Rebuild or replace motor on ‘83 FJ60? (1 Viewer)

[rjw246]

I’m hoping/praying that I might be able to get some much needed guidance and advice about my ‘83 FJ60. I know just enough to be dangerous and am finding myself in uncharted territory, so any advice or guidance would be deeply appreciated.

It seems that I need a new motor for my FJ60; not sure yet what exactly is going on — only 137,000 original miles on motor, one owner for ⅞ of its life — a seemingly solid mechanic has looked at it & is recommending new/rebuilt motor.

Mechanic wants to take an engine from an old FJ62 he has and rebuild it & drop into my 60.

Is this a viable & smart way to go?

Or, should I find someone to rebuild my 60?

Or, should I drop in a new crate engine?

How do these options affect the value/performance of my FJ60?

Is there a shop in the NJ/NY area anyone would recommend for this type of work?

I love this FJ60, and want what is best for the vehicle. Cost isn’t so much an issue but getting it done right is

Is there anything else I need to put on my radar?

Grateful for any advice/guidance

 

[batthewmrown]

Why is dude saying it needs to be replaced? 137xxx seems like a fairly young motor, unless it's been abused.

 

[bhsdriller]

Yes what are the reasons or what's it doing. If he can't give you specifics take it somewhere else

 

[rjw246]

Why is dude saying it needs to be replaced? 137xxx seems like a fairly young motor, unless it's been abused.

Symptoms look ominous — burning oil at ungodly rate, blue smoke from exhaust, low compression numbers (around 100), and dude “didn’t like the sound” with belts detached, etc.

Agree, 137k mileage is not enough to warrant, so likely PO ran a bit hard.....

 

[Seth S]

You might see if you can have someone look into each cylinder with a boroscope....they can look for things like scoring on the cylinder walls, cracked pistons etc. in the simplest of rebuilds you are still looking at pulling the engine and stripping it down, likely a hot tank cleaning, inspection of parts and cylinder bores....a bore and cylinder hone, new rings and possibly pistons depending on bore amount. Then all new gaskets and seals and possibly main and rod bearings. This stuff ads up too quickly unfortunately and I've seen one machine shop bill for another mudders full and proper rebuild that was over $6000 (could buy a brand new V8 crate motor for that).

Your low compression numbers are the worrying bit and likely pointing to rings vs some of the other things that can go wrong and lead to oil consumption issues.

a good used engine will be the fastest and least expensive way to get you back on the road....if you are having to pay someone to do the work.

 

[OSS]

Mechanic wants to take an engine from an old FJ62 he has and rebuild it & drop into my 60.
Is this a viable & smart way to go?

I don't like that idea one bit.
And the fact that he has a 62 with a shot 3FE he wants to rebuild and stick in your truck just sounds way too fishy to me.

Low compression can just be burnt /warped valves. They could even maybe just only need adjusting if they've never been adjusted.
Your mileage is waaaay low to be needing a rebuild unless something went wrong or was seriously neglected. Most people w 2Fs start thinking about rebuilds near 300,000 miles, not 137K. At 137K, a cared for 2F is still a young engine. But a neglected engine can be ruined fairly quickly even before 100K, so it's possible yours is toast too. But that's uncommon.

My advice:
If the engine truly is thrashed, rebuild your 2F or put in a gas V8 (or diesel if you like stinky diesels), but shoehorning in a 3FE into a 60 would be my last choice.

 

[2mbb]

I'm going to agree with the responses above. You should understand what is wrong before making a decision what to do. Below are a couple of diagnoses tables from the 2F emissions manual. Excessive oil consumption can be as simple as a plugged PCV valve. As for compression, it is really more important to know how the values compare to one another, not what the lowest or average valve is. How the test is performed can effect the absolute number so it is better to know whether they are all the same or one or two are low. This will also help figure out what the problem is.

 

[HemiAlex]

I would rebuild the head and replace the cooling system first. If the motor is still bad after that, rebuild the shortblock and repeat the process. The mechanics motives sound fishy.

That’s what I’m in the middle of. At 280,000 miles I redid the top end and I’m currently at 313,000 miles with zero issues. The truck runs great and the tune is spot on.

My issue was a burnt exhaust Valve causing zero compression on one cylinder.

When the motor uses a huge amount of oil or blows up, I’ll fix it. Either a rebuild on just the bottom end or a 5.3.

 

[Seth S]

Try putting thicker oil in at the next oil change.

 

[Whiskerz]

Do you have the actual compression numbers ? Did he add a little oil to the cylinders and recheck them ? A modern shop can also do a leakdown test. Usually under 5% is the goal but under 8-10% can be lived with. Change oil brands as well. I had one engine that went halved when changed from Mobil 1 to Pennzoil synthetic high mileage

 

[NCFJ]

I'd not go jumping into anything. I would certainly get a second opinion at the very least. If, in fact, your motor is in some way damaged beyond a quick inexpensive fix ( a head job fits this bill in regard to a total rebuild) is where you will have to make the big choices.

My OPINION on the matter lead me to what I do today. It is my considered opinion that if a total rebuild of an antiquated straight 6 vs a swap of a new, modern V8 is the question, there is little question in my mind. To me, the only reason to rebuild the 6 is if you are keeping your truck all stock, or at least for the most part. The great majority of us are not keeping our trucks stock.

If you plan to keep your truck long into the future a modern V8 just plain makes more sense. Parts availability is far superior and the added power is a game changer on how you drive the vehicle. I can not remember ever hearing "I sure wish I'd have rebuilt the 2F instead of this damn 5.3L or 6.2L"

I fully understand that my opinion is not agreeable to all. We drove my wife's 80 series 4 years with a wrist pin knock until it has finally reached the point where we no longer trust it to get us home. Only now am I putting a 5.3L in it, for the reasons stated above.

YMMV

 

[NeverGiveUpYota]

I’m hoping/praying that I might be able to get some much needed guidance and advice about my ‘83 FJ60. I know just enough to be dangerous and am finding myself in uncharted territory, so any advice or guidance would be deeply appreciated.

It seems that I need a new motor for my FJ60; not sure yet what exactly is going on — only 137,000 original miles on motor, one owner for ⅞ of its life — a seemingly solid mechanic has looked at it & is recommending new/rebuilt motor.

Mechanic wants to take an engine from an old FJ62 he has and rebuild it & drop into my 60.

Is this a viable & smart way to go?

Or, should I find someone to rebuild my 60?

Or, should I drop in a new crate engine?

How do these options affect the value/performance of my FJ60?

Is there a shop in the NJ/NY area anyone would recommend for this type of work?

I love this FJ60, and want what is best for the vehicle. Cost isn’t so much an issue but getting it done right is

Is there anything else I need to put on my radar?

Grateful for any advice/guidance

I’ll be happy to take that 2F off your hands...

TOTALLY pulling your leg. Coming from me, all know the stupid s*** I’ve been in and out for my truck... but don’t swap in a 62 engine.
Step back, do a bunch of research, sit on it, talk to lots of folks and park the truck at home for now no where near that mechanic friend of yours. Get acquainted to the truck yourself and make some sound decisions after understanding it better.

 

[Seth S]

This is prime time to get connected with your local cruiser or yota club. Find someone who has the ability to help you and you can save ALOT of money.