A sad day for me, my baby is in the shop and is requiring a new engine.

Ok here it is, mechanic has a 80k replacement engine out of an 89 into my 89. Cost of engine is 1800. Labor 1500. Misc radiator replacement, hose and lines replacement an addition 500. Total cost 3500.

Too much? Or what. Any suggestions welcome because not fixing her isnt an option.

thanks
Robin

 

That seems high, 80k mile motor is kind of taking chances.
Rebuilding the stocker would be less. Even if it cost the same its worth it to make it like new.

 

$1800 for an 80K mile engine? Too much. $300-$500 would be more realistic, and I'd want maintenance records on it.

When you say yours needs replacing, what's wrong with it? Burning oil? Knocking? Seized? Fist sized hole in block?

With the exception of the last, your current engine can probably be freshened for roughly the same cost if you stay with factory heads, cam, etc. The only exception is if it has been bored .060 already and is worn beyond that.

Overhauling an engine isn't really expensive until you start upgrading....you know, the "while it's apart, let's change ______.....which tends to snowball quickly. Machine work can get pricey depending on what you need done, but I think $1800 for a stock rebuild is certainly doable. And unlike the 80K mile engine, it will be completely fresh and should perform like a new engine for another 150K + miles if it's cared for.

 

The engine is a rip off and the labor is a good deal.

Do it yourself DIY, its fun.

Buy the tools, the crane, the mount, the RTV, the beer, listen to your wife bitchin and in the end it will be more expensive but, you will have the personal satisfaction that it is your Vette and you did it yourself.

Whats wrong with your current engine? A L98 just dont die.

 

I with the others $1800.00 for a used motor with 80K is a lot.
You can gt your old one rebuilt for the same or less and it be fresh and new.

For Labor I did my own engine swap also it not hard but not easy either just take your time couple hours a day or weekend so you dont get burnt out on the project and you know when it off jacks and back on the road it done the way you want it done with TLC not a hack job some shops do just to turn a buck.

This how I been rebuilding my C4 from painting the car my self in my garage new engine, transmission, rebuilt the supenision, New seat ect couple hours a day untill you get it done.

 

way too much for an 80k engine. You could probably find a new longblock or simply take yours to a machine shop and have it freshened if the block itself is not ruined. 2040 cam and 1.6 roller tip rockers would be computer compatible and wake the car up quite a bite. i'd bet the machine shop/parts bill would be just over 1k or so. Best of luck, but don't pay 1800 for a used engine

 

What they said. I would get another estimate.

 

Labor and misc parts is what I would expect to pay for the engine swap.
The price for the engine is right in the "inexpensive rebuild" range.
If a rod didn't come thru the block I'd just have it rebuilt.

let see Fredericksburg, There as to be a good machine shop near you. I haven't lived in that area for years, but I seem to recall a small shop on US1 near Thornburg that did me right on a repair once.

Good Luck!

 

Well I got edumacated about short/long block etc.

The initial issue was white smoke coming out of the exhaust, I shut her down and checked oil - was good.(Doesn't leak or burn - never have to add and I check it consistently)Then notice a big steady drip of coming off where the muffler attachs so drove it to the nearest muffler shop - there the mechanic thought it was a blown head gasket. Had it towed home.

Called some auto shops next day (DIY - not happening) and one of the shops came out and picked it up and took it to his shop and verified the blown head gasket.

To make a long story short, he quoted me the 3500 for the 80k 89 SHORT block and transfer of parts and assembly. When I realized what that meant I was like oh H*** NO.

Told him this morning, I wanted the head gasket replaced and didn't want it to go to a machine shop to have them rebuilt - that would change the dyanamics of the compression to the bottome part of the engine. He agreed and said they would pull it and check it for warp damage, and I was welcome to come in and see if they discovered some. Then I told him I wanted the radiator, thermostat and water pump replaced. He is working me up a price as I write this.

So I can't help but thinking he saw a skirt and rubbed his hands greedily together.

Knowledge is power!

 

OK... I'm confused.

You have an otherwise fine running engine with a blown head gasket... right? Replace the head gaskets and call it a day. You never said anything about a massive overheat or anything of that sort. It's an L98. It is fine. Why would you replace a bunch of stuff that doesn't need to be replaced? These things break enough as it is. No need to fix the good parts.

It sounds like you are still learning about these things. I don't mean this in an insulting way, but mechanics will take advantage if they can. Unless you know exactly what you are talking about, my suggestion is to run it past us here before you agree to ANYTHING.

 

Must.... resist.... asking... for... pics...of... skirt....

 

I am wanting the radiator replaced because some previous owner AH put fix a leak in there and it looks like mud. The water pump and thermostat are precautions.

And yep what was I thinking not to ask you guys first, I know there is a lot of experience and expertise here.

Thank you all so much.

Robin

 

Now that actually makes sense. That fix-leak stuff is horendous.

If you have the "mud" in the radiator, you need to do a full flush while you have it apart or else your new parts will be full of it again as soon as you start it.

 

A head gasket is a (relatively speaking) simple repair. Certainly not $3300 worth.....but I gotta ask, do you really trust this guy after he tried to financially sodomize you? A couple of simple tests on his part and he could have called you and said "Blown head gasket, $400 parts and labor, it will be ready Friday".

As for the radiator, why replace it? Just have it flushed, any leaks repaired, and pressure tested and clean out the frontal opening. Flush the rest of the cooling system and call it good. It's your car and your money, but that seems like a lot of cash down the drain replacing what may be perfectly good parts.

With a few exceptions, mechanics don't care.....you want parts replaced, they'll do just that. But why not save money you don't need to spend?

 

Yep that was my thought exactly.

 

I'm not done dealing with his shop yet. See he came out and towed it to his shop, with tow is free if he fixes it. I know.....it was an ignorant move on my part, so I thought that once he works the price up, I'm going to ask him how much is the towing if I don't have him fix it and take it else where for quote and repair. Quiet frankly, I don't want my girl down for weeks or months.

It was a real stupid move not have done my homework first and now I'm paying the price, but I can tell you all that I'm a real tiger in my business dealings once I have my arms around the problem and understand it. He may wish I'd never walked into his shop

 

Have it towed to your house, and do it yourself. We'll walk you through it. Maybe some members on herelive close to you and will help you wrench for pizza and beer. If you were close, we'd have your car on the road in an afternoon for $75, a Super Supreme, and a 12 pack of Fat Tire.

 

Friz is right! Tow it today and pay them for whatever 'looking' they did. Since you're doing the heads, you might as well order a set of fresh rebuilt injectors from FIC while you're at it. Replace the EGR and fuel pressure regulator too, because they sit under the intake plenum and you might as well do it now (they're not that expensive and replacing them later will be far more costly than doing it now).

I did the heads on my wife's 87' three years ago and it still runs like a champ and passes smog easily.

 

Look around and see what kind of prices you can find. When the radiator on my old 87 started leaking not all that long ago, it was actually cheaper to replace with a good one than to repair the old one.

Admittedly, I haven't looked at prices in a while...

 

Wow....crazy. When the radiator on my 84 started leaking, a local shop welded, flushed, and painted it for $45. Granted, that was in 2002 so it's probably gone up quite a bit....but if you can get new for the same price as fixed, not a bad deal. Unless it's of Chinese descent....