Jim wrote:
Good luck finding anything with less then 150,000 miles on it for $900.

Used 4G63 motors DO go for 1500-3000.

The average joe schmo who buys a turbo DSM (now days remember, they are cheaper, so a younger crowd can afford them), beats the piss out of thier car.

I believe I just installed 2 recently to know what they go for....A BRAND NEW REMAN goes for 3K, and that is just a long block.

You don't want to spend the money fixing one problem, just to have more down the line...

Used 4G63 motors DO go for 1500-3000.

The average joe schmo who buys a turbo DSM (now days remember, they are cheaper, so a younger crowd can afford them), beats the piss out of thier car.

Jim wrote:
Ok... unless I'm confused, the last time I checked: replacing valves in a head, machine work, whatever else <200. Used motor 1500-3000

Yes, if the motor only needs a belt, and the valves replaced, it isn't that bad, but it isn't that cheap.

The reason I would replace a motor on a dsm is mainly if the engine has suffered major damage from the belt braking AND it has a history of low oil pressure for a significant amount of time. In this case, replacing at least 4 valves, machining the head, labor to get to all of it, flushing the coolant and changing the oil, replacing the oil pump....which is the front case assembly on a dsm...replacing all the belts including the tensioner and highly recommended pulleys, all front seals, and the labor to do all the front engine stuff....well, you get the point, it adds up quickly and gets to be way too much. Now, with the oil pump having low pressure for too long prolongs engine wear, you more likely than not have damage to the rings, bearings, and every other friction surface in the motor.

Now this is all the work that an experienced technician who has prior experience on a dsm would recommend, especially if the motor has high miles.

Also, most used motors for a dsm go for 900-1500, maybe 1800 at the most for a turbo one. With even half the labor then replacing all the parts. And we can warranty a used motor longer than the repair work that would have been done. Now, which would you chose as the customer? The AVERAGE Joe Schmo out there who just wants the motor to run to get them to point A from B. Not us others who would do all the performance mods and would pay the extra cash to have it rebuilt to a higher performance motor.

burnteclipse wrote:
Questions for the same topic....i know there is a few set mile intervals where dsms should replace the timing belt does anyone know of what that is off hand?
every 60k
www.dsmtuners.com

slowvo wrote:
Damn, i gotta quit and join the aftermarket shops, thats where the money is at.

Shut up Garberg, your a baller.....

ticklemedaly wrote:
And for pay wise, I make more than most of them, only ones that make more are the ones with at least 20 years of experience and have been with that company the whole time.

slowvo wrote:
are you talking about a timing belt?
accessory belt, but the idea about drag is the same

I think a valve job under $1000 with new water pump, timing belt, balance belt, sounds like a damn good deal to me.

Cost on a used, working, warrantied engine is 1500-3000

treimche wrote:
Yeah I think that replacing the complete engine is unnecessary also. 9 times out of 10 when a DSM timing belt fails or breaks, it bends a few valves or all the valves, so you have the head rebuilt with new valves, put it all back together properly and you're good to go. No sense in replacing a complete motor when the bottom ends in these things are very very strong. I could see replacing the motor maybe IF the oil pump was locking up like that. That means that there's something getting into the oil pump and chewing up the oil pump gears, or the case, or both. But that would mean that there's metal coming from somewhere else in the motor, so then it could actually be justified to replace the whole motor. Now about the whole used motor part of this, I don't think it's nearly as wise to get another used motor instead of having one rebuilt. I would much rather see someone rebuild the motor that they have, that way you KNOW that everything in there is good, and not all beat up by whoever the jackass is that had the motor before you. And honestly, if you price it out, getting a motor rebuilt really isn't all that expensive, and could possibly even be done for the same price as a used motor. Plus that way you have all new gaskets, timing belt, oil pump, water pump, etc..... That's my $0.02 anyways.

Yes, ideally it is best to have the motor rebuilt....but after you concider all the little things involved with rebuilding it and show the estimate to the customer, and actually find a used one and show that estimate to the customer....9 times out of 10 they dont want to shell out the extra cash and just have a used one put in.

Also, if the oil pressure hasn't dropped enough, it is possibly ok to have it serviced and everything else done too at the same time...but it ends up being as much or more. The one I had didn't lubricate the balance shaft enough to were it dug a huge hole in the block, oversizing it enough to were the only way for me to save it is to have a bearing about 1/4-3/8" thick all around. And this is the balance shaft that is drivin directly by the oil pump. I should have just placed a used engine in it, I regret it to this day.

But as of the others, both had enough damage to were it was CHEAPER to place a used engine in it.....customers love things that are cheaper.

And for the credentials....I HATE DEALERS!!!! Mainly because all they want are techs with experience, and even if you do, it is still hard to get employeed by them. And for pay wise, I make more than most of them, only ones that make more are the ones with at least 20 years of experience and have been with that company the whole time.

out there wrote:
ever seen an alternator with bad bearings? can you say goodbye belt? i have had 2 alternators die in my saturn (can't handle excessive high rpm driving apparently), and what ryan is saying about drag is true. in fact, with the first one (died about 1.5 years ago in the winter) i could see smoke and sparks coming from under the engine when i looked to see what the smoke coming through the vents was coming from. needless to say, i stopped driving it that night and took it in the next morning.

are you talking about a timing belt?