rebuild or replace ?

[onlyoneromeo]

hello all. i am about to take a plunge into the world of dsm. i have recently acquired (for free) a 1999 gst spyder 5 speed. the previous owner said the motor was rebuilt and then had an electrical issue which caused the car not to run. upon further questioning and of the previous owner he said it was rebuilt because it over heated which leads me to believe that maybe only the head gasket was replaced and not a complete rebuild.

i find the elecrical issue and get the car to start. then the engine starts a loud noise which seemed like it was coming from the top end. i ran it a few times and then left it alone for a day. today i went back and started it again . i was going to change the oil and tune it up . when i started it it was quiet for a few seconds and then the noise came back. this time it got really loud and finally the engine seized. i look at the oil and it was black as hell. upon looking closer i can see very tiny microscopic shiny metal glitter in the oil. the car wont crank anymore so im thinking i need a new engine.

the question of the day is , which is more cost effective? replace with a used engine or have someone rebuild it? im not looking to do anything crazy with the car, i just want it to run and be healthy. any suggestions from personal experience i should consider? and no i wont be doing the work myself.

thanx in advance
romeo

 

[grothe3297venge]

Rebuilding you will know what's getting done, a used motor if you can find one will be cheaper but you take the risk of not knowing the condition.. So depends if you find out why your motor seized and rebuild or you can get a used engine, drive it, do a compression check and also check for leaks!! Good luck keep us posted!

 

[mattasi]

It will probably be cheaper "at first" to get a junkyard motor. How long will the junkyard motor last? Probably not long, but who knows. I would probably have the motor rebuild and then you won't need to worry about reliability as much, and you won't spend your money twice.

 

[onlyoneromeo]

thanx guys. im thinking to have my friend rebuild it . i looked on ebay at some engines and they want damn near 2grand for a used engine. im thinking if its my bottom end that is toast i can have him disassemble and just replace whats really necessary and be better off in the long run.

are there any common sites that people use to get their engines that you guys know about?

i have been doing some research and it seems like these mitsubishi motors dont last very long. am i wrong? or is it that everyone i read about has gotten a bad deal on an abused car from a previous owner like me?

 

[bryanwheat]

thanx guys. im thinking to have my friend rebuild it . i looked on ebay at some engines and they want damn near 2grand for a used engine. im thinking if its my bottom end that is toast i can have him disassemble and just replace whats really necessary and be better off in the long run.

are there any common sites that people use to get their engines that you guys know about?

i have been doing some research and it seems like these mitsubishi motors dont last very long. am i wrong? or is it that everyone i read about has gotten a bad deal on an abused car from a previous owner like me?

IF taken care of they last a very long time. I would pull it apart and inspect it. You will have to clean all the oil passages and the turbo will likely have to be replaced because of metal contamination.

 

[grothe3297venge]

It all depends how well you take care of and maintain your car.. Rebuild it with quality parts and I'm sure your motor will last you quite a while! So if you rebuild it, replace all gaskets necessary, valves, and mind as well do timing components (water pump and what not) and have a fresh engine and you should have no issues!!

^^^^ what Bryan said also!!!

 

[bryanwheat]

It all depends how well you take care of and maintain your car.. Rebuild it with quality parts and I'm sure your motor will last you quite a while! So if you rebuild it, replace all gaskets necessary, valves, and mind as well do timing components (water pump and what not) and have a fresh engine and you should have no issues!!

^^^^ what Bryan said also!!!

The valves are something that you don't need to replace, the oem valves are better quality than most of the aftermarkets out there. Valves can be used for many rebuilds because they can be resurfaced.

 

[mattasi]

thanx guys. im thinking to have my friend rebuild it . i looked on ebay at some engines and they want damn near 2grand for a used engine. im thinking if its my bottom end that is toast i can have him disassemble and just replace whats really necessary and be better off in the long run.

are there any common sites that people use to get their engines that you guys know about?

i have been doing some research and it seems like these mitsubishi motors dont last very long. am i wrong? or is it that everyone i read about has gotten a bad deal on an abused car from a previous owner like me?

Yea rebuild is the way to go, then you know what has been done, and what parts were used ect...I would stay away from ebay, especially for a motor.

With the rebuild you will be better off in the long run.

DSM have been givin the rep that they break a lot. I think that it comes down to how you treat your car. Sure if you don't take care of the car it will break. Although I am not going to lie, I have replaced everthing under the hood of my car with new parts, and I still come up with lists of stuff to keep me busy .

 

[scoop06pv]

you could try craigslist.org theres always tons of dsm parts on there, also i wouldnt recommend buying a used engine considering u have no idea if somethings wrong miles so unless u plan to inspekt it completely do a few tests etc.. i wuld just rebuild ## own.. hope that helps!!

also idk about everyone else bt i love the 4g63 its a great motor but like the others say if u dnt do regular maintennce n take care of her she will not in return! i always seem to have bad trannies!!

 

[bryanwheat]

Yea rebuild is the way to go, then you know what has been done, and what parts were used ect...I would stay away from ebay, especially for a motor.

With the rebuild you will be better off in the long run.

DSM have been givin the rep that they break a lot. I think that it comes down to how you treat your car. Sure if you don't take care of the car it will break. Although I am not going to lie, I have replaced everthing under the hood of my car with new parts, and I still come up with lists of stuff to keep me busy .

The ebay mizzumo piston, ring and bearing packages are actually real good quality. The pistons are rings are npr and the bearings are acl or king. Some don't like the gaskets, but i run them with no problems. You can also get the oem Hyundai oil pumps for a pretty good price, gmb water pumps and gates timing parts. You just have to watch what you buy and go after the right brands.

130 dollars for pistons rings, and bearings, http://www.ebay.com/itm/June-97-99-...Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item53e76d1fc1

 

[rx7ttlm]

The same thing I ask everyone. How much can you spend? Vs how much do you want to spend? If you can throw 2k+ you can get the engine rebuilt. You can also get JDM motors from some vendors for 1000-1500 from japan that have 50,xxx or so miles. It is really a question of what you want to do with it.

 

[onlyoneromeo]

Ok guys thanx for all of your help and replies. After taking everything into consideration i think im going to end up swapping with a low mileage engine. People want way too much to rebuild an engine and a lot of extra costs are incurred because a lot of stuff has to be sent out to machine shops and whatnot. Are there any reputaused ble online places to buy a used engine for our cars?

 

[Davids97Eclipse]

Look on the forums for dsmers in your region and post there i'm sure someone could point you in the right direction