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Things to look for on a second hand engine


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You can't unless it has a starter motor attached, needs a gearbox for that...

Unless you have a bellhousing, starter and a pile of gearbox bolts lying around that you can take with you. Compression test only tells you about rings/valves/head gasket I'd want to take the sump off as well and inspect bottom end shells for wear.

Edited by lukEp
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How do you compression test while its out of the car, so no starter motor?

Yeah no history and I haven't seen it running for a few years

Maybe I'll offer less if everything else seems ok

turn it on the crank nut with a rachet, it's abit more hard work and depending if it's on a stand or not maybe tricky, whip the valve cover and sump off and check for corrosion and wear
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Do you know whats wrong with your engine?

Local engine builders are the way forward dude.

The 'main starlet tuners' just dont seem that interested these days. Not just me saying that either.

And then we get onto the topic of.. you may aswell get uprated rods & pistons if youre doing a rebuild.

Which is normally met with, its too dear to do.

Standard rebuild all adds up.

I priced parts from idworkz to do a standard rebuild for another project i have.

Rings - 100

Bearings - 145

Oil pump - 80

Headbolts - 72

Headgasket - 50

Oil filter gasket - 5

Valve stem seals - 30

Belt Kit - 42

Water pump - 30

Front crank seal - 15

Rear crank seal - 25

Rocker gasket set - 23

Inlet gasket - 17

Then machine work. Expensive for a standard rebuild.

Or minus the rings.

Maxspeeding rods can be got on ebay for 200.

Be able to pick up a set of pistons for about 400.

Machine cost is roughly the same.

Just something to think about dude.

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It smokes after overrun as soon as you touch the throttle, and there's swarf on the magnetic sump plug, so it's either valve stems or rings, but with the swarf it might aswell all come apart and get refreshed.

I'm currently buying a house so every little saving helps tbh

How good are the cheap rods and Pistons though?

I just wana be able to drive it, I miss using it daily these days, wish I'd of left it alone now aha

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