Oil Delivery Issues - 4.0 Swap

[Prafeston]

Terry told me he has a guy locally that does rebuilds. He can remove, rebuild, and reinstall for $2700... should have just gone this route from the beginning! I've never had an engine rebuilt. What's normally done and what's a good price?

[eaglefreek]

Rebuild can mean different things depending on the rebuilder and the condition of the engine once it's disassembled and inspected. I would contact the mechanic and ask what he replaces and go from there.

[rollguy]

That sounds like a decent price if that is what you want, but I am sure  you could find a great 4.0 and change it out for a LOT less.  I would have the engine pulled and inspected first to see what the problem was first, then decide if a good used engine or a rebuild would be best.  You may get lucky and the mechanic fins something simple and the engine can be saved with a lot less expense.  Just my .02

[vangremlin]

I agree with the two previous posters, wise men that they are 

If it ends up being a remove, rebuild, and re-install, $2700 isn't a bad price.  But talk to the mechanic first, see what his price includes, and also explore the possibility of putting in another engine.  Unfortunately, a good part of his price is probably for removing and re-stalling the engine, so finding and paying for another engine isn't going to save you all that much money.

Good luck!

[rollguy]

Actually, the labor to remove and replace the engine should be about $700.  Most shops charge around $80 per hour.  You may even find one of the mechanics at the shop that might be willing to do it after hours on his own time, and charge less.  If you find a decent 4.0 for less than a grand (should not even be that much), you would be money ahead.  If your luck holds out, the other engine might have an obvious problem that is easy to fix and you would have it back on the road for much less than even the cost of a good used engine.

[carnuck]

It's been awhile but I used to do motor swaps for $500 on 2wd and $700 for 4x4 or hourly on conversion swaps. 4.0L isn't hard to swap in unless you want EFI at the same time.

[DownwardFlame]

Actually, the labor to remove and replace the engine should be about $700.  Most shops charge around $80 per hour.  You may even find one of the mechanics at the shop that might be willing to do it after hours on his own time, and charge less.  If you find a decent 4.0 for less than a grand (should not even be that much), you would be money ahead.  If your luck holds out, the other engine might have an obvious problem that is easy to fix and you would have it back on the road for much less than even the cost of a good used engine.

Wow... Around here I havent seen a shop under $90 an hour. Last place I worked at charged $96 an hour.

[1985amceagle]

how plentiful are the 1980 and later amc sixes in that area of the state? if there was something major wrong with the engine like a spun bearing, would you want to take the block to the machine shop and have it bored out to correct the damage done by the bearing, and possibly find a new crank or cam. it may be something as simple as a plugged pickup tube, or a stuck pressure relief valve. around here, eagles don't have that high resale value, so it will be hard to get the money back out of it, but from what i have seen, yours looks relatively clean as far as rust goes. another thing i am starting to realize myself is that it if you want to run it as a daily driver, are there donor cars to get parts for? i am starting to look for an 87-90 cherokee with a dead engine to replace my eagle with if something happens to the body. ive got a rebuilt 258 in the eagle, and i figured the trans and t-case can go into the cherokee as well. body parts are still plentiful for those jeeps around here, but cash for clunkers wiped half of them out, and the rest seem to keep their value a little to well. i think your eagle should be saved, as it appears to be in good condition, and a sx4 is more desirable than it seems a wagon ever will be. i think the eagle was a neat concept car, and definitely better than the subaru. right now i dont think i would find another for a daily driver, but if it was to just drive occasionally, i would find another one that is in good shape, and it would not get to see the salted roads in the winter time.

[rmick]

A long block from Auto zone is around 2000.00

[eaglefreek]

Here's an option if you had a way to get it from KC to CO. http://theamcforum.com/forum/258-short-block-w-kb-crane-cloyes-arp-etc_topic64050.html

[Prafeston]

I was reading a review on a repair shop about a vehicle that was not starting because of a lack of oil pressure. One shop was saying it was an injector issue and they took it to another shop that noticed a very bad oil leak which they tracked down to an improperly attached oil filter adapter.  It was explained that because of the air pressure leak in the oil system it wasn't getting any oil pressure. Some new parts and a gasket solved the issue.

Now I've noticed an oil leak in my car as well which I've mentioned before...maybe not in the post, but it appears to be coming from the oil dip stick tube. It has come unattached at the block and can be wiggled around. Is there anyway that this leak could be causing the pressure to drop? After sitting for some time the tube and oil could coagulate some and "seal" up to the block again. Then after the engine and oil warms up the tube comes loose again and causes the drop in oil pressure. Is this a possibility at all? Or am I just trying to find an easy fix where there isn't one?

[rollguy]

I was reading a review on a repair shop about a vehicle that was not starting because of a lack of oil pressure. One shop was saying it was an injector issue and they took it to another shop that noticed a very bad oil leak which they tracked down to an improperly attached oil filter adapter.  It was explained that because of the air pressure leak in the oil system it wasn't getting any oil pressure. Some new parts and a gasket solved the issue.

Now I've noticed an oil leak in my car as well which I've mentioned before...maybe not in the post, but it appears to be coming from the oil dip stick tube. It has come unattached at the block and can be wiggled around. Is there anyway that this leak could be causing the pressure to drop? After sitting for some time the tube and oil could coagulate some and "seal" up to the block again. Then after the engine and oil warms up the tube comes loose again and causes the drop in oil pressure. Is this a possibility at all? Or am I just trying to find an easy fix where there isn't one?

No the dipstick seal has nothing to do with oil pressure. Sorry to burst your bubble.

[Prafeston]

No problem. Just wanted to rule it out at least!

[carnuck]

That and AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

[Nightpath]

Ever get this figured out?

Pro Tip : Remove the oil pressure sensor, stick in a pipe cleaner and make sure it's not gummed up. Have someone hold a rag or container over it, turn the engine on and gun it once or twice.

If the engine has never been cleaned or anything you might get a surprise.

I've done it a few times. Problem = solved.

As for the oil pickup, the 4.0 pickup tube can be massaged into fitting. Only has to be massaged an inch or 2