Author Topic: Help! 2k seal up and fix, second hand engine or recondition  (Read 2695 times)

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Offline skaterdaniel

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Hey guys, long time reader first time poster!

I have a U12 TRX KA24E with approx 400,000 on the clock (cog stopped turning at 350odd several years ago so really it's anyone's guess)

My last service I was advised that it is leaking oil from every place it could (Distributor,rocker cover, back of engine, side of engine etc) approx $2k to fix everything (that's including other bits around the car such as CV joints, Steering rack boot etc).

Mechanic mentioned I may be better off with another engine being put in (I've priced them around $300-$500 mark plus approx $700 to fit).

So what are your viewpoints on my options

1: Spend the dough on my 400k clonker to seal it up and hope it lasts.
2: Play Russian Roulette with a second hand engine (I have sourced one with under 100,000 on it though!)
3: Recondition my engine (drive in drive out quote of $5k with minimal change)
4: Get a cheap second hand engine and get that reconditioned (hopefully find a place that can do it cheaper) and get that fitted when mine calls it a day

I have pipe dreams of supercharging or turbo charging the KA, preferably supercharging with a small eaton or even sc14 so I don't really want to close the door on that idea just yet.

I'm in Melbourne so if anyone can yell out a good place in the east (or west if they're that good) for any of the above shout them out.

Offline noss

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Re: Help! 2k seal up and fix, second hand engine or recondition
« Reply #1 on: Dec 6, 2013, 02:40PM »
$5k would get you a new car. It would probbaly get you a Bluebird  which you'd be happier with.

If you're willing to spend $5k. Buy the U13 Bluebird turbo that is for sale, sure it's in WA but you can get cars sent by train for cheap-ish.

If you really have oil leaking out of everywhere and you don't really want to spend  that much cash, buy the 2nd hand motor and then at least freshen it up a little with new head gasket, seals and maybe a timing chain. it's all much easier to do when it's out of the car.

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Offline skaterdaniel

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Re: Help! 2k seal up and fix, second hand engine or recondition
« Reply #2 on: Dec 10, 2013, 06:12PM »
Thanks for the tips, after much loss of sleep I have decided to run this f&#ker into the ground, instant gasket goo the block until it's a creamy mess and pray.

Once that gives the final goodbye I'll get a second hand engine, maybe sooner and do preventative stuff before it goes in like you suggested depending on cash.

There are a few suspension components that are oil soaked and that rubber tube bit under the distributor that also looks like a hot dog that has been reheated 100 times due to leaks that I will need to tend to sooner rather than later.

Just did a radiator flush and swore that I've seen cleaner things come out of a sewage pipe in a caravan that had been dumped and abandoned for a long time.

Got the cluster out last night (to get to that cog that busted). What a tiny little turd, one tooth missing... tried to remove and crushed it in between my fingers.
Now that the guts of the dash are out I'm going to get my hands on some paint and go nuts.

Have sanded back the indicator green bit of the speedo dial and getting a skull vinyl printed to fit for something different.

Next up:
Steering rack boot
Engine mount (the nasty one)
Extractors to 2.25 pipe with high flow cat and a milo tin on the back
New seats
New steering wheel (boss kit in the post)
Night shade the turn lamps
Re-do the grille with mesh and black paint.
New wheels if I can find what I'm after (5 star plain with studs all round, never seen them on a pinny but would love them)


Finally will bog up the dings and dents around the car and PLASTI-DIP the whole thing in either blue or black.




Offline Patt93

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Re: Help! 2k seal up and fix, second hand engine or recondition
« Reply #3 on: Dec 10, 2013, 07:48PM »
Yea i would just run the engine into the ground maintaining it as best you can, but it the meantime source a second hand engine and take your time rebuilding it yourself (if your up for that kind of thing) that way when/ if the current motors kicks it you can put the new one in asap.

Offline SSS

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Re: Help! 2k seal up and fix, second hand engine or recondition
« Reply #4 on: Dec 11, 2013, 07:04AM »
Is it burning any oil at all? (ie grey-ish smoke out of the exhaust during idle or deceleration)

If it isn't, your valve stem seals and rings are still ok.

Change the oil and filter every 5,000kms, I usually do on my 336,000km KA sohc and the oil is always quite clean. Number 1 killer of engines is oil sludge.

Water pump / thermostat is a little fiddly to change, but if you take the alternator out first, gives you a bit more room. You can deal with oil leaks, but you don't want it leaking coolant or overheating.

I can do a rebuild of the distributor if you like, I put a new bearing and radial seal in the distributor housing, this is where the oil comes from inside the distributor. You'll know if it is this because there will be oil in the distributor cap and in the housing where the rotor button is. It's $100 in labour, plus the cost of the bearing and the seal (have to double check those prices, from memory the seal and bearing is about $30). It is dependant on the condition of the shaft in your distributor though, I did one not too long ago where I had to scrap the shaft because of wear between the seal and the shaft.

$5k would get you a half decent forged bottom end, problem is that is doing all the assembly work yourself and having a workshop do the machining for you.

Offline skaterdaniel

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Re: Help! 2k seal up and fix, second hand engine or recondition
« Reply #5 on: Dec 11, 2013, 11:05AM »
Wow thanks SSS :D

I'm going to do the rocker cover gasket this weekend and give the area a wipe down to truly work out how much the distributor is leaking (if at all) and go from there.

cold start is a bit smoky, strong fuel smell if you stand behind. Smoke only comes out when I go above 4k WOT, it's about as bad as a richly running R33 hitting boost. The car rarely see's over 5200.

I've hunted around and can't find anything recent but I'm trying to find out if I can get my hands on one of these ANTRX chips. I have major flat spot between 1250 and 1800 odd rpm to the point where others in the car think I've stalled it. Hoping this could help remove this prob.

I've seen an electric water pump for one the Pintaras that was on the for sale board recently, very much thinking about doing this when mine calls it quits.

I've been religious with oil and filter every 3 months, now that my odometer cog is fixed I can ease up to 5,000kms, she drinks about a litre every month (Driving 50km a day there abouts). I'm topping up with kmart sludge and changing once I've got over half kmart cheap crap in there.

My top radiator hose appears to be rubbing away where it meets the power steering pump reservoir hose, not leaking yet but is really dark in a spot and feels weak.

Offline noss

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Re: Help! 2k seal up and fix, second hand engine or recondition
« Reply #6 on: Dec 11, 2013, 04:54PM »
i can see your problem straight up. you've been trying to cook a hotdog in your engine bay over 100 times. it probably looks like a shrivelled turd right now, but if you stop trying to cook hotdogs you may be able to save your motor.

also antrx chip are done by me. don't buy 2nd hand cause um.. i like money.. haha. but in all seriousness, i can sort you out with a chip for your car no dramas. flatspot begone. just be aware that if your car is running like rubbish, a chip will not fix problems that are elsewhere in the car.

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Offline skaterdaniel

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Re: Help! 2k seal up and fix, second hand engine or recondition
« Reply #7 on: Dec 12, 2013, 10:09AM »
You got me Noss, I have a sick hotdog fettish.

More than happy to get a new one through you mate, can you please inbox me the price and some info about it. I (wait for it) used the search button (Shock horror) and found a few old posts for places in Melbourne to get it put in so I THINK I'm ok there.

Just managed to get a whole bunch of steering wheels in a garage clean out on Ebay, and found a boss kit for $25 buy it now.

If anyone is considering a new steering wheel hit me up, I can inbox pics of the 5 I'll have left over and I'll let them go to people on here for $15 plus postage (or pick up)