More SR20 questions

[kirbstomp]

Hey all! I know I've read something of the sort in this forum and I've just spent an hour looking for it again but couldn't. So if I may bother some of you again....when you are looking at an SR20 redtop(if that makes a difference) what are some visable features that would clearly tell you that it's a bad engine. I have the option of picking and choosing my engine. Obviously if the engine looks nice and clean right. And I know about the oil pan being dented is a bad thing...but what else could I be looking for?

[Hijacker]

check the turbo. make sure it has no shaft play. That's when you grabe the end of the turbo wheels and move it around to see if it shakes any.

also, try to turn the engine over and see if it moves nicely.

one last thing to note is to see compression numbers. Make sure that all 4 cylinders don't deviate more than 10 points between any of them. 170 would be healthy for a rebuilt engine, so don't expect to see it be over 160. I would think 155 would be the norm for used junkyard motors.

[kirbstomp]

thanks for the reply man....but what do you me turn it over...you mean physically or turn the engine on?? Anything else anyone can think of?

[240Kuminachu]

Use a socket on the crank and turn it by hand, make sure its not froze up or anything. And the compresion is going to be very low becuase its been sittin for a while. Mine buddies had like 80 in one cylender. It came back up tho, so you really cant rely on that if the motor has been sitting there for a long time. If I could choose my motor I would take off the valve cover and check things out inside a little to give a good idea of how clean and how it was taken care of. You obvisouly dont want an engine with a gumed up head. Look for leaks on the front of the motor, oil pan and where the transmission meets up. Turn the water pump, make sure it spins good.

TAKE A MECHANIC WITH YOU!!

[soflajdm]

if you cant take the valve cover off, just open up the oil cap and take a good look... hopefully things wont be rusted inside

[IveBeenBad]

also look for broken pieces of timing guides...

[justmerging]

Use a socket on the crank and turn it by hand, make sure its not froze up or anything. And the compresion is going to be very low becuase its been sittin for a while. Mine buddies had like 80 in one cylender. It came back up tho, so you really cant rely on that if the motor has been sitting there for a long time. If I could choose my motor I would take off the valve cover and check things out inside a little to give a good idea of how clean and how it was taken care of. You obvisouly dont want an engine with a gumed up head. Look for leaks on the front of the motor, oil pan and where the transmission meets up. Turn the water pump, make sure it spins good.

TAKE A MECHANIC WITH YOU!!

:Werd

[Hijacker]

if you can, take a small can of oil (the old fashioned style with the spicket and the thumb trigger) so you can squirt a drop or two in a cylinder running low compression and see if that brings it back up. If possible, ask for a leakdown test.