Copeland,

I hope you are joking with us, because this was very funny.

How does someone not know that if the dipstick is bone dry, that that is a very bad thing?

I have personally never heard a main bearing squeeling like that, but I'l take Klaus' word for it. A failure in a main bearing is usually like a stroke, or a heart attack--the first symptom is death.

How did you not know that you had run out of oil. There is a warning light on the dash that would have come on in response to a lack of oil pressure. It's not one of the regular lights, it's a special light just for this issue. You would have likely seen it flashing-on when you made stops, or turned corners. Eventually, it would have remained on continuously, but once you reach that point the life of your engine is counted in hours, or even minutes.

Fill the thing with oil to the top of the oil range. If you are lucky, the car will start. If you are even luckier, the car will run for another hour. If you have been blessed by some divine authority, your car may even run long enough to drive it (rather than tow it) to the shop to have the engine replaced.

If your in the Chicago area, I have an extra 850, non-turbo engine sitting in my garage.

If there is no oil on the dipstick, your engine is without oil. With the engine off, it only take a minute or so for the oil to make its way to the sump.

Check the oil level, make sure the car is on level ground. If there is no oil on the dipstick, add another can. Check it again. And continue until oil is at the correct level.

If the engine was without oil, the screeming you heard was the bearings on the crankshaft. One of them was dying.

The oil has to be going somewhere. If it is not leaking out of the engine, there should be a large cloud of smoke behind your car. Investigate.

Klaus
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The 164 has a new home, all I am left with are a 95 854T and a 98 V70R :)