I wanted to get some feedback as to what i should do about my 1990 non-turbo engine. It has 135k on it and runs well, but recently developed a very nasty oil leak. my mechanic showed me that it is coming from the head gasket and said it would be very costly to repair because it would not make sense to just fix the one and not the other. It also needs to have the valve seal guides replaced so basically $1200 to rebuild the motor. now i see these engines on ebay that say they only have 25k on them and are tested thoroughly and have a 6 month warranty.....are they worth it? or is it a rip off? I just dont know which route to go. thanks

 

dont go ebay....find a tue jdm engine importer...and if your gonna take it that far...might as well just pay the 2.5 k for a front clip wiht a TT set-up...even then...you dont know what your getting into....id say personally...go on to twinturbo.net into their classifieds and see if any one is selling a motor...i found one for free on there.....it was in rockford but in condition....yeah what your describing though it isnt worth the rebuild on your engine....plus...1200 to rebuild the motor but that doesnt have in the labor costs of removal and install...i really would not trust ebay motors....other wise...ill i can say is drive it till it dies......then go for an overhaul on it or somethign start savin money you can do a TT swap and get a sweet car again, yet sweeter....

 

if you want an engine, check on 3zc or tt.net, like kid up there said, for someone selling theirs before going for a JDM. you might find one that doesnt need to be rebuilt, even tho it would be a good idea to do anyways.

or you could take yours out and rebuild that. probably be the best idea

 

how dare you.....arent we like the same age??? how dare you though....
lol.... i wouldnt rebuild the motor, if i was spendin that money anyways....but also you have to look at it from his perspective, how inginuative is he...will he need a shop to do all the work, or can he wrnch the motor out and in and rebuild it (minus machine work) the end cost might not be worth it to just keep it N/A....or mabye even keep it...might just be best for expense wise to just drive it till it dies...then sell the shell or part it....who knows....

basically...how competent are you for removing your own engine and what not....doin your own work? cause shop price is gonna be a biotch...

 

I was under the assumption that with all the cost involved to do a TT swap, it is just not worth it. I can have a rebuilt motor shipped and installed for 2k total. Thats 1200 for the motor from those guys in japan and 800 labor for my mechanic to put it in. I would LOVE to throw in a TT, but from what i have been reading, it is a huge pain, and very few general mechanics can do it...thats all i have around here.
Yes, i plan on driving my car the way it is till it dies, but i would like to fiqure out how much to stash away in the meantime.

 

umm...well then go the route your talking about but search the sites we said first for N/A engines you can get reliable people with good condition engines (they swapped in TT or soemhting) for much chaper....

 

depends on if the extra power is worth it to you

JDM motor? never heard of one coming rebuilt. esp for that price.

where are you located?



i would hope that youre recieving a good condition low mileage motor from the states if youre not going to be rebuilding it. and ill be 20 next month

 

you got a year on me...im 19 in 1.5 months....

 

youngins...haha jk, I'm 22. A TT swap would be far extensive for what your needs are at this time. Look for a good condition NA motor and either rebuild it and then swap it in. I'm assuming that your car is still driveable right now, so you can still have a car to drive around in while you're rebuilding yours (or having it rebuilt). Or if you find a good condition USDM motor, you could just go on faith and have it swapped in.

 

m7y buddie has a N/A motor he is trying to get rid of... Dunno how many miles or year but it seems to be a 90-93 motor (harness) he'llgiveyou everithing the whole motor harness and ECU with all teh accesories give him a call his name is John GRiff 714-493-0293

 

I would first get a second opinion. I don't trust most mechanics.

Your head is leaking oil?!?!?!?!?!?!. Possible, but I don't believe so. I would speculate, more likely, valve cover gasket and/or cam seals. Valve cover gaskets aren't necessarily easy, but not $1200+ or worth a new motor. Cam seals are part of the t-belt change. Maybe they didn't get changed when they were supposed to.

On the new motor....... you can get a used one installed or a rebuilt one installed for about the same price. A used one will always be questionable. so I'd recommend the rebuild and upgrade as you go.

 

you don't even menchion me huh, barbade. thats messed. I got a motor. Yes it has some miles on it but was sound when the car was moving. Before the accident. I had her checked out before and the mechanic said she was perfect. Well hit me back if your intrested. Gavin

 

the I am pretty sure the layout of the motor is diferent on the J30 and Z32. Headers, AC, and Harness. not to mention teh J30 motor is not as great as the Z32 (tuned wise) not that I frgot about you. he he just woudl not be as easy adn efective as just getting my buddy's motor that woudl be a straight drop in.

 

Nope i'm pretty sure its all the same, yes it's down tuned, hosepower wise, but its more torque. Different cam or what i don't know. But yeah. And i swear the engine bay is the same cause it looked just like your old one. Anyways call me and explain how to remove the diff. and axles

 

hmmm if the engine bay is exacly the same then I wonder why we dun see any TT J30's... enough said too much custom fab. and not only are cams diferent the ECU is also diferent.

 

Some people get the j30 engine put into their Z. They found this out when they can't find the oil dipstick, cuz it's on the other side of the motor.