Question about GS-T and Engine

[knieghtz]

I just bought a GS-T with a little over 180,000 miles on it. I was talking to a bud who is a Honda guys, and he was telling me to not mess around and just buy a new motor and have a pro install it. I want to keep the current engine so i can get use to driving stick a little better, afterwards i would like to do something with the engine. My question is, should i buy a new engine or should i just rebuild the one i have. My bud said that it cost almost the same, that i should just get a new motor. I really want to learn this car inside and out, i would like to rebuild my self. How difficult would it be for a novice to rebuild the engine? Thanks in advance guys!

 

[92Speed_Demon]

i would suggest do it yourself. i building my car from the ground up and i am very excited to finish it cause i did most of the work myself and im learning the car inside and out. if you plan on keeping it for while your better off doing it yourself so you know the car. as for the engine i would check out dsm graveyard they have great prices. DSM Graveyard - Your #1 Source for DSM Parts!

 

[Hitmachine101]

I just bought a GS-T with a little over 180,000 miles on it. I was talking to a bud who is a Honda guys, and he was telling me to not mess around and just buy a new motor and have a pro install it. I want to keep the current engine so i can get use to driving stick a little better, afterwards i would like to do something with the engine. My question is, should i buy a new engine or should i just rebuild the one i have. My bud said that it cost almost the same, that i should just get a new motor. I really want to learn this car inside and out, i would like to rebuild my self. How difficult would it be for a novice to rebuild the engine? Thanks in advance guys!

your friends right -- about the same to get a motor and build it or build yours

are you going to rebuild to a stock motor or are you gonna rebuild a performance motor? things you have to take into consideration and think about

if you want to get a motor and build it then you can continue to drive yours and learn about it

if your a novice mechanic and your learning how to work on cars with this car then id say have a pro build it -- but i cant fault you if you want to put your nose to the grind stone and learn everything you can and go for it yourself

whatever you do,, do not screw with the 180000 mile motor -- dont up the boost, that motors tired

 

[knieghtz]

yeah, thats what im thinking. I really appreciate the advice. I can buy a Engine hoist and engine stand, and some new tools with the money i can save. Do you know where i can find a good service manual for a 96 GS-T?

 

[Hitmachine101]

yeah, thats what im thinking. I really appreciate the advice. I can buy a Engine hoist and engine stand, and some new tools with the money i can save. Do you know where i can find a good service manual for a 96 GS-T?

im sure the bently manual will do you good,, do yourself a favor,, while your finding your motor and getting things together -- LIVE ON THIS SITE,, use the search button, look up questions you have,, if you cant find the answer then ask and we will guide you in the right direction

I work on BMWs mostly and about 9 months ago was completely new to my eclipse to -- i cant tell you the amount of info ive picked up about these cars running from turbos to injectors to 6 bolt engine vrs 7 bolt engine to tendencies of these cars to exc exc the list goes on and on

i live on the newb forum and suck up info, i recomend you do the same and youll enjoy your car to the fullest

good luck man and have fun with the process

( oh and to help you find that motor, ill start you off in the right direction -- from about late 92 up till 99 -- all the eclipse, talon turbo motors were called 46g3 motors -- also known as 7 bolts ( the 90-early92 were 6 bolt motors still 46g3 ) your looking for a 7 bolt 46g3 motor for your car -- but look this stuff up for more info -- the non turbo eclipse and talons are 420A motors -- stay away from these when your looking for your motor

 

[knieghtz]

im sure the bently manual will do you good,, do yourself a favor,, while your finding your motor and getting things together -- LIVE ON THIS SITE,, use the search button, look up questions you have,, if you cant find the answer then ask and we will guide you in the right direction

