what to do about blown 91 engine?

[snakey]

Well my 1991 bbsc car still starts and runs ( VERY ROUGH) and has a loud tapping noise..Car will idle for a bit and then die..

Ive been told that a rod is tapping and the engine is done...

Im in Hawaii.....Ive found an engine in claifornia from a private seller for 3500$ ( closest engine I could find and for the best price)

So 3500 for engine...500 for shipping and 2K for install..Im looking at 6K..

And thats assuming that the engine sent to me actually arrives in the condition it was explained to me as a good running no problems engine...

Or I can pay my local shop 2K to take out the engine and open her up and find out exactly what needs to be done and pray that it is simple or atleaste under 4K so Im still under my 6K goal....


What would you do? And Is their any cheap fix to a bent/broken/tapping Rod if thats all it is?

I just bought a SRT10 Viper ..So buying a built engine or things of the sort is out of the question..I just want it fixed and sold

 

[EdinKali]

You forgot one choice. Since you have already decided to get rid of it, don't put any money in it and sell it "as is" with full disclosure to the buyer. You will never get out as much as you put into a car. For example, if you put a new paint job on a $1000 car, you won't be able to sell the car for $2000. You might get $1200-$1500 for it but you won't get back what you put in.

 

[jeffchai]

if you are gonna sell it after u fix it my advise to you is sell it right now with the blown engine. at the end you will get more for selling the car as is.

 

[snakey]

I bought this car very high at 35K 2 years ago..I still owe 25K....Id have to sell for 19K to still loose 6K ( you know useing my 6K to pay off the remaining balance..)

I wouldnt pay 19K for a blown engine 1991 nsx...

The car has a lot of goodies..

-bbsc
-aem
-after market adjustable tein suspension
-custom exhaust
-Light raceing rims with nitto tires
-authentic Margra hills body kit
-Margra hills wide body fenders

And a bunch of other crap Im forgetting...

I guess I could maybe get close to that for someone who knows what all this stuff is worth...

But I think once she's fixed and running I can get around 30K and brake even..

-has new timing belt ( less than 200 miles)
-has new clutch ( less than 200 miles)
-has 2 new rear tires less than 200 miles)

I have all receipts ect.

 

[Thanhnsx]

If you sell it with a blown motor.. you will be getting nothing out of it but a bunch of low ballers. Esp for a 91.

Sounds like your block is gone for-sure. Possibly repairable but who knows. Unless you open the block and take a chance.

If your not a DIY'er..Most convenient, money saving way for you if your patient. Is to find a decent block and have it swapped out.

 

[EdinKali]

Another option is to take all the goodies off and put it back to stock(if you still have the stock parts). Sell the goodies for $10K+ (supercharger should be worth about $6K alone I would think) and then you only have to get about $15K for the car to break even.

 

[Cozmo]

Another option is to take all the goodies off and put it back to stock(if you still have the stock parts). Sell the goodies for $10K+ (supercharger should be worth about $6K alone I would think) and then you only have to get about $15K for the car to break even.

A BBSC isn't worth 6k, more like 2k.

 

[EdinKali]

Ahh, I guess I was thinking of the 2nd hand Comptech's.

 

[Aircooled]

I'm sorry but could you please clarify 'runs rough?' I'm wondering if we're talking about misfiring or if you're just talking about the knocking.

If it's misfiring and dying, but it will still restart is kind of an odd thing and typically doesn't happen with a rod or main bearing failure. I'd be taking the spark plugs out to see if any of them are abnormal from the others, coated in oil or something. Remember, as long as you have fuel, spark, and compression the car should run fine, it doesn't care what the bearings are doing (until they seize).

 

[captngaryr]

The last person to describe a problem like that had a spark plug blown out the top of the head. Not nice, but hardly a $4K catastrophe. Have a competent mechanic take a look before slashing your wrists. It doesn't sound like a rod bearing to me. A rod bearing would make noise, but wouldn't have much of an effect on the idle. Of course, if you broke the rod, that would be a different story.

 

[nsxtasy]

Have a competent mechanic take a look before slashing your wrists.

Yup. When my engine had a problem, I had my competent NSX mechanic take a look at it. First he found that the top end of the engine was no good. Then he found that the bottom end was no good. At that point I was in a position to decide whether it would be cheaper to buy a used engine or to rebuild the one I had. Buying used was cheaper. You do incur a risk with a used engine that its condition is accurately and fairly represented; the one I bought was indeed.

If it had only been the top end, it might have been worth rebuilding.

Find out what's wrong and then if it makes sense to replace the engine, do it.

(If they "I've been told...the engine is done" in your original post refers to a competent mechanic, then you're already in a position to make this decision.)

I agree with you that you will net more money back out of it by spending money to fix it and sell it in proper running condition than by trying to sell it unfixed and needing repair.

Good luck.

 

[davidf]

If in the end you do need a motor, I remember John@microsoft had a late {98?} model for sale. He's a very reputable guy on this board. Can't go wrong with his. FWIW rods don't tap, they knock.

 

[peiserg]

I think ANOTHER option is to take the aftermarket stuff (assuming you have stock parts) and sell it to pay for the motor swap, then sell the car. you could prbably break even if you do that.

FWIW i think the BBSC is worth more than $2k. $6k... no. but closer to $3k... sure. that right there will get you 50% of the way towards a new (used) motor. then you can sell your bad motor for parts to someone.

gerry.

