Gents,
I have found a DII for a really good deal. I already have a 99.5 DII, and LOVE it. I've been perusing this forum a lot, been really helpful. However, I'm on the fence about whether to get the 2nd DII.

Its a 2002, DII, 146K miles, and the engine is not working currently. The 3 amigos are NOT on, the wheels are the nice 18" ones, the inside is damn nice for a 7-8 year old car.

Here's what I'm trying to figure out: The guy wants about $2200 for it, but I'd bet he'll take a little less. The way he tells it, he was driving down the interstate here, and BOOM - the engine quit. When he got it looked at, the sender for the coolant had gone out, and all the coolant ran out of the engine, so he cooked the snot out of it.

There is cooked oil coming out of the valvetrain cover gaskets, and a few other places. I'm guessing there are at least 2 cylinders sticking, based on what his mechanic told me.

I'd really like to buy this thing, and I have a big building to store it in/shop to work on it - but here's the thing: I've never taken the engine out of a car before. Done a few head gaskets, etc, etc, but never a full engine removal.

So, without knowing what I'm getting into, do I buy this thing, tear the heads off and look around? Can these blocks be re-sleeved? I'd love to drop a diesel in this one, but I'd have to sell the running one to make it work, and hell, I could have 2 disco's for the price of one......

Or I've considered a part-out - of course, but hate to tear up such a pretty truck (its Navy/Tan - my favorite)....

Thoughts? I'd really like to hear from someone who's had to rebuild their engine. I don't mind doing it, and think it'd be a great way to get to know these trucks, but if I'm reaching for the stars, please let me know.

Thanks in advance for any input - I hope I can go get her tomorrow!!

 

So she needs a new engine, well used ones are about $3000.
Yes it can be re-sleeved but you need to find a shop that can do it.
The hardest part about ripping out the engine is unbolting the torque converter from the fly wheel.

 

why do you want a non-running DII without CDL when you already have a running one with CDL?

 

That guy wants way to much for a car with that many miles on it with a dead motor. I wouldn't give him more than 800 bucks for it. It's sad but that thing is worth way more in pieces than it is worth whole, Just go find a running one for 3500-4000 and save yourself the headache.

 

You could find a good, running D1 for what they want for that D2 which is going to require an engine transplant.

 

i would offer him $500

 

Guys, I appreciate the info. After some reasearch, I decided to pass, and put the $$ into my current DII. It needs a few things, and the rest of it I'm putting towards my 300TDi conversion. I really can't wait 'till I can swing that.

Also - hilltoppersx - in your signature, you speak of the "chalkboard headliner" - does that mean painted with chalkboard paint? If so, I think that might be my next mod to my DII - the headliner is currently in place with thumbtacks....

 

my headliner write up is in the "how to" section in the disco section of the forum. it tells you how to do it with pics

 

Nice writeup on the headliner.

What I was asking, specifically, was if the paint you used was the "chalkboard" stuff that you can write on, like a chalkboard. We used it for the wall at work.

 

I would buy it if you got space to work on it. I just bought a used engine for mine with 67K miles for $1400 shipped. Swapping the engine isn't that hard, the hardest part is unbolting the transmission.