blown motor - need some advice

[96GSRteg]

So my teg was making some funny noises on my way home from work the other day so I decided to take it to my mechanic. Now, the car wont even start. He said the water pump/belts blew which eventually caused bent valves in the cylinder heads. He then told me if they were to rebuild the top end, the bottom end wouldnt be able to take it because of all the miles on the car (158k). Is this even true? or is he just trying to scare me into buying a new motor?

And if that is true (meaning a new motor is the only option), is it worth it to drop the money and get a new motor or just sell it on craigslist as is and buy another car? Its a 96 gsr that has been meticulously maintained over the years from the one previous owner. Everything else is in great shape.

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[Merlins Beard]

well, you will need a new head, but you definetly dont need a whole new motor. 158k is not a lot of miles for this kind of car. i believe your mechinic is lookin to make an extra buck off you. adding a new head wont put any extra strain on your engine to cause the bottom end to break, although a rebuild couldnt hurt

 

[nuenjin]

So far, only the mechanic is saying that your valves are screwed over. Let's step back a minute.

A broken timing belt could certainly cause that but not in all cases. You need to put your eyes on it, especially if you feel the mechanic has your money on his mind. You are going to have to find the cause of that "funny noise," confirm the breaking of the timing belt and then probably find a new mechanic.

If you are not able to diagnose or fix it yourself, which is nothing to be ashamed of, then you should probably get a second opinion before you start throwing money at the guy.

good luck

 

[JohnCarter]

Use a search engine to look up repair shops in your area and to also look at customer reviews.
There may be ci users in your area with recommendations.

 

[Prozon]

Where are you located? John is right, there might be some CI users in your area.

So my teg was making some funny noises on my way home from work the other day so I decided to take it to my mechanic. Now, the car wont even start. He said the water pump/belts blew which eventually caused bent valves in the cylinder heads. He then told me if they were to rebuild the top end, the bottom end wouldnt be able to take it because of all the miles on the car (158k). Is this even true? or is he just trying to scare me into buying a new motor?

If it was driving when you took it to the mechanic, you better make sure he makes it DRIVE out of his shop.

Being a mechanic myself, I can safely say that your mechanic sounds like a dip shit. Putting a new head on your engine will not be to much strain for your bottom end. That's just plain stupid to say. Especially if it was a well maintained car, 156k is nothing on these motors.

Lets break this down, a timing belt snapping could cause the pistons to contact your valves, which would bend them. HOWEVER, if your belt snapped, your car would no longer run. You wouldn't have been able to make it anywhere without a timing belt. If the belt jumped a tooth or two, the valves could still contact the pistons, and it would probably sound pretty terrible. (He did not mention it slipping, he mentioned it breaking, correct?) The only way he could even know if your valves were bent is if he removed the head. Did he do this? Another thought, the water pump could make a bad sound if it was going out. If neglected long enough, it could also completely seize up.

If he can confirm the valves are bent, with visual proof to you, then get the head back from him, take the car. Call around and find a machine shop to do a valve job on your head. Buy a new head gasket and install it yourself. $50 for a head gasket. Valve job probably a few hundred. It's not bad to do the job yourself. I have a write up on how to do the head gasket on a B18. If you had any questions there's more than a few people who can help you out here.

You won't need a new head by the way, just valves and a head gasket. (It will have to be replaced if the head is removed.)
I'm kind of rambling now, not really sure what i'm saying anymore. If you have any questions let me know.

 

[dc4bryan]

dont listen to your mechanic!!! ive ripped my timing belt twice and rebuilt my head and its no stress on my block at all. runs wayyy better now and my car had 170,000 miles on it when the head got rebuilt. just rebuild the head and find an honest mechanic to do it bro.

 

[96GSRteg]

wow thanks guys i really appreciate the feedback. I live in Kirkland, WA which is a suburb of Seattle. I've found a buddy who can do the work that is just trying to make an honest buck and he has done this stuff before. I will definitely have the mechanic show me exactly what he thinks is wrong though when i check it out tomorrow.

A minor detail i left out (for those of you wondering) is that when i drove it home with the funny noise, i left it over night, because it was midnight. Then the next morning when I tried to start it up for school it would just sputter. So i had it towed to the shop. Thank god for free road-side assistance.

He went over it kind of quickly with me on the phone thinking i was some kid who doesnt know what a steering wheel is. So i definitely wont be going back there. He said the water pump seized at somepoint somehow and caused all of this.

 

[Prozon]

Waterpump bearing could have been worn out causing it to seize. I'll bet it falls apart when it's removed. Timing could have jumped a tooth, doubt it bent any valves though. Same thing happened to my friends Eclipse, the pump seized and the belt slipped at least two teeth. Needless to say it was one water pump I hope to never change again.

If the head hasn't been removed, just throw a new water pump and timing belt on it.

And i'm in Washington too! A bit south of Olympia though.