Engine rebuild:how many hrs. or should i $

[SxMachine]

Well i'm blowin blueish smoke on take-off (piston rings maybe head gasket) my engine smokes slightly from around the block area (possible oil leak). I changed my oil yesterday and it was very sludgy (mud-like). My speedo hasn't worked since i bought the car in Sept. 02 the last mileage reading was about 182K (its prob around 200k+ by now). I don't really have the time to rebuild myself should i pay to have it done (not that i can afford it)? I'm trying 2 save 4 swap (sr20det) how long can i last before engine goes?

[Natty]

Can you get someone to help you swap in a "new to you" KA? You can pick one up cheap from a junker. If you want to do an SR down the road, just make it happen now :)
You never know with a used engine though.
Jeff

[kalieaire]

I dunno, it COULD be just your headgasket if you're leaking oil and having it smoke in the engine bay.

if it's just that, a technically competant guy can do it in a weekend, no problem. you just need to get a timing gun, make sure you have all the tools necessary to work on your car.

otherwise, swapping in another GOOD KA24 is not such a bad idea, not only could it be potentially easier to take the motor out and put it another back in, if it is definitely a good motor, then you won't have to worry about headgaskets busting or timing chains breaking, or piston rings wearing out.

it should roughly take 6 hours to swap if you spend every moment working on it.

The Speedo, you might want to do a continuity test between the speedo and the tranny. otherwise, just get a new gauge cluster, if that still doesn't work, something's wrong w/ the speed sensor.


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BY THE WAY, if your oil is like chocolate milk consistency, you got a blown HG Fo sho. did you overheat? maybe your head might be warped, but an OEM Fiber headgasket usually is a good enough cure.

[piratepete420]

Aren't engine rebuild kits like $200? Get a factory service manual, rent some tools for free from autozone, and go at it. Half of the people that work in shops probably didn't graduate from high school, so....... DIY all the way.

[SxMachine]

Yeah i'm seriously considering doing it myself (with some help of course), i was just wondering how long i could last under these conditions. My engine isn't smoking that much by the way, and wouldn't their be a coolant leak and some overheating if it is the head gasket.

[Jeff240sx]

Rebuild kits aren't $200. Hell, the gasket set alone is nearly $200, and I don't think the headgasket is included. Then piston rings are about that much, and valve seals are another $50 or so. Then you're looking at like 5 hours to carefully remove the motor (marking lines and connectors so you can put the motor back in correctly), and another 6 hours or so to replace stuff on the motor. Then.. another 4 or 5 hours to re-install the engine and fill the fluids/freon/work bugs out.
It'll be an entire weekend, mabey a tad more. And it will also be well over $200.
-Jeff