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Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
November 2002
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Re: RA60....Advice on Installing a new Engine
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Wed, 15 September 2004 09:12
 
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Glad my advice was of some help. But, you need to keep in mind one important thing. An engine that you buy second hand is the same age as the one you blew up, and no less likely to expire. A 3 month warranty is par for the course... it's not really a warranty in the traditional sense, but more of a 'turnkey' reassurance to get it in and running to prove they haven't sold you a dud motor. No different to buying a second hand car, really - you are warranted that it will be peachy when you get it, but if it breaks a few months later it's your problem, not the seller's. It is unreasonable to expect a longer warranty on a four-hundred-dollar engine that is already twenty years old.
With the problems I mentioned, I was more referring to installation problems. For example you might snap off a bolt, lose a part, find something else broken or that needs attention - issues like these are the ones people invariably come across.
Don't believe kilometres, believe condition. Get the wrecker to do a compression test on the engine (and provide the figures to you), make sure they're all even and they should also be around a certain figure but that differs for each engine and is probably not AS important as ensuring all cylinders are at least equal. The other things to check are the obvious ones:
* oil leaks are bad, mmkay?
* check the coolant outlets for corrosion - the inside of the motor will look the same!
* check the condition of the alternator belt etc, these show if it has been regularly maintained by a mechanic
* if it looks dodgy, it is!
Note that just because an engine looks pretty doesn't mean it's the right one for you. Many wreckers steam/pressure wash engines before delivery, so they may just have washed away any telltale signs. Have a close look at a few hard to get places, this might be a giveaway, but don't discriminate purely because of a little grime - it's twenty years old so a little is to be expected. Things like stains down the side of the block or the head are a good way to detect a long term oil leak.
Another thing that might be worthwhile is chekcing out the car it allegedly came from. Does it look well maintained or is it a bucket of bolts? Remember that cars in wreckers are there because they are wrecks - but you can always tell if someone cared about the car at least a little.
Depending on how much money is available, and how long you plan to keep the car, I reckon you're best getting a motor from a wreckers and slapping it straight in. Cheap, straightforward, and you've got a guarantee there won't be any major headaches with it.
[Updated on: Wed, 15 September 2004 09:17]
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