Hey everybody. I was just talking to a buddy of mine who just recently decided he wanted to study mechanics. He will be rebuilding an engine for school and needs a donor. My engine on my 2.5 Turbo 300D runs fine, though the turbo recently stopped spooling, making the car incredibly sluggish. Anyway, he has offered to take care of all of that along with rebuilding my engine for his education if I pay for parts and the removal of the engine. What do you think? Engine is quite strong, but I could make it stronger and possibly throw on a larger turbo. Any idea on approximate cost for a rebuild kit and having an engine removed? thanks
You don't say how many miles you have but you need to price out both alternatives - the turbo repair versus the whole rebuild. I'd be skeptical - there is a theory that rebuilt engines are never quite factory-like again, and it is a student, and your engine may have a lot of life left in it. You might want to check your compression too.
I agree with neanderthal. Don't let him touch the engine. I say this for two reasons... one, AAA finds that, of the engines that are rebuilt, a third of them need to be re-rebuilt because of serious mechanical problems resulting from the rebuild. Two, I know of a friend in high school who rebuilt the engine in his car for shop class. It never ran right after the rebuild.
You're thinking of the wonderful things that can happen to your engine during rebuild. I'm thinking of all the horrible things that can go wrong.
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Yeah, a good way be to become un-friends is to engage this learning experience on your engine. Not to say the effort may go fine and we're all full of hooey.
A properly rebuilt engine is reliable and pros pull it off with good long term success. Sure a "crate" motor is dandy but engines can be successfully rebuilt and run out as new - or better. Talk to rally guys. I've spotted Mercedes engine rebuilders on the web that I'm betting produce a quality product I'd have no problem swinging under the hood. It's their gig with all the tools and toys. Specs and tolerances are critical. Pro shops have the trick, specialty equipment and experience. Shop classes have somewhat tired gear, often not calibrated and fewer resources. Higher risk for errors and possible failure.
Your engine isn't exactly exotic but a typical first engine isn't diesel. The shop may offer diesel as part of its course of study, that would be promising. The shop time your friend gets may be slower paced then you want to absorb. You get what you pay for, give some consideration on how you would feel if it got ugly after buying parts.
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