Josie

Hello all,

Here we are again. I own a MY01 and might need a engine rebuild or engine replacement. Last time my mechanic thought we would need a rebuild, there wasn't a need for it, but this time, I believe there is a need. The engine has been burning more oil and this time it ran out of oil even though I check before every drive. I'm not mechanically inclined, so I'm not able to take apart the engine myself to diagnose the issue. There were some scratches to the camshaft and my mechanic hasn't looked at the bottom half of the motor yet. He is saying it might make more sense to replace the engine, but f20c's are a bit out of budget right now. What should I do? I love my s2k and wouldn't mind it being a lawn ornament while I save up to fix her, but don't want to make the wrong decision. As always, I appreciate everyone's responses and help.

Thank you,
Josie

starchland

Hard to make an informed decision without all the details. Tear down and see. Likely the bearings/cylinder walls are toast if the head is showing signs of starvation. Finding a used engine in good shape is hit/miss and also depends greatly on location.

Orjinal

It ran out of engine oil even though you check it before every drive? How much do you drive?

Josie

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What do you think I should do if I can't tear down myself? I don't have the space nor the know-how. I live in the DMV area (DC, MD, VA).

Josie

Honestly, not that much. I've replenished the oil recently too. I keep a big container of oil in the trunk lol.

starchland

or rather how much does it burn?

Options? Private shop? Friend or family willing to help out or teach you to remove an engine? Once it is out have someone tear it down or ship it to a reputable builder (another discussion altogether it seems as of late)

it is a shitty situation but some of us have been there. Check your oil religiously but shit happens. Maybe look through your local FB or section here for the noteworthy S2k mechanics you can trust and won’t charge you an arm.

Car Analogy

A rebuild is a huge gamble. The risk is extremely high that it'll grenade on you. These motors just don't take well to rebuilds.

You could easily spend several thousand, and end up in worse shape than you are now.

There is virtual zero chance that your mechanic can rebuild this motor successfully. Nor zero chance that machine shop he always uses for rebuilds and has never let him down can do it either.

You need to have a specialist shop that has a lot of experience rebuilding these motors do it, and even there you'll find plenty of horror stories.

There are also horror stories with new assembled blocks from Honda. Apparently they weren't stored properly or maybe the substance used for assembly lube wasn't meant to sit around for decades before engine was ever fired up. Whatever the case, stories of new engine after new engine failing in a few hundred miles after install.

You could sell the motor as-is for someone else to gamble a rebuild with, or someone that wants to sleeve it for a forced induction build (sleeves are cast iron cylinders that get pressed in to replace the stock frm impregnated aluminum cylinders. Cast iron can better withstand high levels of turbo boost that the really high hp guys go after. But its not at all a good choice for a car that isn't running super high boost).

Then buy a used motor. Yes, its also a gamble, but much less of one. If you get an ap2 motor, its highly likely not to burn oil, or at least a whole lot less than a used ap1 is likely to do (Honda changed how they build the ap2 motors, which largely fixed oil burning issues).

zze86

K-series swap.

F20c/22c are ~$5k. That's about how much it costs to swap in a K-series which are basically an updated F20c anyways. And then you'll have cheap, plentiful motors for to choose from for years to come.

Jub

For good, honest work, check out Daisy Import Auto in Woodbine, MD. I'm not sure what he'll recommend as far as an engine replacement but I'll vouch that Ben's a good, honest mechanic. He's got a few threads in the Mid-A section from S2k customers. I'd trust him with tearing down my engine, for sure.

Even if you're not mechanically inclined, you should be able to determine if the engine is seized up. Put a wrench on the crankshaft pulley and see if you can turn it over. If it's completely frozen, the engine is seized and most likely not worth repairing. If it's not seized, search how to take the oil pan off. If your oil pan is showing a bunch of metal flakes, you'll probably need to budget for a replacement. Search on here about engine rebuilds to see if you even want to pursue that. If not, it may not even be worth tearing down. I think the failure and fear of engine rebuilds is a bit overblown on here but I still wouldn't be applying my money towards it. I'd be finding a F or K series.

If you're paying someone to tear down your engine, that's going to cost a fair chunk of labor. I'd do those first two simple things to see if it's even worth tearing down. If you're short on money, save the coin on diagnosing it and just replace it.

Josie

Oof. Yeah I guess this is going to be a pain. I have a friend who I've been going to who is relatively cheap to get the motor in and out. Gotta start browsing for local mechanics though.

How do you feel about the 4piston racing f20c or the spoon f20c?
Super expensive but if reliable I wouldn't mind saving up for it.