Might be buying a truck with a bad engine. Advice?

[mp3deviant721]

So here's the story. A Ranger that came in as a no start was towed into our shop this past weekend. Long story short, they ran the truck out of oil. The engine does not sound too good and will need an engine. My question is, if they don't fix it, how should I go about fixing it. I still need to talk to to shop owner about what would happen if they don't fix it. I am talking about assessing engine damage and whether or not it can be rebuilt or if I have to buy a different engine. I am in school right now for automotive technology and engine repair is the exact unit we are headed into.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

It sounds like a good project truck if you can get it for cheap all the better. Give it a thorough inspection,gearboxes, brakes, suspension, drive train ect. You will need to tear into the engine to determine if it can be rebuilt first either way for your training rebuild that motor or get one from the bone yard and go completely through it, that way you can do any upgrades you want before you put it back in the truck.

 

[rusty70f100]

Most engines can be rebuilt, but you might need to get some parts that make it not worth it. The only way to really know is to take it apart and find out. If it spun a bearing, ground up the cam, or something like that, you might want to get a junkyard motor to rebuild.

 

[AllanD]

If the engine was "run out of oil" don't rebuild it replace it.

It's cheaper to built a replica of the titanic than to raise the original.

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[IRKillroy]

OR you guys could tell him to let his teacher use his engine as the training aid and get some free machine work done. the cost of some of these parts will be much less than the cost of a rebuilt engine (done by someone else, which you all call "new").

I wonder if you guys are even understanding what the OP is stating.

Kid, I think you'd learn a lot from rebuilding that engine, if it starts (which I'm assuming as you say it sounds rought) then there is no major damage, just bearings. The worst I can see is a bearing surface on the crank being bad enough where you have to replace it, and if your school doesn't have a grinder for you to learn on then you shouldn't be paying the tuition.

 

[superdave1984]

Sounds like the current owner doesn't feel it's worth fixing so you may be able to get it really cheap. I agree that if they ran it out of oil you would be smart to get a JY engine for the rebuild. May not even need to rebuild the JY engine, some are still pretty decent. Plus, you may be able to talk your instructor into using yours as a class project so you get it done basically for free except for parts. Plus you get class credit. Either way, I would give it a shot to try and buy it. You have nothing to lose.

 

[mp3deviant721]

Good advice guys. I'll have to wait a few days before I know if I can buy the truck. I just stopped by the shop an hour ago, and the owner still hasn't called back yet. I probably will find out if I can buy it in a few days. I talked to one of the techs that has worked there for awhile and he said there is a possibility that I maybe able to buy it, for junkyard or scrap price. Any idea on how much that might be in Wisconsin? The truck is a regular cab, short bed, 2wd, 4 cyl.

 

[LIMA BEAN]

OR you guys could tell him to let his teacher use his engine as the training aid and get some free machine work done. the cost of some of these parts will be much less than the cost of a rebuilt engine (done by someone else, which you all call "new").

I wonder if you guys are even understanding what the OP is stating.

Kid, I think you'd learn a lot from rebuilding that engine, if it starts (which I'm assuming as you say it sounds rought) then there is no major damage, just bearings. The worst I can see is a bearing surface on the crank being bad enough where you have to replace it, and if your school doesn't have a grinder for you to learn on then you shouldn't be paying the tuition.

1+ on this, oh and dont they only trade you out with cheese for scrap in Wisconsin?

 

[mp3deviant721]

What if the engine is rebuild-able? What type of rebuild kit should I be looking at? I forgot to add that the engine was blowing smoke out of the dipstick tube. Can anybody tell me what that may mean?

 

[feellnfroggy]

If the engine was "run out of oil" don't rebuild it replace it.

It's cheaper to built a replica of the titanic than to raise the original.

AD

no SHyt,. not to mention when I blew my probe up due to lack of oil it spit parts all over the road. I dont think you can jb weld a hole in the block. Buyin it aint a bad idea, but buy another motor too. Keeping in mind if they didnt maintain the oil levels they prolly didnt maintain anything.

 

[adsm08]

OR you guys could tell him to let his teacher use his engine as the training aid and get some free machine work done. the cost of some of these parts will be much less than the cost of a rebuilt engine (done by someone else, which you all call "new").

I wonder if you guys are even understanding what the OP is stating.

Kid, I think you'd learn a lot from rebuilding that engine, if it starts (which I'm assuming as you say it sounds rought) then there is no major damage, just bearings. The worst I can see is a bearing surface on the crank being bad enough where you have to replace it, and if your school doesn't have a grinder for you to learn on then you shouldn't be paying the tuition.

