ready to buy a ze

[projectzemx3]

ok so its time to buy a ze. i know exactly which one i want how can i tell if its a healthy motor or not? i am asking to see the compression test results. 215psi in each cylinder is perfect so i want as close to that as possible. what else should i keep my eye out for?

[solo_ryder]

Tons of threads on this, check this one out:

http://www.mx-3.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=67992

One of the ways I personally determine a good motor is by checking out the valvetrain, that can tell you alot.

1. It can tell you whether or not the motor had proper oil changes (no oil buildup)
2. It can tell you the approximate mileage (the cleaner and less tarnished, the lower in most cases)
3. It can show you if the car was ever run low on oil by looking at wear on the cam lobes

Odds are if you find a motor that is very clean inside the valvecover, then the motor should be ok.

Another method is a complete leakdown test , it is more reliable then just a cold compression test which is not always so accurate. Either way you are looking at proly 205 per cylinder + or - no more then 10psi per cylinder.

- Check out the gaskets, are the valvecover gaskets leaking? Are they leaking into the spark plug area? That could be a sign of a high mileage motor
- Check the spark plugs out, are they fouled? or are they a nice tan color on the tip area? - If they are black, that could mean the car was burning oil etc. Check this guide out for spark plug problem detection:

http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/engine/plugs.html

When you are getting a ZE, make 100% sure that the head codes are correct - KL31-1A1 and KL31-101. No acceptations. If you want the best of the best, try to get a straight neck motor and trade the straight neck IM for a curved neck, that way you will get the more aggressive kl31 cams. The curved neck motor has kl01 cams and is also a good motor.

Ask the company you are buying from if they can do a leakdown or compression test for you and ask for warranty, they should offer a 1 year warranty start up warranty

[projectzemx3]

thats awesome, good advice. i know all about the engine codes, cams and IM all covered there. lol yeah i actually read through that post myself tonight.

[RX8SE3P]

Most places do 90 day warranty. Basically warranty is rubbish, they won't usually cover it if you put it in and 2 months down the track it blows up. It's really only good if the engine is screwed right from the get go and won't work.

[projectzemx3]

yeah well i disregarded that part. try finding a ze with a 1 year warranty. i thought that warranties were usually like 30 days. even 90 sounds much.

[Daninski]

StreetImports.com have a good rep but they don't always have ZE's in stock. Tiger Janpaneese were dishonest when I bought from them. Broke the engine block taking the trans off and didn't tell me then didn't want to refund my money when I caught them. they're warehouse is very dark so bring a good flashlite. Spend a day and go around Toronto. There's at least 4-5 shops that sell ZE's.

[projectzemx3]

yeah i heard about tigerjap's rep and i wont give them my business because of it. i was also looking on torontojdm.com