Engine Rebuild?

[dirtywheeler1988]

My ranger is coming up on 170 thousand miles and has devoloped an oil leak. I think that im going to rebuild the engine. will that be a guaranteed fix? does anyone have an idea of how much it should cost?
thanks for any help

 

[krugford]

I wouldn't necessarily rebuild the engine for an oil leak. Depending on what's leaking it could be a very simple fix. You don't say what engine, but the oil leaks that I see that leave a spot in the driveway are usually oil pan, rear main, or intake gaskets. None of those require a rebuild.

Unless you're going to drive this truck for another 170,000, I probably wouldn't bother with a rebuild, especially if the engine still has good power and is running well.

Now if you want to rebuild it "just because", that's fine too. Cost is going to depend on how worn the engine is, how much machining is required, and what parts need replaced. Most engine shops can give you a good estimate based on their experience from other engines, but there will always be an allowance for parts that turn out to be non-rebuildable once it's torn apart. (bad crank, worn pistons, etc). I had a 390 rebuilt by a local shop a few years back. I had to buy new pistons and a cam in addition to the standard stuff. It ended up costing me about $1300 when it was all said and done.

 

[woodyedmiston]

I'd have to agreed with krugford. The only reason I had to pull my 240K motor was because I cracked a head. Where is the oil leak? Throw that into the question and see if one of the Tech advisors or someone with similar experience can help you fix your problem in a weekend.

Secondly, if just getting a daily driver rolling again is your goal - don't disregard just finding a low mileage engine and doing a swap. Someone on this forum is constantly selling something that would fit. When a stock 4.0 will go 300K with a little TLC it's hard to justify spending a lot of money unless you have other reasons.

But . . . an oil leak could be a quick, if a little dirty, weekend chore.

 

[dirtywheeler1988]

well i know the oil is leaking from the front of the oil pan and i know thats not too hard of a fix but it is also leaking from the back.....idk what that is or how hard it would be to fix.

 

[woodyedmiston]

How hard is that to fix?

The front is probably an oil seal, the back is possibly an oil seal - both are easy to replace once you can get to them. Personally, I'd pull the engine only because I'd be able to see what I'm doing better. For those of you not working under your car while wearing bifocals - that might not be an issue. The transmission has to come out otherwise to get to the rear seal. IF that's what it is. . could be valve covers. I'd check that very closely. If the oil is not coming from inside the bellhousing - it's probably valve covers. That's pretty easy. For the front you'll need to pull the radiator - but not the engine. You'll need a puller to get the front harmonic balancer off on the front. If it were me doing it I'd just replace the water pump too - just because it has high miles.

Clean it up real good at the car wash and look for leaks.

If what is leaking is the oil pan, however, front or rear - the motor is going to have to come out.