That was meant as a joke. Sorry if you took it the wrong way.

You are attempting to learn something here, and for that, I applaud you.

 

#1) You haven't stated where you're located.
#2) So what if you've never done a rebuild? If you can use a wrench and read a book, it's simple.
#3) You've not stated the timeframe you're working.
#4) What does the price of the truck have to do with any of this? Throw that out the window and look LONG TERM, meaning past the end of next month.

My rebuild of my trucks engine was the first ever I did and what I did with it impressed quite a few of the more seasoned people here. I also have a 1996 Crown Victoria that is as ugly as a bag of crushed arseholes that I picked up for $500 and blew the engine. The cost of the rebuild will run much more than what I paid for the car, but who ****kin' cares? I'll still have a paid for vehicle with a strong running engine, and that's all that counts.

It seems you can't see the forest for the trees and need to work on that.

 

New softplugs would be a good idea as well.... copper ones if you can find them....

There is more than one way to look at all this, Just because somethings paid for doesnt always mean its the best choice... theres nothing wrong with payments if its something you want and has other benefits like reliability and predictable cost of operation... I just paid $1,800 to have my transmission rebuilt and thought I was stuck dumping more into the engine the very next day when I noticed a misfire and cracked header...until I got lucky. Still ,I put well over 4 grand in this truck in just the time I owned it and put only 4,000 miles on it between the rear end failing and the transmission and front end suspension and steering issues and exhaust problems that popped up... Payments or no payments if I had bought a newer truck then I'd have something that would be just about paid off by now and I would have gotten used more because it would have gotten much better gas mileage... I wouldnt have something thats worth about a 3rd of what I have into it the last 3 years... I've got other vehicles I've owned for over ten years and they have been worth every penny still...
It easy to be opinionated about something, Hell I can be one of the worse people here when it comes to that but in situations like this its not a one size fits all solution....
Its like people who own a home with mortgages that are more than twice the value of the home in recent years? Does it always make sense to keep paying? sometimes you have to know when to cut your losses and move on... And to some it may be worth it but you have to be in the right shoes to see it from the right perspective.

 

I have an idea...

http://www.precisionengine.com/rebui...par/index.html


Sounds like you will be spending close to this anyway...

 

The money simply isn't there. This is a third/backup vehicle for my family. I'm trying to do some serious work on my house (structural issue in the garage and had to demo my basement due to flood) which saps ALL extra income. Would it be nice to put a fresh rebuild or new motor in? Sure it would, but the money isn't there to buy one, and I don't have the know-how, space, or tools to do it myself. I can't very well sell the truck the way it is and expect to get anything out of it, so the wife and I agreed to drive it till it grenades, and then try and find a used motor to toss in and either drive it till it dies or trade it in on a better truck down the road. I know it doesn't make sense to some of you, but it really is my only option. Had I known how bad the motor was at the time I bought it, I would have passed on it. Should I have? I don't think so, the truck really doesn't owe me anything. I've used a pickup more than I have in my life in the last 9 months and I could continue to use one indefinitely, but when it comes to making my house payments or building/buying a new engine, I'll have to pass on the later.

To rub salt in the wounds, the power steering has decided to commit suicide today. Pouring PSF all over the driveway at the moment.

 

Kadet, I'm with you, FWIW. I have a low-mileage 160k Ram and hope to reach at least 250k before I have to do anything to the engine. But if I do replace it, I would want to simply install a good used engine also. Back in my younger days I built a few engines and it was fun. Now I just want my rig to run as long as possible, as cheaply as possible. I put a rebuilt NAPA long-block 5.0L in my brother 1990 F-150 in 1999 and whether it was his negligence or a bad rebuild, the main bearings burned up 15k miles and 3k past warranty later. So it was $1200 in the sh$tter. If I were in your shoes, I would do a compression check, replace the timing chain, oil pump and the plenum which shouldn't take more than 3-4 days and $150 more.

 

Thanks. I'm not saying cheap vehicles aren't worth putting money into. I bought a 1992 Caprice 9C1 from a local police department when I was in high school. I had an ATK Reman L05 V8 installed at a local shop with new accessories for $2200, had the windows tinted, and waxed it, took it to a local car show and won two trophys. I love bringing stuff back from the dead, it's just I'm at an impasse where demands on my income don't allow me to go the most ideal route. I'm just wanting to get a couple more years and maybe 25-50k more miles out of the beast.

 

I drive a 1500 with a 5.9 gas...i rebuilt it and had it bored for just over a grand. In doing so, i've uncovered many more issues, snapping snapping a drive shaft to burning rear gears. I would pull it apart and inspect it, replace what needs replacing. Timing chain, water pump, and possibly oil pump, but that would be about it unless something is completely trashed. After that, check it for compression and roll with it, then address any issues you may have down the road.

 

Man that sucks. Seems like when one thing starts to go, it has to take eveything else with it.

I completely understand wanting to keep it cheap. I would be in the same boat if I was in your situation. I just saw all the ideas being tossed around and it was looking like you were going to end up spending good money on it anyway. Hopefully whatever you do works out well, and you don't just end up trading one set of problems for another.

 

The funny thing is many rebuilt engines seems to be just as iffy as one from the junk yard.... look at all the people on here who have had a recently rebuilt engine have some sort of catastrophic failure either right before or right after the warranty is up from something not being done or installed right...