 

[fullracehonda]

timing belt done 200 miles ago that might throw up some red flags as to why the car is in this cituation

 

[4AU4LIFE]

If in the end you do need a motor, I remember John@microsoft had a late {98?} model for sale. He's a very reputable guy on this board. Can't go wrong with his. FWIW rods don't tap, they knock.

Then you would run into issues of putting a NA2 into a vehicle setup for an NA1.

 

[charlee]

+1 for 2nd or 3rd opinion about possible problems.

Motor swap at $2000 is way too much. I am thinking around $1000.00. All you need is an experienced mechanic, not an NSX specialist as all cars (especially motor swapping) are basically the same; whether front or mid-engine.

 

[peiserg]

timing belt done 200 miles ago that might throw up some red flags as to why the car is in this cituation

i think the Situation was from running without motor oil, IIRC.

 

[nsxtasy]

All you need is an experienced mechanic, not an NSX specialist as all cars (especially motor swapping) are basically the same; whether front or mid-engine.

Not true. An NSX specialist will know all the shortcuts and "gotchas". This is NOT a routine procedure like swapping tires or brake pads or fluids.

 

[tbromley]

^ +10!!!! Let me ask on simple question of the guy that said you don't need anything but a back yard mechanic with a little skill to do this swap - is this the car you'd want to buy knowing that??? NOT ME! Anyone buying this car is in for it!!!! Get out your wallet - if the engine sounds like that - wonder how it got that way,,,,,,mmmm... could it have been possibly "ridden hard and put up wet"! Maybe not by this poor unsuspecting dude but the guy he bought it from - somewhere along the line this one was abused.

Check the other thread going right now on "got a ppi - lucky for me" or something like that. That'll show you what to expect from some of these NSXs and owners that are ding dongs in my opinion or worse.

This also makes my point of the post I left there this morning. I'm not tooting my own horn here but anyone that is thinking of buying one of these NSXs should read what I wrote in answer to a guy there in that "PPI" thread although it is one of my "long" ones! OR epistle as I call em.

Sionara,

 

[stevetwors]

im willing to bet its just a rod bearing or two. plus some other issues either fuel or spark related (bad coil packs, fuel pump, injectors, etc). if compression test shows ok, you could drop the oil pan and just replace all of the rod bearings since you're in there anyway. im not sure but i think you probably dont even need to lift the engine up to get clearance to remove oil pan?

either way, must find out whats wrong with engine before shopping for replacement.

 

[VegasSpeed]

As long as he didn't crack the block it could be as easy(er) repair. Too bad its a 91 otherwise I would take it and try to build it back up. I want to build a race motor so maybe that isn't a good idea.

 

[snakey]

im willing to bet its just a rod bearing or two. plus some other issues either fuel or spark related (bad coil packs, fuel pump, injectors, etc). if compression test shows ok, you could drop the oil pan and just replace all of the rod bearings since you're in there anyway. im not sure but i think you probably dont even need to lift the engine up to get clearance to remove oil pan?

either way, must find out whats wrong with engine before shopping for replacement.

IM DEALING WITH EUROPEAN AUTOTECH HERE IN HAWAII..THEY ALWAYS HAVE 50k-300k CARS IN THEIR SHOP AND HAVE A GREAT REP....When your nsx is the cheapest car in the room getting worked on it kinda makes you feel a lil more easy...

They are saying they will drop the oil pan and check out the rods nd bearings ect..

Telling me 200-300$ to remove oil pan and check it out from undeernegth...How much can you really tell by just dropping the oil pan oppossed to tearing apart the engine?

also..if it is just the rods/bearing...is this expensive and time consuing labor ( as in multiple thousands) or more like just a grand or so????

Thanks for any help

 

[Aircooled]

When you drop the oil pan you can check the condition of the engines internals (or at least a good portion of them). It will allow them to tell if you have a spun bearing or a problem somewhere else, if you do have a spun bearing they can tell you how bad the damage is and give you a good estimate on the repair bill.

Although this is going to be the last piece of advice I give you on the subject. I'm sorry but if you aren't interested in following the thread you created and answering a simple question like "could you please clarify 'runs rough?' I'm wondering if we're talking about misfiring or if you're just talking about the knocking," then I don't want to be a part of it. Although I do wish you the best of luck with the situation.

 

[tbromley]

^ +1, I mean. Makes you wonder a bit doesn't it Aircooled.

 

[stevetwors]

once you drop the oil pan, you unbolt the rods from the crankshaft and immediately you will see which ones have too much clearance (spun). personally, if i would go to the trouble to drop the oil pan i would just put new bearings in for all the rods anyway since what the heck might as well im in there right? if its anything like any other cars, the cost of the bearings are minimal. there's usually a number stamped on each crankshaft counterweight, you use this number to order the correct size bearing for each rod. for each rod, you install the bearing and put a piece of plastigauge in there and torque the nuts to spec, then remove the cap and measure how much the piece of plastigauge got flattened and spread out. 99% of the time, it measures out perfect. if it doesn't, hmm i dont even know why the hell it wouldnt or what would cause that, but, you simply order the next size up bearing, repeat the whole process and measure again.

its important to replace spun bearings soon because if you dont the slack will cause the rod bolts to shear off and then the rod bangs around and scratches everything up or most likely worse.

please someone correct me if im wrong as im still new to the nsx but i imagine its pretty much the same as every other modern engine. it might have a different fancy coating on the cylinder walls or tighter clearance than other motors (at the time it came out, jap motors usually were tighter/narrower tolerances than american/european motors) but the basics are still the same as they have been for many years and are still to this day as far as the bottom end goes.