I guess it could have been worse, but it still sucks...

I had a long weekend and was super tired and bunch of little crap all piled on top of each other. Then it started raining. alot. On my way back to work from lunch(in my 97), I drove through a neighborhood to shorten the drive. There was a lot of water in the road, but I honestly didn't think it was that much. It wasn't super deep, but there was quite a long stretch of it. Long story short, I sucked up water in the intake and I'm pretty sure the engine is seized. I pulled the plugs and tried to crank it and it won't turn at all.

I've got a friend meeting me on Saturday with a boroscope to look inside the cylinders and see what's up. I'm not expecting anything good.

Anyway, I originally bought it with the intent of driving for a little while, if possible, and ultimately parting it out. That was over 2 years and 30k miles ago without any major problems. It has about 155k on it now.
The car isn't flawless or anything, but it's better than some I've seen. The paint definitely needs work, but overall I think it's not a bad car. I've actually grown pretty attached to it.

So....I stopped a junkyard today on the way home from work and looked at a 98 they have there. It's a black base model with 67k miles. They told me they want $800 for the engine, which is a bit more than I'd like to pay but not too outrageous. I went back and looked at it and it had been smashed on the passenger front corner, but not enough to get to the engine. The other headlight was gone and the taillights were all gone, but the interior was complete (tan, but complete), and in decent shape. I looked in the trunk and noticed an exhaust manifold sitting in it. "Uh-oh, why's that in there?" I go around to the front and look down the side of the engine and the damn thing has KOOKS headers on it! :eek: Are you frickin kidding me?!? lol. They looked like they were somewhat new, too. I talked to the guys at the counter and they said the $800 price tag includes the headers! Somehow I think it's impossible for me to pass this engine up now. I've got a set of used KOOKS sitting in my garage waiting for me to put onto my 98, but they're rusty and they're from a Gen 1, so a little extra work would have to be done. I'd really like to just put the 67k mile engine into my 98 and then put the 98's engine into the 97, but that's a prohibitive amount of work, so I think I'd like to buy the 67k mile engine and put my 97 exhaust manifolds onto it and then just save the KOOKS for the 98 once the 97's back up and running. I'll probably just sell the other KOOKS set then.

Well that's my book for today. Sorry for rambling, but I'm just really excited about finding those headers. lol. The low mile engine's not such a bad find either. :p

You certainly have better luck than Camel. You better pick up the engine fast, because you will never find another deal like that again. If you were Camel the engine would grenade 5 minutes after you got home from the install, and the headers would have really been made from aluminum painted Charmin toilet paper rolls.

Nice!!!!

I would swoop that up for $800 in an instant!

can you verify that it runs before you buy it? $800 is pretty cheap for a running motor with headers.

can you verify that it runs before you buy it? $800 is pretty cheap for a running motor with headers.

The guy that came out with to the yard with me offered to get a jump pack and hook it up and start it, but the keys were nowhere to be found. They seem like a decent business and have been around for a long time, and I didn't get any sense of shady dealings, so I'm really not too worried.

The guy behind the counter had an 01 Cobra and took an interest in my 98, and seems like a pretty cool guy. I was in uniform (Navy) and they all thanked me for my service like 5 times and let on that they would hook me up real nice.
I still have yet to decide if I want to replace the engine, but this deal is sure hard to pass up.

:DIf I do end up keeping the 97, it'll give me a chance to try painting it with a roller like the thread Ford Nut posted.

Kook's headers? now that IS a score, nice job!!!











Dr. SVO phd

buy it and give me a killer price on your other headers

how much do you want shipped for the rusty gen 1 kooks?

I don't know yet. I've still got to decide on what I'm doing first, though.

Are you sure you just didn't get something wet?

I find it hard to believe you would get enough water inside the engine to lock it up.

Can you turn the engine over by hand with the plugs out?

if there asking 800 you could get it for less...its a junkyard afterall.. good deal though...they might not no what they have.

Have you verified the presence of water in the air box?
is your air filter wet?

Have you verified the presence of water in the air box?
is your air filter wet?

+1

Check the oil dip stick for water-oil it will be white-ish.

YouTube- Think with your Dip Stick (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pcqVQe-4z0)

OP sorry for your bad luck with your car....Now onto my jealous rant ;)

You certainly have better luck than Camel. You better pick up the engine fast, because you will never find another deal like that again. If you were Camel the engine would grenade 5 minutes after you got home from the install, and the headers would have really been made from aluminum painted Charmin toilet paper rolls.

No kidding :(:shifty: I wish I found a deal like that. even if the motor was bad you could part it out and be up a set of Kooks headers! Dammit I've had a wtb up for kooks headers forever and this guy finds it with a motor for less than places are quoting me for just motors!

