Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Technology => Topic started by: thedoc on 15/09/2014 23:30:01

Title: What should I consider when buying a new engine?
Post by: thedoc on 15/09/2014 23:30:01

Gideon Owusu asked the Naked Scientists:
   
My Mercedes Benz E200 of category W211 engine got damage and  I have to replace with used one.
I want to know factors to consider in buying one to replace it.
the car is:

diesel,
automatic gear
four cylinder
CDI
2.148cc
W211

What do you think?

Title: Re: What should I consider when buying a new engine?
Post by: CliffordK on 19/09/2014 06:34:30

How old is your car?

It is all dependent on what is available to you, and what you wish to spend on the engine.  Also, are you doing your own labor (free), or are you having the engine installed (costly).

A rebuilt engine, of course, would be optimal, but costly. 
If the donor engine was verified running, tested, and has good compression on all 4 cylinders, then that would be good. 

If you go and pull an engine out of a wrecked car.  Obviously finding a car with low mileage is good.  Consider what brought the car to the junkyard.  If it was "totaled" due to a large dent, that is one thing.  However, if the car appears to be in good shape at the wrecking yard, then one could bet that either the engine or transmission had failed.

Injection pumps can also fail, and are costly to replace.

I'm not sure about your MB engine, but fuel line seals have changed over the years, with Viton (or similar) seals in the newer cars, and some kind of rubber in the older cars.  If you chose to run some kind of vegetable oil or bildiesel based fuel, the upgraded seals are important.