live, most cars will get between 300 and 700 depending on year, mileage, whats wrong, etc) I just resigned my camaro to that fate yesterday, in fact....

It definitely sucks, but in the end its your car, so you have to decide if you're willing to let it go. I personally was really attached to my camaro and it sat with a blown cylinder head, in my apartment parking lot, for 4 months before I could pull the trigger and be done with it. So, I definitely understand if you'd rather fix it / keep it.

I'm still new to these motors and cars, though, so I'll defer to those with more experience in regards to how severe that damage actually is.

 

"Replace the crankshaft"

Your mechanic is trying to rob you in broad daylight.
If you are having problems with your belts, try replacing the damper. Chip on the end portion of the crankshaft should not affect performance as long as you can get the crankshaft bolt and damper tight.