got another SC..(in a super rare combo)

[BLAIR]

SOO.... this weekend I go to drop the new motor in and I decide to check a few things before pulling the old one out. When i picked up the car I never bothered trying to start it cause i was told it was blown up ( or bad head gasket). Once i dropped it off at my freinds house when I am doing the work we needed to move it and I said what the hell lets jump start it and see if it will run. The car fired right up and ran smooth as hell after 8 months to a year of not running. I pulled the car forward and let it run for about 5 to 10 mins, I could care less if it sat there and blew up completely cause i had another motor for it. Well the temp never got above normal and I didnt notice any smoke from the exhaust. Well after looking into the car more I see that there is about a 6 inch crack in the top of the radiator, and I also notice the valve cover gasket is leaking really bad. I dug alittle deeper and looked the the lexus dealership invoice from the last time it went in and was declaired blown. The invoice says car is overheating and burning oil. Well it got me thinking.. overheating.. yes cause the rad is bad.. and the buring oil, possibly oil burning off the exhuast from the gasket leak???

So today I am all ready to pull the motor but i want to look into it more. pull the dipstick and there is no coolant oil mix like i expected, So i fill up the rad with water and start the car up and let it idle. The car ran for about 30-40 mins at idle and me reving it every once in a while. the temp never got above normal. car ran smooth as hell.. no smoke from exhaust at all, but there was oil smoke comming from the burning oil on the header. So I thinking to myself there is no evidence of a blown headgasket to me at all. I took the car for a drive. After about 10 mins the presure built up and the rad started leaking super fast and the car started to get hot. Before it got to 3/4 temp i was stopped back at the house. I expected this to happen, I just wanted to see how the car drove.

I then called my friend at lexus to have him pull up the history and read the tech notes. The tech must have been an idiot or something. I assume he just sees an old lexus with 185k miles on it that overheating and burning some oil and declairs the motor is bad. In the tech notes he even says there is a not normal internal engine sounds (which there is not). He also states that is has been 13k since last oil change leading me to believe he thinks this was a neglected car. But the last oil change at the dealer was at 178 and the car has 184k meaning its only been 6k miles and the car has always used mobil 1. He said the car has 189k and the dealer ro also says 189k which isnt correct.

My conclucion. The SC only needs a radiator and a valve cover gasket. The tech at the lexus dealer sucks at life. Hope im right though. Putting the rad from my SC into this one tomm and just ordered a baller alum. rad for my sc. I guess ill give some updates tomm. well at least i think i have saved myself a weekend of labor, looking into it a bit further. and i know i can sell the motor i bought to drop in for as much or more than I paid for it.

sorry to ramble on.. but im bored

[WRXtranceformed]

Nice man, well that's a cool surprise if that's all it turns out to be! I thought you were going to say something funny like you found a family of gerbils living inside or a kilo of heroine stashed somewhere behind the firewall :lol:

[ScottyB]

haha thats awesome...you have the best luck ever

[Ginger]

Wow - that's awesome. Here's to keeping your fingers crossed that there's nothing extra wrong.

But seriously, this beats out the $800 3 series for best-luck buy in the club.

[Maengelito]

i think it was $400 for the 3 series, but this is still a sweet deal blair. now all you need to do is sell it to me for the same price you bought it for, lol

[BLAIR]

update today..

put the rad from my car into this SC. Car is fine. Drove it about 30 miles, and let it idle for about another 30 or so mins. temp never moved once it got to normal temp. Conclusions, motor is totally fine, glad I decided to check it out alittle more before I started pulling it out. :lol: Now all I need to do it give it a good detailing and get it sold. Im am swapping the black interior into my SC and stealing all the little things that are in better shape on this car and I should be able to sell it for 4500-5k easy

[Dave]

Seriously, going to be sick over here.