Man I'm so jealous!;)

can you verify that it runs before you buy it? $800 is pretty cheap for a running motor with headers.

Yeah but with those headers he could easily part that motor out even if it didn't run and be up in the deal. Those headers is what makes that deal!

Are you sure you just didn't get something wet?

I find it hard to believe you would get enough water inside the engine to lock it up.

Can you turn the engine over by hand with the plugs out?

Everything from at least the water pump up, was dry.
I tried double-wrenching the bolt on the crank pulley, with the plugs out, but it didn't want to move at all. When I try cranking it, you can hear the starter engage and try to turn, but it won't turn the engine.
Have you verified the presence of water in the air box?
is your air filter wet?
There was water in the airbox and the air filter was soaked. It weighed like 3 or 4 pounds. There was also water in the MAF, intake tube and throttle body.

+1

Check the oil dip stick for water-oil it will be white-ish.

YouTube- Think with your Dip Stick (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pcqVQe-4z0)
Oil level was pretty low, but the little amount I did see was pretty dark, it was definitely time for an oil change, but no evidence of water. We're supposed to boroscope it Saturday, and I might drain the oil in the meantime and see how it looks. Work is pretty crappy right now, and I may even have to work the weekend, so I'm not sure anything's gonna get done anytime soon.

Ripped, I'm sorry that your engine search hasn't been going quite as well. I've been following your thread and the whole situation sucks. I never thought that I would be in a similar situation, but here I am, and it sucks too. Hopefully, it'll all turn out good though.

Ripped, I'm sorry that your engine search hasn't been going quite as well. I've been following your thread and the whole situation sucks. I never thought that I would be in a similar situation, but here I am, and it sucks too. Hopefully, it'll all turn out good though.

No biggie, I just wanted to make you feel like all wasn't lost as you scored those headers! If you don't go with it let me know, I sure as hell would LOVE those headers!

Yeah, I want them really bad. The more I think about it, the more I want to go through with it.

Do it, you are buying headers with a free engine...

haha, yeah, that's true. I just had a talk with my wife about it, and she basically told me to buy it, so I'm gonna call them tomorrow and tell them I want it. Now I need to find an engine stand and hoist.

I think one of my friends at work has a set.

I'm pretty excited. I know it's gonna be a lot of work, and it's probably gonna suck, but it might be pretty fun at the same time. I just hope it all goes smoothly.

Everything from at least the water pump up, was dry.
I tried double-wrenching the bolt on the crank pulley, with the plugs out, but it didn't want to move at all. When I try cranking it, you can hear the starter engage and try to turn, but it won't turn the engine.


I hate to ask you this....was the car in neutral?

"had to ask"

With the car in neutral it should turn over pretty easy with the plugs out.

I would think if you got enough water in the engine to freeze up a main you would see it in the oil.
I still think it would stop firing with the water/gas mix long before anything would seize....but stranger things have happened.
Still hoping its something simple....good luck.

Fly me out and I'll help do the swap for free :)

Fly me out and I'll help do the swap for free :)

After seeing his progress thread on Stack's car it would be WELL worth it!

After seeing his progress thread on Stack's car it would be WELL worth it!

I'm not sure if that is a compliment or insult... :confused:

I'm not sure if that is a compliment or insult... :confused:

Compliment! :)

I think the work you do is hella insane, and I in my best hour wouldn't be able to produce the results you do. You have quite a touch with vehicles. I've always been a huge believer that no one person is better than the next in terms of societal comparisons mainly because where one person shines, the other fails and vice versa.

Your specialty happens to be with cars. You seem to really have a talent for it. Honestly if you hone your skills maybe KK will indeed be the next Saleen or Roush....

Ok, anyone got a tissue? I need to wipe this brown off my nose ;)

He'll probably work for Mini....buildin Mini-Kini's! Lol

just kidding KK, that's a nice offer, but I think the plane tickets would be more than I'd be willing to pay for. Besides, I've got a friend from work that's gonna help and access to the auto hobby shop here on the navy base, so I should be pretty well armed for this job. It certainly would be cool if you could come down though. More help is always useful.

Just remember, out the bottom, not up through the top... out the bottom is WAY WAY WAY easier.

Just remember, out the bottom, not up through the top... out the bottom is WAY WAY WAY easier.

Yup, that was the plan.

So, I bought the engine yesterday, I should be able to pick it up tomorrow, but I may not be able to until Tuesday (which is my birthday!).

The guy that's pulling the engine for me said it was too bad I didn't catch it a couple weeks ago when they first got the car. They said it had a brand new exhaust on it, but it's been taken off since then. Oh well. I couldn't really see the headers very well, but I'm hoping they're the stainless steel ones, that would be great.

Headers are posted in the For Sale section:

93-95 Kooks headers (http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=65072)