2000 Honda CR-V engine rebuild

I was the one who posted it before and it was my daughters experience. I had heard nothing but good things about Jasper before and had no reason to make up anything about them. My daughter will never buy another rebuilt engine from anyone and her mechanic was thoroughly sick of dealing with Jasper and her. I am just glad that she let the mechanic source the engine because I have no Idea how much additional labor would have been involved of if Jasper would have reimbursed her.

The car was a 2007 Rav4, 4 cylinder.

I am 78 and have no intention of driving my 2017 Toyota Sienna for the rest of my life. I think it’s important for old geezers like me to keep up with technology.
While I don’t like the throw away society, there have been great advances in electronics, household appliances and automobiles. I thought the CDC 6600 computer that was installed at the university I attended as a graduate student back in 1970 was the ultimate in computers. My laptop probably has more power than that machine and I don’t have to punch cards for input. I had a dishwasher that finally gave out after 29 years. Its replacement is not only much quieter, but gets the dishes cleaner. I bought a new minivan back in 2000. The 2017 I now own is an improvement in handling, comfort, and gasoline mileage. It’s convenient for me to pair my smartphone with the audio system so I can answer the phone without taking my hands off the wheel.
One problem with keeping anything mechanical or electronic for a long time is the lack of availability of parts. I have a pushmower that I bought in 1992. The handle broke and a new handle isn’t available. I managed to bridge the break with a piece of electrical conduit. I don’t know about parts availability for a 2000 Honda SUV, but I imagine that there may be some parts, particularly body parts that may be scarce. Also, if a 2000 Honda SUV is totaled in an accident, you won’t get much for it, even if it has a new engine.
There is a spoken dialogue in an alto horn sonata by the 20th century composer Paul Hindemith which, translated from German reads “The old is not good simply because it has passed, nor is the new supreme because we live with it”. I like old cars and there were some good features. For instance, my 1947 Pontiac had a heater under the seat which my later 1965 Rambler didn’t have. My 1971 Ford Maverick was the easiest car I ever owned to service. Yet, I get better mileage and can transport more people comfortably in my 2017 Sienna than I could in the Maverick.
My recommendation is to stay with the times. I know what is made today isn’t supreme, but technology keeps improving.

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A lot to be said for that. Reminds me that I like to listen to audio books (at home) & was battling my audio CD player for months trying to get it to stop skipping. I’d clean the disc, clean the lens, eventually could get it to play. Until time to change the disc. etc etc … Finally I purchased a new CD player, and voila, not a single skip.

But it was a bit of a fun challenge trying to get the old one to work too.

You never know with assembly line engine builders what you will get. Some years ago I installed a remanufactured long block in an old VW Bus in which the original engine was scrap metal.
Three hundred miles later that engine failed catastrophically and I had to eat the cost as the engine reman facility would not accept the blame for their screwup. The Bus owners were fine with me.

The cause of the failure was sucking air between the cylinders and heads. The old air cools do not use a head gasket so fitment is very critical during assembly. Fitment was an unknown word there I guess…

I discovered out of a lot of 75 engines they shipped out that 71 of them were returned with damage varying from moderate to, as in my case, catastrophic.

Not sure if you’d consider me just stubborn or plain stupid, but I’ve stuck with this and been replacing things. In the last 2 year, inner and outer tie rods, upper/lower bushings, all hoses in 2016, not to mention the regular stuff like a starter and alternator.
I’m also aware that some things don’t need to be fixed, like the probable broken cruise control actuator (new replacement unavailable), but my foot still works.
Like to say here, thanks to all for this great discussion, a lot of good advice and things to think about.

Great to hear you’re keeping in going like that. True eco motoring. Knowing you’ve done all that, if you’re concerned about the engin, I’d be on the lookout for an accident damaged CRV with low miles that you can transfer the engine from. Worth pricing up the option. Might be in the order of $1000-$1500 to get the whole job done - purchase and swap.

Next stop- disneyland…

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How do you figure that? Maybe $500 for the long block, $700-1000 for the swap.

