250,000 miles

[ihavamr2]

i just got a 91 turbo and its got 250,000miles on it. runs but not very good. its not very fast. i was accually upset wit the little amount of power. the turbo seals are leaking so i no thats a big factor in loss in power but i think the car has been whored the whole life of the car.

is it safe to modify? or will i just make the motor die quicker. is it worth getting a new turbo or just a new motor all together? i found a motor wit 25,000-35,000 miles on it with everything for $1,700. the reason i posted this is because i dnt know how long these motors last. i no toyotas rep for long lasting motors but how does this one compare?

thx
Alex

[MR2 Drifter]

General rule of thumb for all cars....

if its got over 200,000 miles it gots too much

Go for an engine swap, it'll probably cost you less in the long run because your going to be replacing a lot of parts and taking it to toyota dealers to figure out whats wrongs on a beat up MR2 turbo

[mr29180]

wow 250k LOL
Mine has 222k LOL
Well my plan is either swap or rebuilt the engine!! once u rebuilt ur engine and then put a good a$$ turbo on it!!!

[Timon]

If you're into modding it out and can do the work yourself I'd suggest a rebuild on it. Otherwise if you're looking for a bit more power, and want to do an engine swap, get a 3rd gen 3SGTE.

[ve2dict]

350 k here original engine

[ihavamr2]

Originally Posted by Timon

If you're into modding it out and can do the work yourself I'd suggest a rebuild on it. Otherwise if you're looking for a bit more power, and want to do an engine swap, get a 3rd gen 3SGTE.

but rebuilds r soooooooooo expensive. just the mechine work on a turboed engine can be $1500 i just think it would be a lot easyier to get a new motor

[the2ndr]

so basically everyone here says if you have 200k miles then you need a rebuilt motor? This is the worst advice Ive heard. First of all, you have a stock mr2 turbo. Are you expecting v8 class power?

1. Mileage has nothing to do with how a car is running. The cars maintenance history determines what you need to do today.

2. First thing is to do a compression check.
3. Fix your exhaust manifold leaks.
4. check all oil,cam seals,valve cover gaskets and replace if necessary
5. Inspect all charge hoses and clamps.
6. if your turbo is leaking oil either rebuild/upgrade or buy a real turbo
7. Is your car smoking at idle or during hard acceleration?
8. Do you have a real boost gauge?
9. 8-10 psi is only good for about 150-165whp in a 3100 lb car this is assuming your engine is in good condition.

10. What are your plans, goals, or objectives.

I still can't believe some people here recommend rebuilding an engine just because it has a lot of miles without checking it out first.

[issymr2]

go with a new block and head from mcs

[metheores]

Originally Posted by the2ndr

I still can't believe some people here recommend rebuilding an engine just because it has a lot of miles without checking it out first.

I recommend going for the rebuild instead of the swap. Ain't nothing like a reliable 0 miles engine.

Oh btw, it's not a good idea to modify a beat up engine (any engine)...if yours is beat up. You should do the tests the2ndr posted. the 3SGTE just like any good ol' toyota engine is very reliable, but unlike the bullet proof 5SFE it is less tolerant of poor maintenance.

[ihavamr2]

Originally Posted by the2ndr

so basically everyone here says if you have 200k miles then you need a rebuilt motor? This is the worst advice Ive heard. First of all, you have a stock mr2 turbo. Are you expecting v8 class power?

1. Mileage has nothing to do with how a car is running. The cars maintenance history determines what you need to do today.

2. First thing is to do a compression check.
3. Fix your exhaust manifold leaks.
4. check all oil,cam seals,valve cover gaskets and replace if necessary
5. Inspect all charge hoses and clamps.
6. if your turbo is leaking oil either rebuild/upgrade or buy a real turbo
7. Is your car smoking at idle or during hard acceleration?
8. Do you have a real boost gauge?
9. 8-10 psi is only good for about 150-165whp in a 3100 lb car this is assuming your engine is in good condition.

10. What are your plans, goals, or objectives.

I still can't believe some people here recommend rebuilding an engine just because it has a lot of miles without checking it out first.

a reliable daily driver thats got some power to it. just bolt on's. i drive a cavalier daily lol so im going to like this car no matter wat is done. JDM style, paint, rims, and upgrade lights. im a mechanic so im not scared to rebuild i just hear that rebuilds can cost more than buying a another motor

[ihavamr2]

my 2 also smokes all the time while driving. if i did rebuild do i have to get a new head and block? has anyone rebuilt this motor? anyone know how much i would be looking at?

