[4DOORELDORADO]

hi everyone. 1st post here. great site, lots of info. i just bought my first caddy, 96 eldorado. i paid $600 for it. the motor is blown and the passenger window needs help but other than that it all works. ive searched and read alot but would just like to ask what everyones opinions are on what would be the best motor choice for a replacement. like is one year better than another when looking at problems such as leaky block halves or other problems. my motor is a y motor. what mileage should i limit myself to? i guess thats really my main question/concern right now is just the motor. thanks for sharing your knowledge and opinions.

 

[rockybalboa11]

man, someone had to give that up for $600. that blows.

 

[Playdrv4me]

man, someone had to give that up for $600. that blows.

The heartache of blown headgaskets.

 

[Playdrv4me]

hi everyone. 1st post here. great site, lots of info. i just bought my first caddy, 96 eldorado. i paid $600 for it. the motor is blown and the passenger window needs help but other than that it all works. ive searched and read alot but would just like to ask what everyones opinions are on what would be the best motor choice for a replacement. like is one year better than another when looking at problems such as leaky block halves or other problems. my motor is a y motor. what mileage should i limit myself to? i guess thats really my main question/concern right now is just the motor. thanks for sharing your knowledge and opinions.

Check out CUSTOM INNOVATIONS on Ebay, they are bar none THE BEST choice for Northstar motor swaps. As you may or may not know, Northstars are notorious for bad headgaskets if the coolant is not maintained properly (Im assuming this is what happened to your car, unless it really just blew apart inside for some other reason). They are also known for very leaky case half seals which can leak enough oil to cause damage to the engine.

Custom Innovations (and possibly others), take the engine, and remanufacture it from the ground up with new headgaskets and the REQUIRED head bolt timeserting procedure (the bolts will back out again if you dont do this, and many shops dont), and an RTV Sealant on the case half in addition to a bunch of other improvements and fixes. The motor runs 2800.00 shipped including core return shipping (required).

Good luck and welcome.

 

[4DOORELDORADO]

i dont think the head gaskets are the main problem. i forgot to tell the mileage too like an idiot. it has 110,000. heres the story: it sat for a little more than a year. after i got it started i heard this slapping noise. i thought it was the serpentine, so i cut a little flap off and reinstalled but that wasnt it. then i noticed what looked like the crank wobbling a bit at the balancer. 3 stalls, 1 overheat w/steam and 0.8 miles later it started chunkin' then i heard something like a pulley flying off, but i think the flywheel shattered or something cuz now all you hear is the starter spinning. anyways im not looking to invest alot into this car. the cheaper the better just from my standpoint. so therefore ill prolly be ending up with a used motor that will last me if im lucky with it. just wondering if i should look for a newer year or if that would even make a difference compared to a lower mileage older engine. isnt 98 the last motor i could use for a direct replacement? did they fix any problems up to the last year i could use. 96', 97', 98'+? i hope im making sense.

 

[Playdrv4me]

Regardless of what year you go with, make sure to timesert it while the motor is out of the car, the headgasket issue is very likely to bite you in the ass if you just get a mystery meat used engine from somewhere. So half the battle is getting the thing out of the car, once its out the headbolt timesert repair is well worth doing.

I believe you are right about 96, 97 and 98