engine rebuild

[Michael]

Hi all,
I was really hoping to get your input please. I have a 2001 celica gt 1.8, and it has been burning oil. I took it to a shop that is new to me and I asked him to diagnose the issue (I asked for a compression and a leak down test) he came back with these numbers: 1=90, 2=38, 3=88, 4=50 and said that I needed an engine rebuild, so I asked him about a leak down test and how do we know that it is not an issue with the valve seals, he said that he was almost positive that it was the piston rings because he could see a buildup of carbon on top of the pistons, but he didn’t want to do any other tests.
I didn’t press for more tests cause I didn’t want to offend him or act like he didn’t know what he was talking about because he obviously knows more than me but I really want to make sure before I drop a bunch of money into an engine rebuild when it could be something else.
Does this sound right to you? do you think I should take it to another shop and ask for a leak down test or see if I can do the test myself? is it worth having him to a valve job and see what happens or do you think I should just go ahead and do the rebuild? oh and also, he said that he gives one year warranty on parts and his work, is that fair?
Thank you for taking the time to read this 🙂

Topic

[college man]

I would get a second opinion. how many miles on the car?
has the car ever overheated? I would get the compression
and leak down done.If it is rings.You may want to consider
a engine swap instead of rebuild.

[Michael]

Thanks, it has 166k but it has never overheated. He quoted me 1600 for the rebuild and that includes changing the catalytic concerted that also went bad because of the burnt oil, and a new engine was about 1700 just for the engine itself, but it was an older engine than this one and used…

[Michael]

Wouldn’t an engine swap be worse since I could be dealing with a used engine that could potentially have the same problem and then the shop would not be responsible if it failed again? is it only a cost issue between a rebuild vs a different engine, or is it actually better to do an engine swap vs. a rebuild? Thanks

[Erin]

With a swap – of course find out what kind of warranty is offered.

Whatever it is you decide – consider this – you are going to be dropping 4 figures. Do not feel shy about getting a second opinion.

Most shops are going to want to do the job RIGHT though. Most home mechanics will often do work just to “get by” and save money, like maybe valve guides would patch it up but a reputable, liable shop isn’t gonna just rig cause they know if something goes bad, they will have to fix it again.

Finally – on a 2001 car, with 161K if it needs an engine, if the car just cannot be driven daily, maybe weigh if it’s even worth spending $1,700’ish on an engine.

[Dustin Hicks]

[quote=”mcollins387″ post=47131]Hi all,
….2001 celica gt 1.8, and it has been burning oil. I took it to a shop that is new to me and I asked him to diagnose the issue (I asked for a compression and a leak down test) he came back with these numbers: 1=90, 2=38, 3=88, 4=50 and said that I needed an engine rebuild….[/quote]

Most engines run 100 or more psi. #1 & 3 may be acceptable for a high mileage engine, but the big concerns are #2 & 4. The maximum difference allowable is 20% of the HIGHEST reading. #2 is at 42% and #5 is at 56% of #1. Because this is an I4 engine, I doubt a head gasket/compression leak is the problem, since these aren’t adjacent cylinders. A valve is likely to affect one cylinder, not two. Because this is a 166k engine, burning oil and higher compression (11.5:1 vs. 10.0:1 in non GT Celicas), I would suspect worn/bad rings. If possible, run a wet compression test. If the numbers increase greatly, that verifies the rings are worn or defective. If they only slightly increase, it’s likely defective valves are the problem. If the rings are bad, your only option is an engine rebuild or replacement.

Definitely ask for a second opinion/test. 1700 is a lot of money. Other factors may tell you if this is worth doing or not.

[EricTheCarGuy]

Those numbers are pretty low and at least for me indicate a worn out engine. That said, it’s not possible for valve seals to cause low compression so he’s right in saying it’s likely the bottom end. A leak down test would confirm this.

I too am in the camp of replacement over rebuild. It’s really more expensive to rebuild an engine over replacing it. It’s actually more economical to purchase a remanufactured engine than rebuild it. Most places don’t even do rebuilds anymore for this very reason.

[Author]

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