5.7 Hemi Durango Grenaded Today

[Jstpssng]

I would also consider a new or junkyard engine. Despite the book value, sometimes fixing a vehicle you are familiar with is worth more than buying new, or used one which you don't know the history.

 

[Hay Dude]

I put a junkyard 1500 front axle in my Tahoe about 5 years ago. Fit perfectly. It was $3500 to rebuild or under $1000 for the axle. It is just starting to give me some issues now, so I might have to do it again.

 

[Tractorable]

Should be fairly cheap and straight forward to find a used long block from a junk yard and swap it out. Remove the accessories from the blown motor to keep as spares.

 

[MossRoad]

Yes... they bought it brand new circa 2006 if memory serves... not a scratch or dent with perfect paint interior...

The only mod was opting for special rotors which paid for itself...

Used comparable age in the 2 to 3k range... engine 6k?

If it only books at 3K, and you pay someone $500-$1000 labor to put in a $1000 junkyard engine(if you can get one for that), you have $2K invested in a $3K vehicle you could have gotten $500 for doing nothing. Then you have no idea of the condition of the junkyard engine. Also, the vehicle still has 15 year old electronics in it, and a 15 year old transmission. Even if the body is immaculate, and the interior is immaculate, it doesn't make economic sense at this point. However, if it's sentimental, all bets are off.

We've gone through this twice in the last few years. The engine in our 2013 Impala broke something internally related to the cam sequencer and spewed metal shavings throughout the engine. Toast! Junkyard engine with 80K miles installed was 2K. We did it because the car was still worth 5-6K at the time.

Then last year kid's 2012 Malibu with a 4 cylinder did a similar thing: the cam sequencer failed, the timing went completely off, it ate 16 out of 24 valves and spewed metal shavings all over the engine. Again, another $2500 bill on a 60K junkyard engine installed with a 12 month unlimited mileage warranty. Car was only worth $5K at the time, but at least we could get $2500 back when we sell it.

It's really a toss up sometimes as to if it's worth it to repair or not. We usually figure if we're gonna take a loss if we sell it after repairs, we sell it now. If we repair it and can get some of our money and/or use out of it, then we repair it.

Current wish list is for '93 Suburban with good body. Don't care about mileage. Looking for good body. We have engines and transmissions for it, but ours has a rotten body. I just like that year because there's nothing on it that I can't repair myself. No complicated/expensive electronics.

 

[goeduck]

The engine in our 2013 Impala broke something internally related to the cam sequencer and spewed metal shavings throughout the engine. Toast! Junkyard engine with 80K miles installed was 2K. We did it because the car was still worth 5-6K at the time.
.

Which engine in the Impala do you have ?

 

[MossRoad]

Which engine in the Impala do you have ?

Sorry, it's a 2013, not a 2011.

It's the 3.6 LFX. It's a very pleasant engine to drive, until it blows up. Nice and smooth. I wish I had it behind a manual transmission. The 6 speed auto is great for normal driving, but no fun for performance driving except in a straight line.

 

[TractorGuy]

Hard to say what I would do but if the engine goes in my 2003 F150 I will seriously consider fixing it.

I bought a 1963 Morris Mini Cooper S from a college student for $75 back in the 70s. He towed it into my shop parking lot with a strap and said he just wanted to get rid of it because the head gasket was blown. After I bought it I found it was indeed hydro locked so I spun the water out of the cylinders and tried to start it. It fired right up and continued to do so every time until it rained. After a rain it was hydro locked again. I spun the water out and it was good again. The next time it was raining light I went out and opened the hood. The mini had rear facing carbs and they had installed velocity stacks. Water was dripping from the cowl drip rail right into the carbs. I fixed it so the water was diverted and ran it until I blew it up autocrossing.

 

[BleedingOrange]

If this was a know problem, wonder why it didn,t blow up before now ? Did Dodge not come out with some kind of fix ?

 

[ultrarunner]

Learned they did redesign cowl to divert water.

Dealer serviced with 10 year prepaid service but when Chrysler went under owners were pretty much on their own as Dealers closed.

4 inches of rain and yesterday blue sky and sunny so loaded kids bikes, turned key and boom.

Storm damage to motor from flooding?

 

[fried1765]

If it only books at 3K, and you pay someone $500-$1000 labor to put in a $1000 junkyard engine(if you can get one for that), you have $2K invested in a $3K vehicle you could have gotten $500 for doing nothing. Then you have no idea of the condition of the junkyard engine. Also, the vehicle still has 15 year old electronics in it, and a 15 year old transmission. Even if the body is immaculate, and the interior is immaculate, it doesn't make economic sense at this point. However, if it's sentimental, all bets are off.

We've gone through this twice in the last few years. The engine in our 2013 Impala broke something internally related to the cam sequencer and spewed metal shavings throughout the engine. Toast! Junkyard engine with 80K miles installed was 2K. We did it because the car was still worth 5-6K at the time.

Then last year kid's 2012 Malibu with a 4 cylinder did a similar thing: the cam sequencer failed, the timing went completely off, it ate 16 out of 24 valves and spewed metal shavings all over the engine. Again, another $2500 bill on a 60K junkyard engine installed with a 12 month unlimited mileage warranty. Car was only worth $5K at the time, but at least we could get $2500 back when we sell it.

It's really a toss up sometimes as to if it's worth it to repair or not. We usually figure if we're gonna take a loss if we sell it after repairs, we sell it now. If we repair it and can get some of our money and/or use out of it, then we repair it.

Current wish list is for '93 Suburban with good body. Don't care about mileage. Looking for good body. We have engines and transmissions for it, but ours has a rotten body. I just like that year because there's nothing on it that I can't repair myself. No complicated/expensive electronics.

Should probably sell my 1997 K2500 4x4 Suburban with 454 V-8, and 130K mi.
I don't drive it, but it is such a fine vehicle, I just can't bear to let it go.
Never driven in Winter either.