hi, I have a 1996 Pontiac Sunfire. it's mileage is 167,522 miles. It only had one owner, who maintained the car VERY well. and it is estimated to have 3 to 4 years left in it. I have a 2.4 Liter Twin Cam engine. a buddy of mine at work who knows stuff about cars said replacing it would be like $3000. now thats for all of the necesarry components too, like the water pump and stuff. i dont know if hes right or not. i know NOTHING about cars, and ive been asking here often. now the engine i have is more than 10 years old obviously so i dont know if manufacturers still make that kind of engine... like i said i know nothing... i just want an engine that is either exactly the one i have, or something very similar. im not one of those crazy teenagers dying to be the fastest... i just want a car that runs. this has to last me a long time. thank you for reading everyone and please explain your answers the best you can.
2007-08-01 16:47:28 · 10 answers · asked by mankiller3 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
167000 miles does seem like a lot, but then again engine parts have gotten a lot better in the last decade or so. In the old days the engine was usually the first thing to go, and 100,000 miles kind of stuck as the you're doing good mark. It wasn't uncommon to rebuild an engine several times before the rest of the car finally went. Things have reversed though. Now it isn't uncommon for the engine to outlast the body, as engine parts have got a lot better and body quality has gotten awful. I don't think anyone in the auto industry knows what a screw or metal is anymore, and on some cars the body panels are so thin, soda cans are as thick. The only way the metal keeps it's shape is because of the creases and folds they put into it. I had a 1997 cavalier that I put 130,000 miles on, and it didn't smoke, use any oil, and ran like a sewing machine even after I pulled a Uhaul trailer across the country with it. The body was a different story. That's why I finally got rid of it. I also know of a 1996 Intrepid that has over 350,000 miles on it, and a ford ranger with over 400,000 miles on it. No, they aren't like brand new. Yes, they do burn oil and make noises, but they are still running for now. My point is, unless the engine is burning oil ( smoking bad) or has rod knock(loud metallic noises from inside the motor), I wouldn't worry about it just yet. It probably does have some miles left in it. Also, the 2.2L engines usually had the 3 speed transmission. The 4 speed was an option, but most had 3's. The 2.4L, however, came standard with the 4 speed. If you have a 3 speed, you may need to find a 4 speed transmission to use with that engine. I'm not sure off the top of my head if the torque ratings for the two were the same, but if I remember correctly, the 4 speed was rated higher for torque input. With that souped up engine, that 3-speed probably wouldn't last too long with that many miles on it.
2007-08-01 17:52:20 · answer #1 · answered by civitas104 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For $3000 or a little more you could probably go get yourself another good car when it comes time. When the engine finally blows up and you go and invest 3 grand for a new engine, there is no real guarantee that the new engine will work just as well as the engine you've got now, especially if your new engine is a rebuilt engine. Additionally, although you'd have a new engine the rest of your car would still be liable to fall apart. Plus if you wanted to sell your car you would lose money since you wouldn't be able to get much more than 3k for a 10+ yo car.
If you really, really like this car, then go for it.
2007-08-02 00:45:30 · answer #2 · answered by Joe L 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thats pretty expensive. The 2.4 engine is the GT model. You can find the engine/tranny with low miles around 40,000 for about $800. It only takes about 8-10 hours to completly remove and re-install the engine in the car. The newer engine will have the wiring harness already on it too so all the wiring will be done all you would need to connect is the main plug to the fuse box. This is where most shops pull the wool over peoples eyes. A lower mileage engine is a great investment and finding one online or in a local junkyard should be easy. There are AT LEAST 50-60 in ONE junkyard close to my house.
2007-08-02 00:00:19 · answer #3 · answered by hondab16tuner 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They make engines to replace anything you can think of so that's not an issue.
I replaced the engine in my 88 S-10 (4cyl) for $1500. That's a pretty cheap engine and the labor was by a couple friends in their shop.
You should be able to get hold of an engine (consider used-rebuilt) for around $1500 and expect another $1500 to drop it in. That'd be just about $3K You can go less if you know someone that works on cars (they need to be good to do a whole engine) or if you can find a '96 engine in a junkyard that was wrecked with low miles.
Think about the trans and the rear-end while you're having this done. Get them to look at every major component and make sure there's life left in it. 167K miles is pretty much the end of life of the mechanical portion of your car. It'd kinda suck to drop $3K on an engine and then need a new trans 3 months later...
2007-08-01 23:55:18 · answer #4 · answered by CoachT 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
we have a jeep and we have found that you can get an engine from a you pull it type junk yard for anywhere from 300 to 500 dollars then you have to pay a mechanic to do the work and that will run you about the same, so you are looking at about a grand and if you were to take it to a dealership even with a new motor or rebuilt one then they would only offer you a few hundred for the car, I know because we have 3 different friends in the used car business,I would buy something from an independant seller, preferably an older person they usually maintain their vehicles well, check your local craigslist do a search for craigslist, enter your city, and go to used cars/trucks for sale or you can buy an auto trader, or go through a finance comapany but try to get the lowest possible intrest rate and pay it off as quickly as possible because the longer it takes to pay it off the more intrest accrues, good luck and take care!
2007-08-01 23:59:34 · answer #5 · answered by kelly_hotma 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think your buddy is talking about a rebuilt engine. A "crate" engine from GM will be about a $1,000 more. A long block engine just includes the block and heads complete with valve covers, oil pan and oil pump. You have to remove the rest from your old engine then return yours for a credit. The shop where you have the work done will take of all this. Just get a good rebuilt with a guarantee and not one from Kragen or other mass retailer.
2007-08-02 00:38:15 · answer #6 · answered by gary o 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Check with any GM dealer for a possible factory refurbished engine. I believe the Sunfire engine(s) were used in other GM cars, so there may be some demand for replacement engines and transmissions. Did you check with any nearby wrecking yards? Did you check with E-Bay?
2007-08-01 23:57:08 · answer #7 · answered by Phillip S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds about right,however add that 3grand to what you paid for the car. And buy something else! The sunfire and cavalier are the same car and neither has a good reliability record or resale value.
2007-08-01 23:54:07 · answer #8 · answered by hotdogseeksbun 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Good 2.4l engines are hard to find but, you may be able to find one @ junk yard for $800.00 or less and install it for the same amount.
Your car worth nothing as is so, it is up to you...you spend 2K to fix your vehicle or you buy another vwhicle for 2K.
Good luck!
2007-08-02 01:01:51 · answer #9 · answered by Mazda man 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
170000 mi. ? you dont need to worry for a few yrs just keep up the maint. that the original owner srarted and use the same oil they used and you should have no probs
2007-08-02 00:04:03 · answer #10 · answered by fordman022480 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