Urgent help needed to identify blown engine

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

If it leaked all the oil out wouldn't it be pretty easy to jack it up and visually inspect ?

Normally that's the first suggestion, but OP took the car to the mechanic after it came out of the bodyshop...

-alex

[Summerwolf]

Originally Posted by tobin

Highly recommend the Subaru EZ30R. All you need is a different oil pan and it bolts right up.

Most definitely won't have any issues with this engine setup. Also, any other V6 you recommend?

[jwvand02]

Originally Posted by Summerwolf

You are in over your head.

this man speaks truth

[jwvand02]

Originally Posted by tobin

Highly recommend the Subaru EZ30R. All you need is a different oil pan and it bolts right up.

Given that it's a relatively modern subaru engine, does it save all of the trouble with CANBUS that the v8 swap crowd is struggling with right now?

[Spartarus]

Originally Posted by jwvand02

Given that it's a relatively modern subaru engine, does it save all of the trouble with CANBUS that the v8 swap crowd is struggling with right now?

No. You have the same trouble with the CAN BUS.

Also, starter will be on the wrong side when you bolt it up. This is a problem.

OP is in over his head. It's OK. Park it, plan on not driving it for a quite a while, and tear into it. Document everything. Learn.

[driftking96]

Ok guys time for an update. I got somewhat good news and more bad news. Good news is.... my mechanic opened the engine to find out exactly what was wrong, and now I have closure because I understand why my engine is fucked. Bad news is (you may have guessed it)... my engine is fucked; when the initial crash happened from the previous owner, a piece of the valve cover fucked up one of my valves and associated parts, therefore now I have to rebuild that one side and its associated parts. Now since to fix that side is gonna be costly, and afterwards half my engine will be in better condition than the other half, it would make more sense, financially and logically, to invest slightly more and swap another FA20 in. Which if I can find one for a good price, I will continue to rebuild the car. Else I will simply just give up altogether and cry in a corner.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by driftking96

Ok guys time for an update. I got somewhat good news and more bad news. Good news is.... my mechanic opened the engine to find out exactly what was wrong, and now I have closure because I understand why my engine is fucked. Bad news is (you may have guessed it)... my engine is fucked; when the initial crash happened from the previous owner, a piece of the valve cover fucked up one of my valves and associated parts, therefore now I have to rebuild that one side and its associated parts. Now since to fix that side is gonna be costly, and afterwards half my engine will be in better condition than the other half, it would make more sense, financially and logically, to invest slightly more and swap another FA20 in. Which if I can find one for a good price, I will continue to rebuild the car. Else I will simply just give up altogether and cry in a corner.

Thanks for the update.

I suggest you re-build the existing engine.

Lessons learned are usually expensive .....


humfrz

[driftking96]

Originally Posted by tobin

Highly recommend the Subaru EZ30R. All you need is a different oil pan and it bolts right up.

I honestly had no idea what you were talking about this whole time until I just googled it. I am actually going to consider this since I have been thinking about doing a 6 cylinder boxer swap for a while and have done some mild research. I don't know anything about this engine though. Any idea how good they handle power? And regarding going FI eventually, how well do they do? Do they offset the cars stock center of gravity and all other designs and dynamics? I would like to keep the cars true nature when considering a swap which is why all the V6/V8 and I-6s have been off the table.

Originally Posted by Spartarus

OP is in over his head. It's OK. Park it, plan on not driving it for a quite a while, and tear into it. Document everything. Learn.

Yes, I'm not going to lie I am way over my head, I planned on doing this rebuild in the hopes of learning more about this car and tbh I have learnt more than enough and none of this would have happened if I didn't make the stupid decision of buying a salvage title vehicle, especially without knowing firsthand about the process of rebuilding or even having it inspected by a professional. I can't go back and change time so you live, you learn. All I can do now is either cut my losses or make this situation better and minimize screwing myself over. At the end of day I have no regrets because every mistake I make teaches me a lesson which helps me further improve my quality of life.

[driftking96]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Thanks for the update.

I suggest you re-build the existing engine.

