Nuts. Toasted engine?

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

1997 Legacy L AWD wagon. Had an overheating problem. Tried the magic
headgasket in a bottle (worked on my '89 Coupe)...

Started it last fall and had white smoke all over the place. After using
the Genie in the bottle I took it out for a ride, and it took a LONG time
to get hot, but when it got hot, it got HOT!!! I had to move the car in
November after sitting for two months and the smoke was pretty incredible.
I'm wondering, warped heads? Cracked heads? The car has 335,000 but is
solid, the motor supposedly has 120K but no one really knows. It was a
swap.

If I can do this for $600 or less, OK. If not...what's the current price
of scrap?

 

[S.Hansen]

1997 Legacy L AWD wagon. Had an overheating problem. Tried the magic
headgasket in a bottle (worked on my '89 Coupe)...

Started it last fall and had white smoke all over the place. After using
the Genie in the bottle I took it out for a ride, and it took a LONG time
to get hot, but when it got hot, it got HOT!!! I had to move the car in
November after sitting for two months and the smoke was pretty incredible.
I'm wondering, warped heads? Cracked heads? The car has 335,000 but is
solid, the motor supposedly has 120K but no one really knows. It was a
swap.

If I can do this for $600 or less, OK. If not...what's the current price
of scrap?

Man So Sorry for you... Unfortaintlly scarap aint worth sh*t.
How much for another engine in your area?

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Man So Sorry for you... Unfortaintlly scarap aint worth sh*t.
How much for another engine in your area?

I looked on car-part. Anywhere from a couple hundred up.

I'm wondering if I should take the heads off and have them checked...

 

[StephenH]

I looked on car-part. Anywhere from a couple hundred up.

I'm wondering if I should take the heads off and have them checked...

I'd take the heads off and look, Check for warpage on the head AND the
block; no more than 2 thousandths I believe. With the smoke(?) sounds
like a gasket just gave way- it depends on how hot it got and if any
damage was caused by that.
What shape is the engine in? any oil leaks or other issues? Might be
easier for you to yank the engine anyway.

Oh, Back in Portland Oregon for Subaru school this week- two classes
on manual transmissions

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

I'd take the heads off and look, Check for warpage on the head AND the
block; no more than 2 thousandths I believe. With the smoke(?) sounds
like a gasket just gave way- it depends on how hot it got and if any
damage was caused by that.
What shape is the engine in? any oil leaks or other issues? Might be
easier for you to yank the engine anyway.

Oh, Back in Portland Oregon for Subaru school this week- two classes
on manual transmissions

The engine was running nice and strong. It was a good motor. I hope I
didn't wreck it. Can the heads be planed?

 

[StephenH]

The engine was running nice and strong. It was a good motor. I hope I
didn't wreck it. Can the heads be planed?

yes they can, but not the block. We send them out for a clean and
surface, but don't magnaflux them- subes just don't have a cracking
problem.
the only way to see is to pull the heads.
What kind of facilities do you have? a garage? access to a cherry
picker?
there are several different ways of approaching this. Guys at the shop
peel the intake loose and roll it to the rear of the engine
compartment, or pull it with the engine and unbolt it but only lift it
enough to clear the heads.
Let me know your thoughts...

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

yes they can, but not the block. We send them out for a clean and
surface, but don't magnaflux them- subes just don't have a cracking
problem.
the only way to see is to pull the heads.
What kind of facilities do you have? a garage? access to a cherry
picker?
there are several different ways of approaching this. Guys at the shop
peel the intake loose and roll it to the rear of the engine
compartment, or pull it with the engine and unbolt it but only lift it
enough to clear the heads.
Let me know your thoughts...

Thoughts? What are thoughts? OH! Those things that give me headaches!

I'm a novice. I only started getting greasy about 7 years ago, and only
because I couldn't afford a commercial brake job. After seeing how easy
that was I began to wonder what else was that easy (Um, not *quite*
everything...)

I was an electronics tech for 17 years, and an electro-mechanical tech for
5. After spending a good amount of my career trublshooting and fixing
things, and working with engineers, how hard can it be? (Remind me to tell
you of the 9 hour CV/axle change on my '89 Mazda...)

I've heard (here, from Steve, IIRC) that I can loosen the mounts, lift the
engine and unbolt the heads. I was going to pull the engine and do belts,
seals, etc but I'll wait to see what the condition is, I guess.

Blocks warp?

Oh. What's a "cherry picker"?

 

[StephenH]

Blocks warp?

Oh. What's a "cherry picker"?

Block warp- just like the heads- if it gets hot enough it distorts at
the head mating surface. if it's warped, its bad. Happens
occasionally, but not regularly.
Cherry picker=engine hoist.

Look at your knock sensor-if it has a "melted" look, the block got too
hot and its toast. we call it the overheat sensr, and if a car comes
in we check it forst-melted, we are done

Is this an auto trans or manual? Auto's have the torque converter
bolts that are difficult to remove to yank the engine

In theory you could jack the engine and get the heads off; its kinda
the way we do it at work, but were on a hoist and do most of it from
the bottom

 

[Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B]

Block warp- just like the heads- if it gets hot enough it distorts at
the head mating surface. if it's warped, its bad. Happens
occasionally, but not regularly.
Cherry picker=engine hoist.

Look at your knock sensor-if it has a "melted" look, the block got too
hot and its toast. we call it the overheat sensr, and if a car comes
in we check it forst-melted, we are done

Is this an auto trans or manual? Auto's have the torque converter
bolts that are difficult to remove to yank the engine

Auto. Of course it's difficult!

In theory you could jack the engine and get the heads off; its kinda
the way we do it at work, but were on a hoist and do most of it from
the bottom

I may be able to get the use of a lift (floor lift, that is), but not for
a long time. How long would it take a novice to do this?

Um, where's the knock sensor? Does it look like a Toyota knock sensor?

 

[johninky]

If you do pull the engine the converter bolts have small heads and are
easy to round. Use only a high quality wrench to remove. Once you
round just one of the bolts you gave a real mess. Another problem
area is reinstalling the transmission. The torque converter may
appear to be fully seated but almost always it isn't. You will know
if not fully seated because there will be a 1/4 inch gap between the
transmission and engine. Hard to explain but if the transmission and
engine mate with no gap then good to go and tighten the bellhousing
bolts. If there is a 1/4 inch gap, do not tighten the bellhousing
bolts because all you will accomplish is breaking the internal pump.
Now the transmission is junk. Sometimes it takes a long time to fully
seat the TC. The radiator probably needs replaced now because of that
additive. Do need to break any of the AC lines. Just unbolt the
compressor and sit it over to the side. Research reinstalling the
transmission. Probably someone has posted photos.

 

[StephenH]

Auto. Of course it's difficult!




I may be able to get the use of a lift (floor lift, that is), but not for
a long time. How long would it take a novice to do this?

Um, where's the knock sensor? Does it look like a Toyota knock sensor?

knock sensor: On the block above the starter and below the throttle
body, near the center of the block but towards the drivers side. A
black round sensor with wires and a bolt dead cennter through it.
should look in shape like one of those small peanutbutter cups. if it
has a rounded look on the top edges, its and the block is done.