I don’t know what the car is worth in good shape or worth to you, but if it is a $7000 used car, you might consider selling the rest for part or repair, especially if the body and interior are good. You never know. Someone may have a wrecked car of similar model sitting around with a good engine and be willing to transfer the engine themselves or have a shop do it. Now if it is still a $15-20k car and you like it, by all means fix it.
car is worth more than 15K per blue book. Engine quotes are coming up like $2300 for a low mileage one from LKQ (guy who responded is from VA) to $3400 from the mechanic’s contact. So much difference. Later contact is someone the mechanic works with, Which one should I go with?
Ask the mechanic if he will guarantee the labor on the engine from his contact. Find out what the shipping will be on the one from VA, Your mechanic will not guarantee to do the labor to replace an engine he had no hand in choosing.
I suggest you get a local engine. If by some chance, the engine is still in the donor car, perhaps they can start it to make sure there are no obvious problems
Before installing another engine I will also strongly suggest that the front pump seal (torque converter) on the transmission be replaced. The seal is cheap and my feeling is that something like that should be thrown in labor free.
lt only takes a few minutes and Murhpy’s Law dictates that if the seal is not replaced it will start leaking the following week; possibly goaded along by wrestling the engine into place.
If that happens the engine or transmission will have to come out.
There is risk in purchasing used engines. The salvage yard wants to sell every engine, not just the engines that were running when they arrived. Should there be a problem they will provide a replacement under warranty. You would pay the labor for the second time if you provide the engine and it is no good.
Should the shop provide the engine it is up to the shop to establish the warranty policy.
A rough estimate would suggest the labor for this is $2400. This seems high for an independent. This is a one and a half day job for a dealer tech. The dealer has a large jack to lower the engine, transmission and sub frame from the car.
Very nice picture
It perfectly sums up what a big job this can be
Wow! Pretty expensive. The more expensive the car, I suppose the more expensive it is to repair. Take a look at Road & Track August 2014, the article on fixing “Supercars”. $3000 oil change on a Porsche Carrera GT, $6000 for a set of brake rotors on a Ferrari Enzo, $25,000 to replace the clutch on a Porsche Cayman. I’ll keep my Toyota as my daily runner and drive my Porsche replica cars for fun. All three are cheap and easy to fix. Rocketman BTW, I agree with the others, get a used engine and put that in, do all gaskets and seals that you can with the engine out of the car without breaking into the engine.
car is running since last Friday. Total cost ran up to 6400. (Engine was 3400 + 400 for 3 year warranty for Engine + 1/2 cost of labor). Labor was about $1650. New radiator, hoses, ATF, coolant, oil etc additional parts.
@SKish
Congratulations!
Glad to hear you got a 3 year warranty for the engine
It was smart that you replaced those other parts, also
I would strongly advise you to keep tabs on the oil level at first by checking it every 2 or 3 hundred miles and making doubly sure there are no oil consumption issues which could lead to little oil and a ruined engine.