I'm contemplating a rebuild on my 145,000 mile 81 caddy 1.6 NA diesel. I know the rings / something else are worn as it's using oil at a rate of 1 quart every 250 miles. Other than a leaky injection pump seal, it runs strong and will cruise at 70+ mph no problem. I'd like to have just the pump seal replaced for now and maybe use some CD-2 to slow down the oil consumption. I'm used to doing oil changes, alternator / belt changes and general maintenance stuff, but I'm a little rusty on engine pulls, engine teardown, etc. and I don't have any of the injector pump tools / guages. I do have a fairly complete set of metric tools and several jacks and wouldn't mind buying an engine puller, engine stand, etc.
What I'm interested in is some feedback on how difficult it is for a DIY'er to re-ring and / or rebuild his own motor, best brands of parts to use, where to get them etc. I've been trying to find a drop- in donor 1.6 diesel (turbo preferred), but thery're either too far away, or too worn out to mess with. I'm also looking at just purchasing a new 1.9 diesel long block and was wondering what is involved with that swap.
Another option ia a local shop. He wants about $2000 to do a rebuild, which dosen't sound too out of line to me. I think this guy's work is OK, as I owned a 79' Beetle convertible he rebuilt for somebody else, and it didn't leak a single drop.
Topic: DIY re-ring / rebuild, how hard is it? (Read 5259 times)