I work on BMWs mostly and about 9 months ago was completely new to my eclipse to -- i cant tell you the amount of info ive picked up about these cars running from turbos to injectors to 6 bolt engine vrs 7 bolt engine to tendencies of these cars to exc exc the list goes on and on

i live on the newb forum and suck up info, i recomend you do the same and youll enjoy your car to the fullest

good luck man and have fun with the process

( oh and to help you find that motor, ill start you off in the right direction -- from about late 92 up till 99 -- all the eclipse, talon turbo motors were called 46g3 motors -- also known as 7 bolts ( the 90-early92 were 6 bolt motors still 46g3 ) your looking for a 7 bolt 46g3 motor for your car -- but look this stuff up for more info -- the non turbo eclipse and talons are 420A motors -- stay away from these when your looking for your motor

I appreciate the help Hitmachine. I have been on this site everyday since before i bought the car 2 weeks ago. Im am planning on upgrading a few things on the engine if i rebuild it. Pistons, rods, camshaft, etc. I know i need a new turbo, i opened it up today and it has shaft play. No offense to anyone but im not too worried about "Crankwalk", im going to build up my 7 bolt. Im also going to rebuild the turbo, or i might just go for a slightly bigger one. Im going to look up the bently manual as well as live on this site. As soon as i feel comfortable i am going to pull the engine. The whole point of buying this car was to do all the work my self. I really want to learn how to work on the engine, do body work, do sound systems, etc. Thanks guys!!!

 

[hollywood_ikr]

I appreciate the help Hitmachine. I have been on this site everyday since before i bought the car 2 weeks ago. Im am planning on upgrading a few things on the engine if i rebuild it. Pistons, rods, camshaft, etc. I know i need a new turbo, i opened it up today and it has shaft play. No offense to anyone but im not too worried about "Crankwalk", im going to build up my 7 bolt. Im also going to rebuild the turbo, or i might just go for a slightly bigger one. Im going to look up the bently manual as well as live on this site. As soon as i feel comfortable i am going to pull the engine. The whole point of buying this car was to do all the work my self. I really want to learn how to work on the engine, do body work, do sound systems, etc. Thanks guys!!!

from the sounds of it, I agree with your decision 2 do it urself. I have had MANY experiences with mechanics and the sad truth are two main things. They will NEVER recommend what is truly in your best interest since they are always in a (what we call in the finance world) conflict of interest since they have to watch teir wallets as well. Secondly, they will never put the effort into your car as you will if you rebuild it yourself (not an easy task by any means but doable with this site). Im lazy now so I would buy a new fully built motor that has been tried and proven to kick @ss slap it on ## car + supporting mods, then sip on a Corona with a smile on ## face

 

[knieghtz]

Thanks for the support. I dont mind getting my hands dirty, and i knew going into it that i would have the car planned non op for about 2 years while i get it running and looking exactly how i want to. I want to start with the engine, wich seems to be the most difficult and exspensive part of the project. Im looking at built motor prices, as well as "rebuild" kits on ebay. Anyone have any feeedback on those rebuild kits?

 

[2g 6 bolt swap]

Def do it yourself. Best way to bond with car . I would never rebuild a 7 bolt. It could cause a major headache down the road. Especially if your talking upgrades/mods. Find a 6 bolt block and head. I have a complete spare long block which is a 6 bolt. Just needs a rebuild. Let me know if your interested.

 

[Bluefire16]

Just curious....how old are you and how much "experience" do you already have? Not saying age is a factor here, but just wanting to no.....

 

[knieghtz]

Just curious....how old are you and how much "experience" do you already have? Not saying age is a factor here, but just wanting to no.....

Im 28, i have the basic car mechanic skills. I work in engineering for a living, i work with electrical components, Water pumps, HVAC, etc. I have a understanding of those things, and some of it relates to cars.

 

[Derock2gspyder]

go ahead and try building it yourself its always a good accomplishment to do it all on your own and also if you have an issue theres always this site to help you along! also get a 6 bolt motor to build dont build the motor thats in your car! 6 bolts are much better motors and no issue with crankwalk! good luck with the build and hopefully it all works out for you!

