Guest alfred182 Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 Think I posted this in the wrong forum before... Here goes: I own a salvaged 1979 280ZX with 150K on it. Had the ignition module and A/C compressor replaced in my car today, and the mechanic that had checked my car said that two cylinders were bad!!! He said that the compression was suppoes to be around 140 - 150, and two of them were at 100 and 120...the rest were supposed to be fine. He said that I would need to have the engine repaired at the tune of $900 minimum...(mexican mechanic). Very trustworthy and efficient, though. So, does this mean that my engine will die soon?? Should I try to repair this engine, or get a totally new one?? I was thinking about getting an L28 with forged stuff, or perhaps one with a turbo (wouldn't need to change anything else, right), or maybe even a Chevy350 or a Supra Engine if I need to get rid of the old engine. Btw, I plan to autocorss this car, and maybe take it to the drag strip a few times to test it out when it is finally finished. I think I would be happy with 250hp. Those are my only goals... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bang847 Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 If its not too bad cant you run some thick oil or motor honey to squeeze some miles out of it? Don't quote me .. I waiting for the experts to reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 eh, odds are youre car will run a good long time, heavier oil cant hurt. save up your money that 900.00 can get you a good motor, or at least a fresh block, keep up the maintenance, and i wouldnt recommend high rpm stuff for prolonged periods of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alfred182 Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 Well, how much time left should I expect? 1 month? 6 months? 1 year? By high rpms, do you mean like 5k or 6k rpm? I usually never rev it past 4k, and I usually drive 3k on 5th gear on the freeway, otherwise shifting at 2.5k rpm... By fresh block, do you mean the cylinder head?? So, no synthetic oil for me? awww... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted May 16, 2002 Share Posted May 16, 2002 your regular driving habits should be fine if you never see past 4k, i mean block, short block, head should be fine, a nice cleaning and polishing couldnt hurt though. oh you never know how long it will be, doesnt sound like it will anytime soon, these things happen, which cylinders were low? synth wont hurt either? are you burning oil, check that first before you make up your mind on that. do you have oil coming out by the 3rd or 4th cylinder, its common in L motors, thats the only oil passageway from block to head if i remember straightly. i drove an L car with lower compression than that on two cylinders for six months and counting, the guy i sold it to got a ticket for parking in a yellow zone and it came to my house, not the best way to tell me the car still runs good. my guess is that if you keep up with the maintenance and not beat your car, it will last quite a while, people treat their cars much worse and it seems like they are doing just fine right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lockjaw Posted May 20, 2002 Share Posted May 20, 2002 I had a 240 engine with low compression on two cylinders that I raced alot. It probably just has cracked rings, which are not a problem unless they get into the combustion chamber. I have a question. Have you checked your compression yourself to see if this guy is telling you the truth? A 900 dollar wall job would be pretty sweet. If you just drive the car and keep the oil changed and don't flog on it, it could last for years, and it could tear up the next time you start it. This is kind of a loaded question because you are asking for advice and then want to be able to rely on it, when the truth is, no one really knows how long it will last. The bottom line is you are going to have to fix the engine if the mechanic told you the truth. When you are going to have to fix it is what the 64000 dollar question is. I would drive it and save up my money and hopefully it will last past that point. Good luck. BTW, you could always hunt around in a salvage yard for a lower mileage engine to drop in there. Alot of times those can be picked up cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted May 20, 2002 Share Posted May 20, 2002 thats so true. it could last you years, it could crap on you tommorow. i drove that old straight six car like a complete psycho for six months straight knowing that it had crap for compression, i did one comp check and thats all she wrote, just maintained my regular maintenance and let her rip. but yeah it may last a while, and it might not, machines hate humans, remember that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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