I just acquired a 2000 Saturn SL2. I goal with this is to make a reliable, and comfortable long commute car. I have a 110 mile one way commute to work once a week I have been driving the Camaro, but it is starting to take it's toll on it. I got this to take up those duties and the Camaro will be the fun weekend car. Now for the down an dirty I picked this up at a buy here pay here lot for $400 cause it has an engine knock. At first it sounded like the timing chain slapping around in the cover but once I got it home the chain is tight, or about as tight as a 112,000 mile car should be. I pulled the plugs and rotated the crank back and forth a little. I really couldn't hear or feel anything, so it is still up in the air what it could be.
Well it appears the verdict is in. It is in the bottom end ether the #1 or #2 cylinder. I think even with a engine replacement or rebuild i can still make my goal which was to get this on the road for less than it would cost to buy one perfectly running.
Well it appears the verdict is in it is in the bottom end ether the #1 or #2 cylinder. I think even with a engine replacement or rebuild i can still make my goad which was to get this on the road for less than it would cost to buy one perfectly running.
Pull a part in Columbia is showing 8 cars there so they should have a good DOHC engine. I think it is, but I need to find out if the long block is the same across all 3 generations.
So i got bored this morning and started the process of pulling the engine. According to the FSM I would have to unplug every single connector on the engine and trans harness and drape it over the drivers fender. Well in 2000 they have a separate PCM and BCM which mounts the under the hood instead of under the dash as before. I followed the harness from the PCM then around to the fuse box. All I had to disconnect was the PCM, one big plug from the fuse box, and the positive batt connection to the fuse box , and that is it the engine and trans harness is completely separated from the chassis.
I'm gonna do it my self. There is a LKQ and another self serve yard close to me. There is also a Pull-A-Part in Columbia. Pull-A-part only wants $135 for a 4 cly. This engine is extremely easy to pull out I am very close to pull mine out all I have left is to drain the cooling system, pull the CV shafts, and unbolt the mounts and she's out.
Well just went to the LKQ and they got 2 possible choices for engines. I'm kinda limited on years from 99 to 02. I did grab a full set of OE wheel covers from a 98 I think they look better than what came OE on the 2000, and look a hell of a lot better than the Nissan imitation ones that were on there before. Also got a passenger mirror and the rear seat cup holder I was missing.
Thanks. I got the engine ready to pull. I only have 2 bell housing bolts to take out, hook the chain to it and out she comes. The plan is to get the replacement next weekend.
I haven't found it yet, but I hope to get one with lower mileage. Pull a Part in Augusta GA is showing 18 Saturns in there inventory 10 of which are in the year range I need, and there the cheapest. I would hope they got a good one in there some where. There is a P A P in Columbia but they don't have as large of a selection. I'm gonna try to do a compression test and if I can hear it run before I pull it.
Well got the engine out and stripped of the intake, exhaust, A/C compressor, and various sensors. If all goes well with the rental pick up im gona get the new engine tomorrow
Well I took a gamble on a junk yard engine and lost.....sort of. Got the "new" engine in and it has really low compression 50-60 PSI across the board. I put some oil in the cylinders and the #2 and #4 jumped up to over 120 but #1 and #3 were only getting to 70. Then I did a leak down test and it is leaking out of the exhaust valves. It has a 30 day warranty, but it will be more a hassle to pull it back out, rent another truck, haul it back to Columbia and get my money back or hope they got a better one. So i'm just gonna pull the head and rebuild it.
Wait a sec....if cylinders #2/#4 come up in compression after putting oil in doesn't that point to ring/piston problems? And not valve problems? So rebuilding the head would take care of the other two cylinders but not 2/4?
What did you find with the original engine to be the problem? Wouldn't it be better to rebuild the original engine than the junkyard one?
Yes the oil sealed the rings of the 2 and 4 but i think that is cause 1 it sat for who knows how long and I soaked the pistons with carb cleaner to try and clean some of the carbon off. Ii think that may have taken some of the seal from the rings on those cylinders. The original engine had a bad rod bearing in the number 2 cylinder. It is at the junk yard now I turned it in for a core, so rthis junk yard engine is the only one I have right now.
Here's a little project i just started today. I got one headlight apart and just stuck the projector in there. I'm gonna have to get a different shrouds, and I want to paint the housing.
The budget build has gone off the rails. I finally pulled the head and the valves are extremely carboned up. But I did discover this
Since I was planning on pulling the pistons anyways. I've decided to pull the rest out and put it on an stand and do a full rebuild. I just ordered a dial bore gauge so I can get everything perfect and maybe get 100,000+ miles from this engine.
Meanwhile I'm working on other small mods. I added factory fog lights
and retrofitting projectors in the headlights
I mounted them to make sure the cut off line was level. Here is the finished product
So i got the engine rebuilt. got all new pistons cause on top of #3 being broken it had another crack and I found out it is a fairly common problem after Saturn redesigned them and made the top ring land smaller. plus the new ones already have the oil drain back holes the OE ones were lacking. Got a rebuild head it was cheaper to do that than to rebuild the one I had. Gonna drop it in today and finally get this thing on the road.
SHE LIVES! It turned over 3 times and then fired right up. I am ecstatic right now. I drove it around the block and let it run through a couple heat cycles let the cooling fan come one and off twice. I got to pick up a couple qts of trans fluid it wasn't even on the dip stick.
Ya that was not intended but worked in my favor. I took the block and crank to the machine shop to have the crank cleaned and polished and just to hone the cylinders. They said they will clean it to after honeing. Went to picked it up and they had coated the out side with some sealant or something. Only charged my $50 for the whole job. I'm definitely using that machine shop again.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
DodgeIntrepid.Net Forums
2.2M posts
41.9K members
Since 2001
A forum community dedicated to Dodge Intrepid owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, specs, parts, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!