We need to replace the engine in our van. We bought it used and the head gasket blew and we think the heads are bad now. Since it will cost about the same to fix the heads as it will to get a new motor we felt it was best to get a new one. (or so we were told) Where would I start to even look for one? We are going to take it to a shop for the work but we will pay less if we find the motor. We are at a loss. We don't want to shell out $3500 to fix a van that we owe $3500 on but we need it running. any ideas? thanks!

 

Buy a right off or MOT failure whole car, use the engine and sell off rest. Or just buy a secondhand engine from a dismantlers. Some give a low warranty. Some will even fit it.

 

I've fitted a few head gaskets in my time, none of the heads were otherwise damaged. It's important to ensure a very clean operation, and that the cyl. head is very flat. We used a piece of bockboard and some new emery cloth to take down the head a little, and you could see all the high and low spots immediately. You said "heads" so one assumes a V6 petrol. Those smaller 3-pot heads should be pretty easy to deal with. We always used "Blue-Hylomar" on both sides of the head gasket and never had trouble with coolant leaks etc. after proper head-bolt tightening plus a retighten after 500mile.
I say all this because it might be easier (and cheaper) to fit gaskets than go to a complete engine replacement. A thorough examination of both heads and the block tops is needed of course. Look for any cracks in the heads around the valves, partic. exhaust valves. A clue as to what decision to make could be the mileage of the present engine -- many of these will easily do a quarter million miles. If it's only done say, 100,000mile, it will be good for at least double that and more.
Also, keeping the same engine won't give any peculiarities with the microprocessor engine control. If you're not too experienced at cyl. head gasket replacement, see if you can find a knowlegeable part-time/retired mechanic to help. Often they advertize in shop windows still (in the UK at any rate), and are very reasonable cost-wise.
What Goggs says is a good idea, depending on what you can find as a donor vehicle, and if you have somewhere to put the body of the old GV in the meanwhile.
Well, there's a few ideas for you. Hope this helps.

Leedsman.

 

thanks for your reply. We're going to attempt to Plaining down the head for any lower high spots and do as you suggested with the gasket I also hear ticking I think that it needs new lifters our neighbor thinks it has a rod knocking the rod knock I think would be a bit louder. This is just a tap tap tap tap which leads me to believe that it's actually lifters. I will keep you updated thanks again

 

I'm still new to the Voyager world and completely new to all the microprocessors and electronics issues of modern cars as far as DIY concerns, but my experiences with replacing/overhauling cylinder heads/camshafts/valves are that in most cases the costs of overhauling are much greater than replacing an engine with a decent scrapyard engine.

The only risk is that you often don't know exactly what the mileage or overall condition of the engine is. So its a bit of a gamble unless the scrapyard keeps an honoust administration of their engines.

In my Mercedes I replaced the original engine after a broken valve with a low mileage/newer engine version and did run 100.000 kilometres without a hiccup
The engine overhail would have cost me at least €2.500,- and the new engine (with fitting) cost me €1.000,-

 

Sachi -- if one of your cylinders is "ticking" , disconnecting a spark plug was the old way to establish if a bearing, little or big end, was worn. Unf. nowadays the micro might interfere with what you're doing and shut down the engine. If it doesn't and the ticking stops, it's a bearing problem. Bad con-rod bearings are usually very obvious BTW. If the ticking continues it could be an hydraulic tappet. An experienced mechanic with a good ear will be able to tell. With these type of tappets, low oil pressure can also cause ticking -- but then it won't "tick" when the oil is cold and thicker, only when the oil is hot and the pressure falls.

Leedsman.

 

Thanks, I will have him try that as well.