[metheores]

Originally Posted by ihavamr2

my 2 also smokes all the time while driving. if i did rebuild do i have to get a new head and block? has anyone rebuilt this motor? anyone know how much i would be looking at?

lotsa people rebuild their engines.
It depends on what you want to do. If you go crazy with it it can cost up to 5K if you just want OEM build is not that expensive.

What color is the smoke...? That is definitely not a good sign and you shouldn't be modding something like that :P

[Denz]

Also an oil change, spark plug change, distributor cap change and if you can clean out the intake etc get ride of all the black ****.

[ihavamr2]

today i installed the MAF sensor and i drove it for 30 mins. it was cool. im def a mr2 guy now lol. wen i went to start it it would not start. i took out the sparkpulgs and they had oil and gas in them so i cleaned them wit brake cleaner and it started. i drove it and the first 3 mins was great. then it started to not rev over 4. i would try to get into it and it would bog out and wouldnt go faster. i took it in the shop, did oil, spark, and seafoam fuel injection service and it didnt smoke anymore and it was fast. no bog, no smoke. i love it!....now i just need to get tags and i drive everyday =]

[MR-3sgte]

I'm planning on rebuilding my 3sgte. I peiced all the parts together and it was like 1300 including all the shipping and thats a full engine gasket kit comitec head gasket arp head bolts weisco forged pistons eagle rods and acl main bearings. I do all my own work so all i need is the time. Id go for a rebuild and dont just rebuild it put some forged pistons in there that way you can have more fun with the car

[ihavamr2]

ok and machine work turning the crank redoing the head completely whats the point of building the bottom end and putting a 250k head on it. to do it right there will prolly be another 5-600 in parts including timing components and waterpump and then another 1000 in machine work i dont care how good you are you cant machine a crank with your teeth

[metheores]

Originally Posted by ihavamr2

ok and machine work turning the crank redoing the head completely whats the point of building the bottom end and putting a 250k head on it. to do it right there will prolly be another 5-600 in parts including timing components and waterpump and then another 1000 in machine work i dont care how good you are you cant machine a crank with your teeth

I got a whole list that I got for my rebuild (soon)
The list is at least 1 page long.
I suggest always doing the machine work and most important balancing the crank (when putting new pistons). If not then the rebuild will wear out prematurely.

Originally Posted by MR-3sgte

I'm planning on rebuilding my 3sgte. I peiced all the parts together and it was like 1300 including all the shipping and thats a full engine gasket kit comitec head gasket arp head bolts weisco forged pistons eagle rods and acl main bearings. I do all my own work so all i need is the time. Id go for a rebuild and dont just rebuild it put some forged pistons in there that way you can have more fun with the car

I think it depends on the person really, if people just want a good daily driver, then a rebuild won't cost them that much if they don't get the sweet-goodies.

[dirocyn]

Ya know, guys--the2ndr has a point, you need to consider the condition the motor is in even if it's high miles. But let's get real. No matter what the maintenance history, an engine with 250k miles on it is getting towards the end of its life expectancy. Heck, even the world record 4-million mile Mercedes Benz 240d got a rebuilt engine every 364k miles (11 times). Crank bearings and piston rings will only last so long, and their lifespan is shortened if you drive hard or if you go too long between oil changes.

The bottom line is, if your oil pressure goes too low from worn out main bearings, or suddenly goes high (spun bearing), or if your rings go--then your engine needs to come out. Whether to rebuild or replace is a question of time, money, and skill, assuming the old engine is in good enough condition to rebuild in the first place. A used running engine is usually cheaper than a proper rebuild, and a rebuild is usually cheaper than a brand new engine. Of course, if you're looking for maximum performance, you'll want to build an engine, starting with a block that's in near perfect condition--which means if it's used, it's been magnafluxed.

[EddieG]

Salvage what you can from it and get a swap.

[Teado]

Your car is actually a MKII not an MKI, so those people might have more input on longevity.

Main question is how long do you want to run the car in that condition. I wouldn't modify much unless you can refurbish as you go.