I disagree with almost that entire post. I agree that rebuilding it will be a valuable experience. Building an engine from the ground up really gives you a better understanding of how the parts work together and how the engine as a whole works. But, reman engines are almost always cheaper than a rebuild. I have a stripped down 5.0 at home, I can't buy the parts I need to build it myself for the price of a reman unit.

As for no major damage if it runs, I disagree. I have seen a running engine with the crankshaft snapped in two. I have also driven a truck 75 miles with significant bearing damage, 40 miles with spun mains, and 5 miles with a spun thrust bearing (yes, those were all the same truck with the engine in progressive states of ka-blewy).

As for your statement about a crank grinder and tuition. I fully disagree with that. Unless you are a professional machinist or engine rebuilder, crank grinding is an obsolete, and nearly worthless skill. The equipment is large, bulky, and expensive. Frankly, to spend the money on one, and waste the class time to teach a skill that is unused in the automotive repair industry today would be an irresponsible use of resources. My school didn't have a crank grinder. We didn't learn to cut crankshafts. It's a skill that I have yet to need. If an engine is in that sorry state, it gets replaced and sent to the rebuilder.

I know a lot of guys in the business that have a lot of out-dated skills, I'm pretty sure I don't know anyone who actually knows how to cut a crankshaft properly.

What if the engine is rebuild-able? What type of rebuild kit should I be looking at? I forgot to add that the engine was blowing smoke out of the dipstick tube. Can anybody tell me what that may mean?

The rings are shot. Or the cylinder walls are gouged out so bad that the rings aren't sealing anymore. Does it come out the oil cap too?

 

[kimcrwbr1]

More than likely rings If you get it yank the engine apart it would be a good class project for diagnostics but dont put alot of money in it more than likely the cam and crank, pistons you just need to take it apart and mic it out. But you can do the same thing with a bone yard engine. Put in a complete gasket set for alot cheaper. New oil pump valve grind it just depends on what it needs and what you have to spend. If it is a standard shift you can reseal the tranny also while you have it apart and go through the tranny. Gears are pretty cool also. Get as much as you can out of a heated shop.

 

[mp3deviant721]

The rings are shot. Or the cylinder walls are gouged out so bad that the rings aren't sealing anymore. Does it come out the oil cap too?

I forgot to pull off the cap to check. What would that mean if smoke was coming out cap? Valvetrain damage?

 

[LIMA BEAN]

I disagree with almost that entire post. I agree that rebuilding it will be a valuable experience. Building an engine from the ground up really gives you a better understanding of how the parts work together and how the engine as a whole works. But, reman engines are almost always cheaper than a rebuild. I have a stripped down 5.0 at home, I can't buy the parts I need to build it myself for the price of a reman unit.

As for no major damage if it runs, I disagree. I have seen a running engine with the crankshaft snapped in two. I have also driven a truck 75 miles with significant bearing damage, 40 miles with spun mains, and 5 miles with a spun thrust bearing (yes, those were all the same truck with the engine in progressive states of ka-blewy).

As for your statement about a crank grinder and tuition. I fully disagree with that. Unless you are a professional machinist or engine rebuilder, crank grinding is an obsolete, and nearly worthless skill. The equipment is large, bulky, and expensive. Frankly, to spend the money on one, and waste the class time to teach a skill that is unused in the automotive repair industry today would be an irresponsible use of resources. My school didn't have a crank grinder. We didn't learn to cut crankshafts. It's a skill that I have yet to need. If an engine is in that sorry state, it gets replaced and sent to the rebuilder.

I know a lot of guys in the business that have a lot of out-dated skills, I'm pretty sure I don't know anyone who actually knows how to cut a crankshaft properly.



The rings are shot. Or the cylinder walls are gouged out so bad that the rings aren't sealing anymore. Does it come out the oil cap too?

Aww c'mon man out dated?! I rebuild them all the time for cheap and the machine shops around here are full bore all the time. I have done 100's of rebuilds from 1 hp to 10,000 cubic in. Waukesha big bores. I have a 2.3 lima on the stand right now that spun the bearings and I got it hot tankd, bored .30 over, decked, magna-fluxed,shot-peened, crank turned .10/.10, rods recon and fitted to the new pistons I bought and line bored for $250.00 bucks. Also I got a rebuild kit for about the same.

 

[mp3deviant721]

I found a 2.5l at one of the local jy with 126k on the clock. What would it take to use it in my possible new truck? Could I just swap out the intakes and use the 2.3 intake on the engine? And plug in all the other sensors? Or would I have to do a harness swap to make it work?