Rebuild/Buy Rebuilt/Buy Used
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This is my 1st posting and I’m hoping to benefit from the collective knowledge among the forum's members. I have a 1998 Hatch, standard trans & 16Y7, essentially a stock machine. I have about 280K on the vehicle and the engine is using oil and the trans “fights” going into 1st on a down shift at anything above a full stop. So I’m figuring rings (at a minimum and a defective syncro in trans). I started looking at potential rebuild but when I began adding up potential machine shop, parts & other expenses the tally rose pretty fast with a commensurate drop in any savings. Then I looked to the possible purchase of a rebuilt engine/trans package still high but not out of the question. Then a friend told me about used low mileage engines/trans imported from Japan. I checked one of the better known importers and they will provide me with an engine/trans package with 50K miles or less for about $1300. My questions to the forum are: Has anyone ever purchased one of these imported engines & if so, what’s been your experience with it? Looking back, is there something you would do differently & if so, what? Any other related advice would also be welcome. Thanks much, Bljacque
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ezone gave a good info on this. Will try to find it or he will pipe in shortly. He actually has to work on Honda's all day..Poor fellow.
#3
If you think a good mechanic is expensive, try hiring a bad one
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I have no input on other choices.
He actually has to work on Honda's all day..Poor fellow.
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I could not find the post as why the low mileage engine come into the US from Japan but my friend had a Toyota that had the coking problem and the oil pump was starved and toasted the engine. His brother in law who owns a very large foreign car repair on route 17 in Yorktown VA replaced the motor with a low mileage motor from Japan. Been a few years and it held up fine.
#5
If you think a good mechanic is expensive, try hiring a bad one
Re: Rebuild/Buy Rebuilt/Buy Used
I've heard that for a couple decades now, but a member of a professional forum who owns a shop in Japan explained how it works over there...IIRC it's the taxes that make people dump cars so quick. The older a car gets, the more heavily it is taxed. After only a few years it makes economic sense for them to dump an older car in favor of a newer one.
That's how I remember it, anyway.
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ezone, appreciate the insight as well as the background. I was curious as to why there was such an abundance of engines & trans, etc. from Japan. The "tax" aspect does make some sense. Seems it would make it pretty tough on a collector though!
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When dashes went to plastic, cars become like tin sheds. When they get a little rough, you throw them in the recycle bin and start over. Unless you're pretty mechanical and a electronic wiz, it's best anyway. Aftermarket parts are junk and who can justify dealer stuff on a 17 year old car.
#8
If you think a good mechanic is expensive, try hiring a bad one
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and who can justify dealer stuff on a 17 year old car