# Knowing when to say goodbye to old reliable **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [June 5, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/knowing-when-to-say-goodbye-to-old-reliable/31465 "2009-06-05T20:27:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![martinafan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@martinafan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/martinafan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/knowing-when-to-say-goodbye-to-old-reliable/31465/1 "2009-06-05T20:27:25Z")
Have a 98 Corolla with 283,000 miles, engine died, do I get a used engine for about $1400 or get ride of car for whatever I can get? ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/knowing-when-to-say-goodbye-to-old-reliable/31465/2 "2009-06-05T20:30:59Z")
It depends entirely on what shape the rest of the car is in. Also, what the car is used for. If you install a $1400 engine, some other item will fail in the near future at that mileage. If you can live with that, go ahead and fix it. If you can’t tolerate downtime, I would get a new set of wheels. ---
**Author:** ![martinafan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@martinafan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/martinafan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/knowing-when-to-say-goodbye-to-old-reliable/31465/3 "2009-06-05T20:33:51Z")
the rest of the car is in pretty good shape I have replaced a lot of components but this is the first time the engine has failed me. I use the car to do my work so I put on a lot miles. ---
**Author:** ![Xebadaih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d07c76/32.png) [@Xebadaih](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Xebadaih)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/knowing-when-to-say-goodbye-to-old-reliable/31465/4 "2009-06-05T20:41:21Z")
283,000 miles is a lot. If you have faith in the transmission, steering, suspension and brake components, then it would probably be worth it. Make sure you have a reputable shop do the transplant. Don’t get a Tijuana special just to save a couple hundred dollars, it will come back to bite you. ---
**Author:** ![martinafan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@martinafan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/martinafan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/knowing-when-to-say-goodbye-to-old-reliable/31465/5 "2009-06-05T20:46:37Z")
yes I know it happened to me with an 86 Camry I got somebody to put a junkyard engine for 500 bucks and from the get go I knew it was a mistake. It never ran good and 6mos later it died on me. ---
**Author:** ![rocketman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@rocketman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rocketman)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/knowing-when-to-say-goodbye-to-old-reliable/31465/6 "2009-06-05T21:24:02Z")
I would look hard at the rest of the car . . . it’s only a '98. If the rest is OK, go for the used engine . . . and do any seals and gaskets you can while the donor engine is waiting to go into your car. Most folks drive 15k a year or so . . so the donor car you should look for is a wrecked '98 with around 135k on it. And Toyota made a ton of Corollas, you shouldn’t have much trouble getting what you want in a decent used engine. Good luck! Rocketman ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/knowing-when-to-say-goodbye-to-old-reliable/31465/7 "2009-06-05T21:26:20Z")
What happened to the engine? “Died” covers the entire spectrum of possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![martinafan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@martinafan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/martinafan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/knowing-when-to-say-goodbye-to-old-reliable/31465/8 "2009-06-05T21:38:04Z")
its making a real loud racket as it’s running, the mechanic says there’s something getting loose inside the engine and at any give moment, the whole thing is gonna go kaputz, pistons, valves, oil shooting up everywhere, ect. He advised me not to hit the expressway until I fix it or get rid or it. He of course wants me to fix it, and I’m leaning towards that even though used Corolla engines are not too easy to find since these cars last so damn long, there’s not many of them in junkyards. ---
**Author:** ![martinafan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@martinafan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/martinafan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/knowing-when-to-say-goodbye-to-old-reliable/31465/9 "2009-06-05T21:39:44Z")
ps. we found a used engine with 96,000 miles and it does come with a 30 day warranty. But of course, there’s labor costs if it has to be swapped again.