Replacing vehicle motor

[Jerzguy2]

After following a thread a few weeks ago about a member replacing a motor in an old Suburban, I'm now looking for opinions on the same. I gave my significant my 2002 Yukon with 170,000 as she likes to drive it. It has been well maintained for the 15 years I've owned it. It's now eating coolant and after testing, it seems to be going into exhaust. It's been over 40 years since I've attempted tearing down a chevy and have no desire to attempt it on one of these newer motors. She has just unloaded a Dodge P/U which she had emotional ties to and poured several thousands into over the past 8 years and I just assumed it was a no brainer issue. Well, this seems to be another emotional issue. Since it's an expensive repair to open the motor with the assumption that its only a head gasket and not something  worse and then you still have a vehicle with 170,000 on it. What about just putting in a crate motor.  Opinions please.

[electric10162]

Take it to Ken in Flemington.@Woodsman416

[hunterbob1]

8 minutes ago, electric10162 said:

Take it to Ken in Flemington.@Woodsman416

Does he have good ratings on Angie's list?

[hostak126]

More than likely it's a head gasket. You're also going to want to get the cylinder heads shaved. Is the Burban eating oil too?

[MRMCR]

170,000 miles I am sure the body and interior also is worn .......probably  in my opinion not worth touching.........

[Greybeard]

Got stuck in the same money pit with my old Ford p/u.  At that age there is going to be more that goes wrong.  Keep dumping more money into it because you just dumped more money into it. After it's too late, you realize you could have been spending the same on a new car payment.

[Jerzguy2]

Not eating any oil. Thanks Grey for the opinion, as I have witnessed her emotional  tie to her P/U that she sunk 5-7 grand into the last 10 years and finally let go. Yes, body has a little rust and I have already replaced brake and fuel lines over the years and it has been a great vehicle. If it was up to me, I would try to do the head gasket job myself, but at this stage of life, just let go. I just don't know how to tell her, learn from the last mistake, what if the transmission goes next?   Thanks all

[not on the rug]

5 hours ago, Greybeard said:

Got stuck in the same money pit with my old Ford p/u.  At that age there is going to be more that goes wrong.  Keep dumping more money into it because you just dumped more money into it. After it's too late, you realize you could have been spending the same on a new car payment.

I agree with this 100%.  It's not like we're talking about renovating a classic car or modding a sports car.  A 20 year old vehicle (especially American vehicle) with almost 200k  miles on it only belongs in the scrapyard.  Save the headache and pick up a nice pre-owned vehicle (3-4 years old) or lease something brand new and you'll never be happier.  Spending 6k on a motor job equates to a $500/month car payment.  If you spend another $1500 on a brake job and, maybe another $1k on various nonsense, you're in to the vehicle for $710/month and you're still driving a 20 year old, rusty, completely obsolete vehicle that might not even start tomorrow when you turn the key or might leave your wife stranded on the side of the highway somewhere.  I'll still never understand why folks spend so much money repairing old junk. 

90% of consumers should just lease cars and be done with it anyway.  Low payments, no repairs to ever worry about.  You pay for oil changes and wiper blades (sometimes that's included) and at the end of the term, you turn the car in and drive another new one away from the lot.  No headaches and everything is under warranty. If you average your costs on the lease vs what you spent on payments and then the tires, inevitable repairs over the time you own the vehicle, buying and keeping a vehicle for 10-12+ years is almost never in your financial favor. 

Edited April 20, 2022 by not on the rug

[smittty]

I’m very happy with my 6000.00 investment the first engine had 33000.00 on it. I would not sell that truck for 12000.00 in todays market. I have another one a 2004 that looks and runs like it just come off the lot.  no better think I got 67.000 on that one

[hunterbob1]

1 hour ago, smittty said:

I’m very happy with my 6000.00 investment 

Did you pay in cash or fluke money

[midwestxpress]

If you got coolant downstream to the converter you may have damaged that also. That can be another hidden cost you may or may not have to spend.

[hunterbob1]

5 hours ago, Jerzguy2 said:

I have witnessed her emotional  tie to her P/U that she sunk 5-7 grand into the last 10 years and finally let go. 

It's time to let go.R.I.P.

https://giphy.com/clips/DefyTVNetwork-duck-dynasty-defytv-OR5SphvfIGma0vcPos

[smittty]

5 hours ago, hunterbob1 said:

Did you pay in cash or fluke money

I paid a friend a bag of scallops to take blown engine out and put new in and the machine shop was 4k so 6k total and that’s all high performance parts the two new heads were after market but he said he redid the with all performance parts so what ever that means. I’m tickled pink just it the first thousand on her today

Edited April 20, 2022 by smittty