i just agreed to purchase a 1986 gl wagon with dr4wd and the owner says it needs a new engine. now being on this forum a while i can guess its one of 4 things, timing belts, head gaskets, screw on disty, or the dude may have actually killed the motor. Now im not one with experience on carbs but where would be a good place to start checking if the engine is good? taking off the cap to see if the rotor moves or not? what tools are needed to do a timing belt and waterpump change?

What makes him say it needs a new engine...is a good place to start. Rod coming through the side? Bearing?

Run a compression test. A gauge is about $10 at harbor frieght and that will tell you right away if something is wrong beyond the bolt-on stuff at the top layer.

 

If you have bad/weird compression, pull the outer belt covers and look for limp belts. Turn the engine over with a socket and breaker bar and make sure the belts actually rotate (the teeth can shear away without them breaking).

 

If everything looks good on the compression in all 4 cylinders move to fuel and ignitions systems. Check for spark - if you have it move on to fuel - if you don't stop and find out why.

 

Timing belts and water pumps require no special tools. Just regular hand tools and the willingness to read a manual.

 

GD

He ran it w/out oil and it seized up?

He ran it w/out oil and it seized up?

That would do it.

LOL its not ceased, the rotor and belts are fine.

Definatly start with a compression check. The $10 harbor frieght gauge is cheap, and it will work, however I recommend a decent $40 or $50 job... ive gotten faulty readings with the $10 harbor freight tool.

 

A good engine will be in the 130 to 160psi range.

 

However this will not reveal a rod bearing, you'll know that when you start the engine.

Check T-belt timing. Could've been done wrong and someone deemed it to have bent valves do to no-start/poor running.

 

MilesFox and I bought an XT6 that way a few years back. Was told bent valves, but T-belts weren't right. Re-timed belts and she purred like a kitten. Alas, no title, so she was just a parts car....

i need to get the motor running before i can check the rod knock correct? now this car was running and all the sudden died at a stop light when the Previous owner had it, what would now be somethings to check? belts and rotor all spin. ill check for fuel and spark in a few minutes

Find the green test connectors under the hood, and connect them. Turn the key to on (not start). You should hear the fuel pump pulsing on/off. If not, that's (at least one) problem. You can try smacking it to make it work.

 

-Dave