 

[knieghtz]

Im seriously contemplating getting a 6 bolt. Everyone swears by them, they might have a point. What 7 bolt parts can i re-use to save some money on a 6 bolt?

 

[DSMDriver69]

Def do it yourself. Best way to bond with car . I would never rebuild a 7 bolt. It could cause a major headache down the road. Especially if your talking upgrades/mods. Find a 6 bolt block and head. I have a complete spare long block which is a 6 bolt. Just needs a rebuild. Let me know if your interested.

there is nothing wrong with the 7 bolt, that is so over exagerated. And alot of people who do use a 6 bolt block use the 7 bolt 2g head.

 

[knieghtz]

there is nothing wrong with the 7 bolt, that is so over exagerated. And alot of people who do use a 6 bolt block use the 7 bolt 2g head.

I have read about that combination. I want to work on the 7 bolt, but i also dont want to waste time and money if its prone to "Crankwalk". Maybe using the best of both is the way to go.

 

[AK Maniak]

Some people swear by 6 bolts where as others don't care. I honestly think you'll be fine with a 7-bolt, Crankwalk is so over exaggerated

 

[knieghtz]

Thanks for all the input guys!

 

[mannyssj13]

Hey man if you like i brought this cd off Ebay its all the service books for eclipse talon and laser from 1990 to 1999 email me ([email protected]) if you would like a copy of it. Has tons of good info about these cars and how to do the basics!

 

[knieghtz]

Hey man if you like i brought this cd off Ebay its all the service books for eclipse talon and laser from 1990 to 1999 email me ([email protected]) if you would like a copy of it. Has tons of good info about these cars and how to do the basics!

Hell yeah, thanks manny!

 

[nuclearr]

Why rebuild the engine? Have you done a compression test to see if you even need a rebuild. There are alot of upgrades you can do with the same money that will give you allot better results on hp gains if you do not need a rebuild.

 

[AK Maniak]

Why rebuild the engine? Have you done a compression test to see if you even need a rebuild. There are alot of upgrades you can do with the same money that will give you allot better results on hp gains if you do not need a rebuild.

Well 180k miles is quite a bit, and if not for the peace of mind of having a rebuilt engine then to gain as much knowledge possible while rebuilding it.

 

[knieghtz]

Well 180k miles is quite a bit, and if not for the peace of mind of having a rebuilt engine then to gain as much knowledge possible while rebuilding it.

You read my mind. I dont feel comfortable not knowing exactly what im driving. 180,000 is a lot, and it looks like the people that had it before me did a lot of micky mouse jobs on it.

 

[Bluefire16]

...first, crankwalk is not as common as those say. 7bolt blocks are fine. I have heard of none personally, and i think people freak out way to much about it. Second, take your time if you do want to build it yourself considering this will be the biggest thing you can do, and if you do i hope you have a friend that can walk you thru it step by step.

Last, like the guy up ^^^ said. Have you checked the compression? Sure it may have miles on it and may be tinkered with, just bring it back close to stock state then, or start with your own parts. The compression and engine could be fine, and if it is why bother messing with it? I have heard of people having more troubles after they rebuild their motors.

Either way, good luck

 

[turbodsmawd420]

...first, crankwalk is not as common as those say. 7bolt blocks are fine. I have heard of none personally, and i think people freak out way to much about it. Second, take your time if you do want to build it yourself considering this will be the biggest thing you can do, and if you do i hope you have a friend that can walk you thru it step by step.

Last, like the guy up ^^^ said. Have you checked the compression? Sure it may have miles on it and may be tinkered with, just bring it back close to stock state then, or start with your own parts. The compression and engine could be fine, and if it is why bother messing with it? I have heard of people having more troubles after they rebuild their motors.

