'97 LeSabre Engine kaput
Steve B.
Car is rust free in great shape with 85k miles. It was suffering from
a leaky intake. Previous owner continued to add water and drive the
vehicle until it overheated on a trip to the point the engine stopped.
He let it cool and drove it home having to stop several time for
overheat. His mechanic replaced the upper intake manifold but now it
runs like crap
Compression Test
#1 140
#3 140
#5 140
#2 180
#4 120
#6 140
Chocolate shake visible in oil fill so I know there is water in the
engine. Assuming at least bad head gasket since the manifold is new.
So if you made it this far here's my question. If this was your
project that you wanted for your daily drive would you
Pull the heads and have them magna fluxed, shaved and reinstall
(unknown cost at this time)
Or replace the engine? My favorite local junkyard has one that just
came in that he says is still in the car and I can hear it run. He
wants $700 for it.
Your experience greatly appreciated. My biggest worry is fixing the
top end and a shortly after having a bottom end failure due to running
on chocolate milk for an unknown time frame.
Steve B.
Pete C.
I'm no expert on such things, but if you can get a spare engine that you
can hear run for $700 I'd say grab it, that's pretty cheap.
HLS
"Steve B." <no...@none.com> wrote in message
news:jjl7359aggai3esl2...@4ax.com...
> So in a fit of madness I bought a '97 Lesabre with engine issues.
> Car is rust free in great shape with 85k miles. It was suffering from
> a leaky intake. Previous owner continued to add water and drive the
> vehicle until it overheated on a trip to the point the engine stopped.
By the time you dig into that aging engine, you're going to have several
hundred dollars in it, and the lower end is still suspect. The block
could be cracked, the way the previous owner tried to make a water
pump out of it
I would strongly consider the junkyard engine.
Steve W.
Engine swap. 700 for a good running engine is less than you will spend
to repair what you have. I would probably wash down the replacement,
then change out any suspect parts prior to installing it. Much easier to
replace the water pump and the thermostat and intake gaskets prior to
installing it.
I would probably also do the intake over with it out and maybe pull the
pan and clean it out while it's out. Then install it.
--
Steve W.
sdlomi2
>
> Engine swap. 700 for a good running engine is less than you will spend
> to repair what you have. I would probably wash down the replacement,
> then change out any suspect parts prior to installing it. Much easier to
> replace the water pump and the thermostat and intake gaskets prior to
> installing it.
> I would probably also do the intake over with it out and maybe pull the
> pan and clean it out while it's out. Then install it.
>
> --
> Steve W.
Steve W., and others, give good advice if going with the junkyard
engine. I'd also replace timing chain/gears. If eng. is basically good,
with all these parts replaced you should get another 100K with basic
servicing. That's a super good engine. s
Steve B.
wrote:
>Engine swap. 700 for a good running engine is less than you will spend
>to repair what you have. I would probably wash down the replacement,
>then change out any suspect parts prior to installing it. Much easier to
>replace the water pump and the thermostat and intake gaskets prior to
>installing it.
>I would probably also do the intake over with it out and maybe pull the
>pan and clean it out while it's out. Then install it.
I've been debating this in my head all day and appreciate the feedback
from the group. I'm having a little trouble getting past my
perception that used engine = pig in a poke.
Would I be better off to take my existing engine and clean it out good
and replace all the bearings?
Steve B.
Pete C.
Junkyard engine = Used engine that is running properly, you can hear
running properly and no known history of severe overheating abuse.
vs.
Engine in car = Used engine that is not running properly, that you can
hear not running properly and with a known history of severe overheating
abuse.
Your choice which you want work with...
Nate Nagel
second that. If you really want to rebuild the old engine just for the
experience you will need to check heads for warp/crack, block deck for
warping, replace all bearings, maybe cam/lifters, and the rings have
probably lost tension due to overheat so you're looking at new rings at
a minimum, maybe a rebore and new pistons (in which case you may as well
have it balanced) then while you have the heads apart even if they are
good might as well throw new springs and a valve grind at it. Basically
somewhere between 3/4 and a full rebuild. Not much different than
rebuilding an engine that is slap wore out from mileage.
(this is why they come with gauges, people...)
nate
--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel
Vic Smith
>So in a fit of madness I bought a '97 Lesabre with engine issues.