And just where are you going to find a 2000 CRV with low miles plus the chance that a later model engine might not fit without expensive modifications .

@George_San_Jose. There is a certain satisfaction in keeping something old going. There also comes a point where it becomes annoying like your CD player.
I am having a debate right now about a situation. My shoulders and back really bothered me when mulching the leaves with my old push mower. I can’t decide whether to buy a new self propelled mower or spend the money on enrolling in a physical fitness program to strengthen my shoulder and back muscles. If I go on the physical fitness program, the old mower will give out and I will have to buy a new mower anyway. On the other hand, there are a lot of people I still want to irritate, so I want to live as long as possible. Mrs. Triedaq reminded me that there are still parts available for me. I had a bad tooth replaced with an implant and I can chew food as well as I ever did. I have friends that have had hips and knees replaced. If I ever have to have a replacement joint, I am going to insist the surgeon install one with zirk fittings so I can maintain it so it will last longer than my original equipment.

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Yeah, I don’t know any reputable mechanics that work for 35-50/hr.
IF you find a low miles, 19 year old engine, it’s not likely going to be local. Add on $250-300 for shipping it and then pray you don’t get taken on a cheap motor…because returning it will be problematic. You’ll pay shipping AGAIN plus, the mechanic labor will be multiplied for another swap…

Personally, I would >2x the cost you proposed.

Uhhh Is that a trick question? At a Honda breaker/recycler/dismantler yard of course, that’s what they do. I say accident damaged because an old model will generally be written off and not repaired leaving a perfectly good engine. There’s no rush, so “be on the lookout” implies being patient. And yes, one of the same model - it would be ludicrous to adapt a later model to fit.

Yes shipping is a potential cost. But 1 day should see a swap of a CRV engine. At $75ph, 10hrs + consumables should see it done.

No offense, but I think your logic is extremely flawed

op has not indicated that there’s actually anything wrong with the current engine at this time

Therefore, I see no need to install an engine from a wrecked CR-V

Besides that, you’re forgetting something very important . . .

There’s an extremely good chance that one or more things will go wrong

Such as . . .

The donor engine has problems which op’s engine did not have

The donor engine is way overdue for maintenance which op’s engine has already received

The donor engine has a lot of engine oil and/or coolant leaks

The donor engine has low compression

The donor engine has an oil consumption problem

Wiring harness gets damaged during the repair . . . very likely considering the age of the wiring

Hardware strips out or breaks during the repair

I could go on . . .

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I fully agree with db4690 on all points. Just an addendum here, but I’ve swapped same year engines that sometimes had to have a few mods done to make them work right.

I also agree with Twin-Turbo about the Disneyland stop. I see no way in the world this could be done for 1500 bucks and get anything more than a quarter million mile engine baling wired in place by a hack. Even here in OK where the cost of living is much lower that price would be laughed at.

And as mentioned you are talking about a “maybe” engine replacement. Your engine might well go 500k miles if taken care of.

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Db4690 You should go back and read previous comments. The first advice is that these B series engines are great and it’s the last part of the car that will break. He should keep driving it until it starts to fail.
Great you have an opinion that supports that too but the specific question posed by the thread starter and the subsequent info he supplied point to him wanting to keep this car “forever”, were about potential engine replacement. So what’s your solution?

I just checked my local general wrecker lists online. They have 3 complete CRVs in the same model years with under 120,000 miles (one with 80,000). They charge $360 for any 4cyl injected engine.

seems to me you’re advocating that op should be planning that engine swap

I have read ALL of the previous comments

I hope you’re not implying I just jumped in, unprepared . . .

I agree

However . . . your comments were “open to interpetation”

In fact, I would suggest that your comments could lead many people to believe you’re advocating replacing the engine as soon as possible

My solution is to NOT drive the car forever

Plan on buying a brand new car now

Right , just exactly what I would want . A 19 year old engine that has been setting on a rack for who knows how long and if it did run it might not do that very long.

There are no shops around here ( southern NJ,) that have an hourly rate of less than $100.