Have you ever had to replace an engine in a car?

Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
8,145
Location
Michigan
Not with your mechanic skills but as a general failure or performance question.

We had to one time on an Olds 88 with a 3.8 engine. The intake gasket failed causing coolant into a cylinder hydrolocking it and throwing the rod thru the block.

How about you?
 
friends mazda with 20 psi of boost had a case of missing rod bearings, no pcv mods, just knockin. he bought a motor from eBay and a bigger turbo and I fixed it over the summer last year.
 
Within my immediate fleet, there were two engine repairs where a used engine may have been a smarter choice.

1) 2011 Prius - head gasket failed at 185K.

2) 2008 Camry V6 - a valve spring broke at 130K. Replacing the engine would have been a quicker and less risky option than to disassemble, r/r cyl head, reseal and reassemble.
 
Yes, 2012 ISB Cummins in a Dodge 3500 spun a main bearing with 110,000 miles. Truck was sold for parts and the engine was never torn down to see why it spun the bearing. Wasn't low on oil or diluted with fuel, 10,000 miles oil changes about once/month. Very strange that it spun the bearing. My brother didn't bother to see why it spun the main, because a career diesel mechanic told him the engine would be junk. I disagreed, but got out voted. I would have at least looked at it to see if it could be repaired, the truck was just over a year old and it was an expensive truck.
 
Long time ago a 1988 Ford Tempo had a rod knock I discovered after buying it. Ford swapped in a long block under warranty.

A few years ago I bought an 11,000 mile 2015 Audi S4 with engine noise. The story was it had been driven over a curb and cracked the oil pan. Oil leaked out overnight and the next morning the owner ran it without oil. He or his shop replaced the pan and got it running and traded it in. I got it from the dealer he traded it to or some other dealer down the line. I had it towed home and then was able to drive it to the local Audi dealer and say "it's been making a funny noise lately," can you check it out. After a month I got it back with a new long block at no charge.
 
My 70 elcamino. The 350 developed a rod knock. I had a local shop build the long block that was never right.

2.6 Mitsubishi broke a crank@44k. I put a low milage engine in it from a wreck

69 Chevelle with a 6 had the oil pump fall off the mount. This was a blessing because the 302 I rebuilt myself for it was much more fun.

The 340 duster I had dropped a valve. I had the heads heads done ,a sleeve and a piston. It dropped another valve and I threw the 340 away and rebuilt a 360 for it. Never was happy with it's performance vs the 340.

Also various dirt bikes and atv's both 2 and 4 cycle got rebuilt by me over my lifetime.
 
1991 Mazda MX5, bought it with a semi bum motor. Ran ok, burned some oil and was down on power compared to other cars. No idea what was wrong with it, but at the time was a member of the Mazdaspeed program, so I was able to order a long block straight from Mazda for a resonable price. Bought an engine lift and did the swap in my buddies shop over a few days. Of course there's a list of things you replace 'while you're in there'. Clutch, hoses, etc.

Pretty easy job all things considered, working on that car is like working on an old school american RWD car, just about 1/2 the size.
 
Oops, forgot about my 73 Monte Carlo. Bought a used engine for it that ended up being junk. Went to court for that one and lost.
 
'74 BMW 2002 .Knowingly bought the clean, original Southern car with timing chain rattle and making lots of grey paste. Drove great though, engine was strong. Put a rebuild in her and have the original taking up floor space in the barn. It will make someone a very nice core, or I may build something interesting myself when I have time..DIY 2002 Turbo maybe?? ;)

OIP.jpg

pic from web
 
Last edited:
I have bad luck

88 Bronco 5.0 clogged injector? Burned hole in piston

98 BMW 328 blown headgasket, cracked head with highish miles. Just replaced it all

01 F150 5.4 - defect causing oil leaks, replaced under warranty. New engine has minor leaks too. Still going 20 years later though
 
Back
Top