Yesterday I had the auto repair shop do compression and leak down tests on the Rolling Steel Tent’s engine. Both were lower than the norm but not terrible.
I also had them try to find where my coolant kept going. They confirmed there were no external leaks and that it must be a head gasket or two, and/or the intake manifold gasket. Repairing either of those would be as much labor as replacing the engine, and I’d still have the compression and leak down issues.
So I pulled the trigger on an engine replacement. They worked up an estimate. Parts and labor just shy of $10,000, which is about what I expected. Seven-hundred of that is a contingency fund for other parts they might discover they need.
While they’re at it, I'll have them replace the rear wheel bearings (the fronts were replaced a little while ago) and the shock absorbers.
So my home will go under the wrench on the 20th and be done sometime the next week. Then vrooooom vroooooooooom!
That seems like a well thought out choice. Back in the 60s we did engine swap outs on a reasonably frequent basis but with the newer electronic controlled systems I had no idea what an engine swap would run $$$. in todays vehicles. This will be very educational for me. Thanks for the reporting.
ReplyDeleteWill you be able to stay in your vehicle while this is done? If not, I'm sure you have arranged for temporary housing but I'm always curious about what people do during extended maintenance times. Our longest project was three days and we were able to stay in our vehicle on site for those two nights.
ReplyDeleteLinda Sand
I'm staying in Lou's house, getting it ready for the estate sale and putting it on the market.
DeleteGiven the customization you have done on the RST, you clearly made the correct choice. I am curious though, does that $10K include alternator, pwr steering pumps, and other accessories or is it just the engine itself?
ReplyDeleteNew water pump, various sensors, spark plugs, ignition wires, fluids, AC refrigerant. The engine is $3,700.
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