>Car is rust free in great shape with 85k miles. It was suffering from
>a leaky intake. Previous owner continued to add water and drive the
>vehicle until it overheated on a trip to the point the engine stopped.
>
>Or replace the engine? My favorite local junkyard has one that just
>came in that he says is still in the car and I can hear it run. He
>wants $700 for it.
>
>Your experience greatly appreciated. My biggest worry is fixing the
>top end and a shortly after having a bottom end failure due to running
>on chocolate milk for an unknown time frame.
>
If the boneyard engine sounds good, you might go for it.
See if you can find how many miles are on it.
Fix the problem that caused the original to fail.
Used to be able to get new 3yr/36000 guaranteed engines from GM for a
couple grand, and if I liked the car it might be worth it.
But I looked a bit for new GM engines and didn't find much.
No 3.8's
Here's something you might consider, since you're looking at a PITA
and more money which ever way you go.
Write off the car and send it to the boneyard.
If you have a yard and cinder blocks keep it for parts.
When all is said and done you can probably find a same car decent low
mileage good runner for less than the cost and time of farting around
with what you have.
Yeah, that hurts, but you've heard about throwing good money after
bad.
Think about it.
--Vic
HLS
>
> Would I be better off to take my existing engine and clean it out good
> and replace all the bearings?
>
> Steve B.
No, you wouldnt...If you are going into it, you need to do it right, or it
wont last.
When I bought a 3800 from the junkyard for my Reatta, I paid $100 for the
engine
(which was really in darn good shape), plus another $750 for boilout,
machining, new
pistons, rings, oil pump, head work, balancing, all soft parts, etc. That
was a couple
of years ago.
sven kraske
Price ok.
why not.
>mfg
ray
Is this thing going to be a daily driver or not? What's your tolerance
for duct tape and bailing wire repairs?
It's possible that it's still leaking from the intake - either done
wrong, or warped from overheating.
Used engine you can hear running: good.
Rebuilding an old engine back to stock is probably going to almost run
the same price as getting a new one. Start pricing it out - if you need
to get it bored out, you'll need new pistons. You'll need new bearings.
New cam and lifters. Machine shop work. You're probably looking at
$1000+ just for the stuff I mentioned.
Here's my experience: my 1990 Chevy truck blew the intake last winter
and filled the engine with about 15L of chocolate goo. My wife and I
let it sit for a while while we discussed what to do with a 20 year old
farm truck with 150,000 miles on it.
In the end, I decided to try the cheap and redneck fix. New intake
gasket and a shop vac to the top end of the engine. I was so cheap I
didn't even change the valve cover gaskets or plugs. Damn thing's still
running, and runs better that it used to... but it's a work truck - it
goes to home depot, the junk yard, the dump. I don't drive it to work
or anything like that, so if I get another year of truck usage out of it
before something else blows up, that's one more year of not having to
buy a newer truck and spend the money. BUT... we did seriously discuss
buying a 3 year old truck that would allow me to also get rid of the 19
year old winter car (I would need an extended cab for the kids now...)
Ray
Steve B.
>So in a fit of madness I bought a '97 Lesabre with engine issues.
>Car is rust free in great shape with 85k miles. It was suffering from
>a leaky intake. Previous owner continued to add water and drive the
>vehicle until it overheated on a trip to the point the engine stopped.
>
Thanx to everyone that offered advice on this one. I did go with the
junkyard engine. Took about a week of a couple hours an evening to
swap them. I've been driving it for a couple of days now and all
seems well.
Steve B.
HLS
>
> Thanx to everyone that offered advice on this one. I did go with the
> junkyard engine. Took about a week of a couple hours an evening to
> swap them. I've been driving it for a couple of days now and all
> seems well.
>
> Steve B.
I assume this was a 3800 engine....if not disregard below.
If 3800, did you fix the freaking plastic plenum on the junkyard engine
before
you installed it.
Steve B.
>
>I assume this was a 3800 engine....if not disregard below.
>If 3800, did you fix the freaking plastic plenum on the junkyard engine
>before
>you installed it.
That's' what wiped out the original engine. I have a new one sitting
here but didn't swap it yet as I didn't want to "waste" it if the
junkyard engine turned out to not be good.
I will swap it in the next week or so before this one starts to leak
too.
Steve B.