Engine Swap - 1987 Corvette
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Engine Swap - 1987 Corvette
I need some guideance on buying a used engine for my 1987 Corvette. I’m 16 and I don’t want to buy junk. Some of you older guys would know a bit more than me 
I’m located in Chicago.
engine specs:
117,000 Miles
190 PSI on all cylinders compression test read.
Video of used engine im buying:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/dga4t...qc4yg70uv&dl=0
I’m located in Chicago. engine specs:
117,000 Miles
190 PSI on all cylinders compression test read.
Video of used engine im buying:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/dga4t...qc4yg70uv&dl=0
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2023
Posts: 90
Likes: 13
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it’s from Rite Way Auto, they take care apart and sell parts, they just happen to be doing lots of corvettes.
a legit business with an actual warranty, not a scrapyard.
should I buy it? This is the only trustable route I can take?
a legit business with an actual warranty, not a scrapyard.
should I buy it? This is the only trustable route I can take?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2022
Posts: 1,159
Likes: 492
Assuming that all cylinders are reading at or near 190, seems pretty decent for a 9.5:1 compression L98 motor. Wait for other members to comment further as I could be off. Show us the readings.
You want consistency (or very close) across all cylinders, so you should request they show you the actual readings and that they ship those readings along with the motor. Color me skeptical that every cylinder is reading exactly 190, especially on a 117K mileage motor. Generally, 10 percent from lowest to highest cylinder reading is within an acceptable range for a higher mileage motor, BUT no more than a 5% spread is good. 1-3% is ideal.
If it's actually 190 exactly across all cylinders, have them prove it. All I saw was a video of the motor running, but that doesn't prove anything other than there were no weird audible sounds at idle or at rev. Not a good idea to purchase a used motor with 117K miles without having the shop provide that data along with some sort of warranty.
If you do decide to purchase the motor, when you get it, consider a more comprehensive leak down test before installing. Very simple to do with the motor out of the car. Then if you detect any issues, it's a lot easier to make the case if it wasn't installed.
What's wrong with the L98 engine in your '87?
You want consistency (or very close) across all cylinders, so you should request they show you the actual readings and that they ship those readings along with the motor. Color me skeptical that every cylinder is reading exactly 190, especially on a 117K mileage motor. Generally, 10 percent from lowest to highest cylinder reading is within an acceptable range for a higher mileage motor, BUT no more than a 5% spread is good. 1-3% is ideal.
If it's actually 190 exactly across all cylinders, have them prove it. All I saw was a video of the motor running, but that doesn't prove anything other than there were no weird audible sounds at idle or at rev. Not a good idea to purchase a used motor with 117K miles without having the shop provide that data along with some sort of warranty.
If you do decide to purchase the motor, when you get it, consider a more comprehensive leak down test before installing. Very simple to do with the motor out of the car. Then if you detect any issues, it's a lot easier to make the case if it wasn't installed.
What's wrong with the L98 engine in your '87?
Last edited by Corvette-ZL1; Sep 28, 2023 at 04:23 PM.
