Sticker shock!

[mwood65]

I haven't bought an engine since my teenage years and I used to buy good used engines for around $250!


Guess those days are long gone. Looking at used engines on Craigslist made me wonder if they had gold piston's or something!


want to find a 360 for my Cherokee but seems I will never afford one.


Guess I will have to go through my 258 and change a few things out and hope for some kind of power increase.


4.0L head swap (If I can find one & afford it!)
New cam
Header
Small 4 bbl. carb. & intake.(hell, I would settle for a 2 bbl. intake & carb.)

[Tripwire]

Here is a fresh rebuilt one on fleabay seems reasonable to me

https://www.ebay.com/i/260778008778?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-213727-13078-0&mkcid=2&itemid=260778008778&targetid=4580221851526097&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=395167505&mkgroupid=1225955667508353&rlsatarget=pla-4580221851526097&abcId=1129776&merchantid=51291&msclkid=e07536ddb623115c403069ce21ead670

[mwood65]

Yeah

$1,675 maybe is fair but I am not that rich.


Like I said, decent used engines for $250 are history.


For $1200 I could buy a 401 block on Craigslist and rebuild it.


When your on disability paying bills & medications $900 a month don't go far, and surely not $1600 worth of far.


It will take me most of a year to just put a re-ring kit, new cam, header & intake for my 258.


Sure do miss the days of working & having a steady good income!

[Carnuck]

You’re singing my song there. I had all the parts, etc but I didn’t know I had heart problems (I was tired all the time) and made the mistake of getting someone I thought was a friend to help me. (I hear he’s in your area now scamming others)
I have several 4.0L HO motor cores kicking around. I even have a semi-complete front half of a Comanche that only had 80,000 miles on it. (How many were on the golf course in 4 lo is the question)
I won’t be driving stick anymore so I only have AW4 backed ones. I’m trying to get funding for opening a campground so I have an income as well as place to live but that’s fading daily.

[babywag]

$1,675 maybe is fair but I am not that rich.


Like I said, decent used engines for $250 are history.


For $1200 I could buy a 401 block on Craigslist and rebuild it.


When your on disability paying bills & medications $900 a month don't go far, and surely not $1600 worth of far.


It will take me most of a year to just put a re-ring kit, new cam, header & intake for my 258.


Sure do miss the days of working & having a steady good income!

A v8 swap will nickel & dime you to death. Rebuild of a 401 will cost thousands.
If $$ is an issue probably unrealistic to even consider it?

[mwood65]

[quote=Carnuck]You

[mwood65]

[quote=Carnuck]You

[mwood65]

A v8 swap will nickel & dime you to death. Rebuild of a 401 will cost thousands.
If $$ is an issue probably unrealistic to even consider it?

I know.


At this point I probably would be better off to just sell the Cherokee.


I am seriously rolling the idea around, I can't afford to restore it right.


Either sell it or drive it till it falls apart then sell the parts.

[Carnuck]

I’m in the process of getting my HO 4.0L to fire up on LPG. The stolen intake is not fun.

[61Hawk]

Ah memories, I remember 1984 too.


I remember going to the matinee on Saturday afternoon, getting a small popcorn and cherry slushy and having change left over from the nickle dad gave me.

[mwood65]

Ah memories, I remember 1984 too.


I remember going to the matinee on Saturday afternoon, getting a small popcorn and cherry slushy and having change left over from the nickle dad gave me.

Right? lol. It has been awhile and for me back then I was a Chevy man or more like a Chevy boy. I used to pick up small block decent running engines for $250 - $300 all the time but those days are gone.


I just can't believe how high they have gotten. Of course it's harder to find a 70's - early 80's engine anyways. Now even the "old" engines are fuel injected and the real old ones are tbi.

[mwood65]

Well, If I don't sell it I will have to SERIOUSLY pull back on my expectations of what I can do financially.


Doing a compression test in the morning and if it checks out good I probably will skip the tearing it down part and just do some other things which I can still drive it while doing most of them one at a time.


If I can swing it I would like to do the 4.0L head swap which doesn't sound to insanely expensive other than finding a head.


Then a 2 bbl intake & carb. off a later model 258


An HEI distributor.


Those upgrades I think I can afford and should help.

[babywag]

A leak down test is good diagnostic too.
That'll tell you how valves are sealing, and how much leakage is occurring past rings.

[letank]

A leak down test is good diagnostic too.
That'll tell you how valves are sealing, and how much leakage is occurring past rings.

Diagnostic is the key to any problems... and sometimes we fall into seeing larger expenses than what the real solution is. Not too sure of your exact problems... or symptoms...


For an example: I started to have to add coolant every few months -with the lock down, I have not added gas in 7 months-

1) I may have a headgasket leak, not seeing a puddle under the vehicle... 2) finally did a pressure test of the coolant at 8 psi, no changes in 10min... so It must be the radiator cap... and for sure yesterday after a long drive, parked at the local store... and when I walked past the front I could see that drip under the engine bay... sure enough the radiator cap showed sign of leaky coolant smeared to nearby hoses (not a jeep), not a headgasket... pfffft....

[Crankyolman]

Keep an eye on craigslist, things do come up. Back when my engine went bad I found a newer AMC 360 that ran good for only $200 that I could drop in my truck but my wife said
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!! "
Just because it came attached to a transmission

and a transfer case

and a 1980 jeep Cherokee

with no axles
But deals like that do show up from time to time.