Lessons learned are usually expensive .....


humfrz

I was considering rebuilding as well, but my mechanic (who tbh has decent expertise and I trust his word and judgement, but I was just stressed because I didn't get a definitive cause on my engine issues) states that to rebuild the half would cost me about 3K including labor, instead I could get a full FA20 swap at $3290 CAD (just a reference price, as this was the first engine I found within the closest distance to me) and labor rate of $1200 CAD. But now I may have to consider using this unfortunate loss to my advantage and making it an opportunity to use the Subaru EZ30 H6 engine as recommended by @tobin. And yes this was an expensive lesson, I just have to calculate my limits and where I should decide to be firm, cut my losses and sell it off.

[driftking96]

Bummer, turns out EZ30R was not as great of an idea as I thought it would be. Seems to be an engine that nobody particularly liked due to cost and practicality, especially compared to the LS.

EDIT: Definitely sticking to the FA20, I have had enough troubles already as is. Don't need to go looking for more trouble with a full plate.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by driftking96

Ok guys time for an update. I got somewhat good news and more bad news. Good news is.... my mechanic opened the engine to find out exactly what was wrong, and now I have closure because I understand why my engine is fucked. Bad news is (you may have guessed it)... my engine is fucked; when the initial crash happened from the previous owner, a piece of the valve cover fucked up one of my valves and associated parts, therefore now I have to rebuild that one side and its associated parts. Now since to fix that side is gonna be costly, and afterwards half my engine will be in better condition than the other half, it would make more sense, financially and logically, to invest slightly more and swap another FA20 in. Which if I can find one for a good price, I will continue to rebuild the car. Else I will simply just give up altogether and cry in a corner.

Although I have never tackled a new car write off rebuild, years of restoring classic cars taught me that rarely do things work out as well as planned. That "oh it runs perfect" replacement engine bought out of the back of a pickup turns out to be worse than the one you are replacing or that "it just needs brake drums" ends up being a full system master cylinder back replacement.

Like you said there are two options. You can bite the bullet and pour money into the project or you can cut your losses and unload it. Either way you are going to lose or spend money.

Of the six restores I started I completed four and sold off two about half way through. One of the projects I completed went well and was below budget so I made money. The other three completed did not and I spent way more that I wanted but finished them anyway. Unfortunately the two I sold had already had a pile of time and money poured into them but I became frustrated and almost gave one away and abandoned the other on the side of the road taking a total loss.

In hindsight even though I hated spending the extra on those cars I completed I loved the cars and now have very fond memories of them and zero regrets that I finished them. The two projects that I abandoned however still bother me on occasion since even though dropping them felt like the right thing to do at the time I still wonder to this day how much I would have enjoyed them if I had just kept at it and finished. Both of them could have been my favourite cars ever but I will never know.

I guess the moral of the story is that you have to balance the costs against the satisfaction of completing the project and decide which is your priority. You could end up with a completed car that cost more then buying the same thing as a certified used one but with way less resale value and the pure satisfaction of saying "l did this" may be worth every penny. Or maybe you were looking to turn a profit and you should bail ASAP.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by driftking96

Bummer, turns out EZ30R was not as great of an idea as I thought it would be. Seems to be an engine that nobody particularly liked due to cost and practicality, especially compared to the LS.

EDIT: Definitely sticking to the FA20, I have had enough troubles already as is. Don't need to go looking for more trouble with a full plate.

OH I like you! Actually being realistic can be in short supply on here sometimes. You will probably have 20 guys tell you that you should swap everything from a Briggs and Stratton to a Cummins diesel in there since their brother's, freind's, uncle's, co-worker's, father did it and it bolts right in in 15 minutes. Most of those guys have never done an engine swap in their life and have no clue what is involved. The car was designed for a fa20 and that is what it deserves. Build the engine up and boost the crap out of it if you want more power but stick to what belongs there.

[Ashikabi]

3k seems a bit high for replacing a valve and a cover... I'd just fix the engine you have though

[driftking96]

Originally Posted by Ashikabi

3k seems a bit high for replacing a valve and a cover... I'd just fix the engine you have though

I thought so too. I will be going tomorrow to check the engine out. I will keep you all posted.

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