Either way, good luck

well as stated by the OP,the engine has 180k miles on it.even if the engine did check out with 100% compression across the board,the fact is its still got 180k miles on it and its only a matter of time before something gives.just because a compression test clears as good does not mean you're gonna be fine throwing a bunch of parts at it.sure,the rings and valves might be structurally sound,but what about the rest of the engine.why put youre money into feeding a dieing horse when theres a young thoroughbred just waiting to be rid? you know what i mean? youd be much better off getting in some pedal time with the stick shift now,doing a simple rebuild, and taking it from there.then you can actually have some fun modifying your dsm,instead of diagnosing the damn block half the time.trust me youre gonna be doing plenty of diagnosing elsewhere with a DSM . As for having more problems after the rebuild,just make sure you take youre time and do not attempt to do something beyond youre capabilities and youll be fine.ask questions if you need to and like another poster on this thread already put perfectly: LIVE ON THIS SITE(if you cant find the answer here youre just not using the search function right.haha.this site is amazing!).the experinence and knowledge youll recieve from doing the rebuild in your garage is gonna be priceless and will get you off on a great start to understanding these engines.there was a point in time when it was like a slap in the face to have anyone else work on your car.you werent a "car guy" unless you were your own mechanic.people took pride in their cars,and in their own work that they put into it,and im sure you will take great pride in your own.plus when you get that great tingling feeling in your body the first time she starts up after the rebuild,the satisfaction will be overpowering and youll be grateful you decided to do the rebuild yourself.

As for 7-bolt crankwalk,its all just overexagerated hype like most people say.crankwalk can happen on ANY engine.ask 20 different ex 7-bolt owners what happened to their engine,youll get 20 different answers ya know? had 2 previous 2G 7-bolts,both with around 120k miles and no crankwalk problems.ive only heard of 1 crankwalk occurance of the 50 or 60 dsm owners ive talked to.here in illinois theyre all over the damn place.

hope this helps.best of luck to you with the decision

 

[knieghtz]

well as stated by the OP,the engine has 180k miles on it.even if the engine did check out with 100% compression across the board,the fact is its still got 180k miles on it and its only a matter of time before something gives.just because a compression test clears as good does not mean you're gonna be fine throwing a bunch of parts at it.sure,the rings and valves might be structurally sound,but what about the rest of the engine.why put youre money into feeding a dieing horse when theres a young thoroughbred just waiting to be rid? you know what i mean? youd be much better off getting in some pedal time with the stick shift now,doing a simple rebuild, and taking it from there.then you can actually have some fun modifying your dsm,instead of diagnosing the damn block half the time.trust me youre gonna be doing plenty of diagnosing elsewhere with a DSM . As for having more problems after the rebuild,just make sure you take youre time and do not attempt to do something beyond youre capabilities and youll be fine.ask questions if you need to and like another poster on this thread already put perfectly: LIVE ON THIS SITE(if you cant find the answer here youre just not using the search function right.haha.this site is amazing!).the experinence and knowledge youll recieve from doing the rebuild in your garage is gonna be priceless and will get you off on a great start to understanding these engines.there was a point in time when it was like a slap in the face to have anyone else work on your car.you werent a "car guy" unless you were your own mechanic.people took pride in their cars,and in their own work that they put into it,and im sure you will take great pride in your own.plus when you get that great tingling feeling in your body the first time she starts up after the rebuild,the satisfaction will be overpowering and youll be grateful you decided to do the rebuild yourself.

As for 7-bolt crankwalk,its all just overexagerated hype like most people say.crankwalk can happen on ANY engine.ask 20 different ex 7-bolt owners what happened to their engine,youll get 20 different answers ya know? had 2 previous 2G 7-bolts,both with around 120k miles and no crankwalk problems.ive only heard of 1 crankwalk occurance of the 50 or 60 dsm owners ive talked to.here in illinois theyre all over the damn place.

hope this helps.best of luck to you with the decision

I really appreciate your advice turbo. You make a lot of sense and you gave me a bunch of great ideas. Ill keep you guys posted on the project.