What do you think is more cost effective, to rebuild my VE engine, or to buy a used JDM VE for $900? I don't want to do anything special yet, just wanna have a good running car for now. So which is cheaper in your opinions, rebuilding the block & heads, or just ordering another used eng? Ideas, comments?

 

Back in 2006 when I spun a bearing, I just wanted to get back on the road. Went with Jdm. Nice just having to replace gaskets and water pump, thermostat, etc...

Engine runs fine when injectors and coil packs want to work. Nice knowing that the block itself has presumably low miles. Retired my 92 se last year to give it a break.

I would suggest a jdm engine if you can find them.

 

Most JDM engines have tons of idle time on them due to the traffic over there.

Low miles, but many many many hours sitting running at idle.

 

Sea foam, lots of sea foam.

 

Ok! So I guess JDM it is! Tigerjapanese.com is the cheapest, although I hear a ton of bad reviews on them. However, the reviews are usually from people who bought the popular turbo engines that everybody wants, not everyday driven regular engines. I guess it's a go for me

 

I have no idea what a rebuild would cost but I am thinking $900 may just about build it and at least you know it's pretty much brand new again. There is always a huge risk (and cost) in buying used because you are never quite sure what you are getting. Just have to keep you fingers cross I guess.

 

I'm rebuilding my spare ve over the winter "fingers crossed"

 

Dam, guess it isn't such an easy decision after all. If the parts and labor come up to the same price, I will do a rebuild. Guess I gotta do some smooth talking to my mechanic. He's a Jehovah's Witness so I'll probably have to attend one of their functions to get a good price....sigh, the things a man will do for his max (which coincidentally is my mechanic's name) >:/

 

You could always rebuild your old block down the road.

 

This is true. I think I will buy a JDM VE with low miles, and then rebuild that later on down the road. At least this way I will have a parts engine as well.

 

Parts motor = good call

 

Your best option I think is to buy a rebuilt with a warranty unless you just wanna test your mechanical skills at least a shortblock and you can have your heads rebuilt locally....It's quicker!

 

How many miles are on the car? How much longer will you drive it.... how many more miles.


If the answer is 50-100k more miles, a used engine would serve you well.


You mentioned that you have a budget, so a quality rebuilt engine would sell for far more than you want to spend.

 

My engine has 105k miles. IDK why it was so underpowered and started making a grinding noise towards the end of its life span, but I bought it off of a girl who took pretty good care of it. However, I did just buy a JDM engine today tho. Cost me $950 shipped. I'll drive it until income tax...then I'll convert to a VQ35.

 

any vehicle that was in a city like Tokyo, Shinjuku etc will have lots of idle time in traffic but thats about it. the maintenance Japanese do on their vehicles makes up for it, almost like getting a brand new engine

other thing with older JDM engines is many dont have emissions, my Crown has no EGR etc factory. JDM VE might be the same

 

Coo! Thanks for the heads up. Cant wait!

 

Rebuilding it yourself is cool if you're gonna do something special during assembly and you don't wanna spend too much money AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!! But if it's a normal engine maybe lightly modded I would go with a rebuilt long blk or short blk!!!! Saves time and money and comes with a warranty!

 

I just decided to buy a JDM engine. It looks immaculate so far. I changed my plenum and a few other sensors. Also changed my flywheel since this engine came from an auto. I also replaced the stock headers with my Pacesetters. Engine got here In 4 days! I'll have it in by the weekend.

 

Pics.....

 

 

 

Looks good man!

 

Thanks! Puttin it in tomorrow!

 

Update?

 

Well, we put in the Jap spec engine and the car ran decent, still felt underpowered tho. Then, I realized that there was no tranny fluid. By then, it was too late. I had a new "used" engine with a bad tranny. Not sure if you remember a post in the Classifieds I posted for my friend...he had a 92 SE 5spd but didn't know what was wrong with it. Well, the city was ****ing with him about the tag being expired. So I bought it from him for $200. It's funny, I told all these maxima folks to jump on it because it may not have been bad at all, but they all slipped. Turns out, he thought the engine was bad because his mechanic, and I use that term loosely, had put 12 quarts of oil in the car. So it smoked like hell. Plus, there were hoses that had foil on them, for whatever reason. I drained the oil, fixed the hoses, and changed the spark plugs and the car runs 10x better then my original Max with the Jap engine. So I transferred all the stuff off my original Max, (The Blaxima) and I put it on the other one (gold Max). I then sold my old one with the Jap engine to my friend. This car is sooo quiet and smooth, you don't even know it's running. I definitely got the better car. And someone on here could've gotten this car for only $1,100 with the rims, $900 without! Ultimately, it was my come up in the end. So it all worked out. Now Im planning on moving up to a 3.5 soon. Here are some before and after pics....

 

 

After....

 

After again!