260k KLDE worth it?
Posted: November 1st, 2010, 4:11 pm
ive been looking for a decent klde to do a swap on my car for a while now. ive been checking craigslist almost every day but i almost never see them come up. ive found a klde from a 94 probe gt with 240,000 or 260,000kms on it and was wondering what peoples thoughts were on it? the guy says it runs great, pulls hard, doesnt smoke, leak or burn coolant. the only problem with the motor is it has a slight oil leak that im guessing/hoping is from the oil pan gasket. i forgot to ask for some compression numbers from the motor but i will send him an email and see if he can grab them before he pulls it. he also said hed look more into the oil leak and get back to me.
now 260k is quite alot of kms and im sure something in the motor is starting to wear out. assuming it runs as good as he is saying and the compression numbers are decent what internal parts should/could be on there way out in the near future? what do you think a good price for the motor would be? hes asking $200 but i think id offer $100 or $150 and go from there.
if i do buy it, how hard would it be to do a partial rebuild? id want to replace all the gaskets, clean everything out as best i can, and replace any parts that are known for failing (springs, piston rings?). ive never worked inside a motor before, but i am fairly confident with tools and working on my car.would the only machining work i would need be the heads and block for a new head gasket? i have a chiltons repair manual and ive been reading over the engine rebuild section so i have a basic idea of whats required. keep in mind i wouldnt plan on doing the swap until may so i would have plenty of time to get it done without rushing anything.
would it be worth attempting this with my basic understanding of how motors work? i think it would be a good learning experience but i dont want to end up having to spend a tun of money on it. the only other options for finding a motor around here would be wreckers which want $400 + tax, unless something comes up at pick a part for $200.
say i buy the motor for $150, then a gasket set is $80 off ebay, $50-$100 for random parts, and $100ish for machine the heads/block(is this an accurate price?) id come out under $450 for a cleaned motor with fresh gaskets at 260k. would this type of rebuild, if done correctly make the motor stronger then one with 120-150ks? or would it be a better idea to try and find one with lower milage?
now 260k is quite alot of kms and im sure something in the motor is starting to wear out. assuming it runs as good as he is saying and the compression numbers are decent what internal parts should/could be on there way out in the near future? what do you think a good price for the motor would be? hes asking $200 but i think id offer $100 or $150 and go from there.
if i do buy it, how hard would it be to do a partial rebuild? id want to replace all the gaskets, clean everything out as best i can, and replace any parts that are known for failing (springs, piston rings?). ive never worked inside a motor before, but i am fairly confident with tools and working on my car.would the only machining work i would need be the heads and block for a new head gasket? i have a chiltons repair manual and ive been reading over the engine rebuild section so i have a basic idea of whats required. keep in mind i wouldnt plan on doing the swap until may so i would have plenty of time to get it done without rushing anything.
would it be worth attempting this with my basic understanding of how motors work? i think it would be a good learning experience but i dont want to end up having to spend a tun of money on it. the only other options for finding a motor around here would be wreckers which want $400 + tax, unless something comes up at pick a part for $200.
say i buy the motor for $150, then a gasket set is $80 off ebay, $50-$100 for random parts, and $100ish for machine the heads/block(is this an accurate price?) id come out under $450 for a cleaned motor with fresh gaskets at 260k. would this type of rebuild, if done correctly make the motor stronger then one with 120-150ks? or would it be a better idea to try and find one with lower milage?