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Engine Rebuilders?


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Howdy all,

 

Longtime Sube lover, new board member. I have an 86 wagon that needs a new motor. Massive oil leaks, one cylinder down on compression, and a knock (bearing?). It's a daily driver so it can't be out of service long. I'd like to go the rebuilt route. So far the best deal appears to be CCR in Colorado. Does anyone have experience with them? Any other recommendations? Thanks in advance!

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Lots of folks here have had good experiance with CCR, but I havent got anything from them (yet). Might be able to find a low mileage Soob in one of the PAPs around here. Or you can post in the Wanted Forum for one.

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how many miles and what engine?

i think this would be an EA82.

if the "knock" is just tapping, then you may only need to reseal the oil pump (which could be causing your massive oil leak as well). $20 for the parts to do that.

 

for compression - probably head gaskets. the bottom ends typically don't need rebuilds.

 

new headgaskets and oil pump seals might take care of business for you.

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  • 5 years later...

See my new post about CCR! Give $2000 to your favorite charity and then take it to a good local shop.... you'll save weeks of heartache and feel better too! I had trouble with CCR that couldn't be resolved and when my local shop tore down the engine I found out just how badly I had been "done". Evidence suggested criminal action and they gave my $ back rather than talk to the commerce city police. DON'T DO IT!

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chances are you will only need the head gaskets done and new engine seals. IT is very rare the bottom ends fail on these cars, and the cylinder crosshatches still exist after 300,000 miles.

 

Take you money to someone that knows these cars, and have him bid to rebuild the top end.

 

i have seen the worst examples that were running, repaired, and run reliably. the best example of this was one engine(ea82) that had the heads installed backwards, and the oil relief valve was missing in the oil pump, along with the inner o-ring. I did the head gaskets on this engine and it runs reliable to this day, after correcting what was installed wrong from the previous mechanic. IT was totally a backyard job in my garage, but the key is, i know this engine type well to put it together properly and reliably.

 

Supposedly this engine was rebuilt with new pistons by a russian dude, but i doubt it. Dude got hosed for over 700 bucks. I did the repairs for 300

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First...how the heck does one put heads on backward? Were the intake/exhaust ports reversed? Or the valves facing out? Or just one the wrong side of the block? I am most curious!

 

Second...oh I remember what I was going to say. I had CCR remill my heads when I did the headgaskets a few weeks ago. Came out fine...but it was only milling. Can't speak to their engines but the couple tech guys I talked to were knowleadgeable and at least one was a forum member or was familiar with the board somehow (he recommended me to come here until I told him I already read/posted/asked questions like a pita n00b).

 

I would still go the head gasket/find the oil leak route first, though. Way cheaper, and if it doesn't fix your problem maybe keep an eye on Craigslist until you find another EA82 being parted out or with some problem that's not the motor. I got mine and could hear it run for $250, pulled it myself and took it home without telling the guy his only problem was $15 in transmission fluid....I'd have taken the whole car if I had a spot for it.

Edited by man on the moon
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Arnhem was a very busy place in September of 1944! I think CCR was capable of good work in the past- I've met some of their previous employees- but they sure saw me coming this time! Can't really say I out-smarted them; just got lucky and was able to get my $ back. What blew me away were the "layers" of dishonesty- not just one goof they tried to cover-up. Just hope to save other folks the anguish and, not to mention an engine that might run for 3 years but not be half of what they thought they were paying for!

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First...how the heck does one put heads on backward? Were the intake/exhaust ports reversed? Or the valves facing out? Or just one the wrong side of the block? I am most curious!

 

 

the heads are the same casting on each side, with the right head having the egr ports tapped out. The bosses exist for the egr on the left head, but no tap. Same with turbo heads, with the left head having an oil por tapped out.

 

so on this engine i did, the mechanic must have blindly installed the heads backwards, realized his mistake, and ran a copper tube from the other side to meet the egr port on the intake.

 

now, if the cam towers were installed backwards, the cam pulleys would be at the back.

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Howdy all,

 

Longtime Sube lover, new board member. I have an 86 wagon that needs a new motor. Massive oil leaks, one cylinder down on compression, and a knock (bearing?). It's a daily driver so it can't be out of service long. I'd like to go the rebuilt route. So far the best deal appears to be CCR in Colorado. Does anyone have experience with them? Any other recommendations? Thanks in advance!

.. they do rebuilds at http://www.ramengines.com/ ..
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the heads are the same casting on each side, with the right head having the egr ports tapped out. The bosses exist for the egr on the left head, but no tap. Same with turbo heads, with the left head having an oil por tapped out.

 

so on this engine i did, the mechanic must have blindly installed the heads backwards, realized his mistake, and ran a copper tube from the other side to meet the egr port on the intake.

 

now, if the cam towers were installed backwards, the cam pulleys would be at the back.

 

That makes sense. I saw just from eyeballing that they are more or less teh same except for having the coolant port tapped out on the passenger side (for the intake). Not familiar with turbo heads, but the oil thing I can see, too.

 

I was picturing heads on upside down or something.

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