I just bought a 2002 viper with a bad motor. The sled is immaculate.
The only thing I can save off the old motor is 2 cylinder jugs, and the bolt ons. Everything else is toast. Case is broke, center connecting rod is broken, head is pitted badly.
What's the best way to go here? I need a case, crank, 1 cylinder jug, a head and of course pistons and gaskets.
Should I roll the dice and buy a used crank, or should I buy a used crank and send it out for rebuild?
I was thinking king of going wiseco for pistons and gaskets.
Since I'm starting from the ground up, is there a better way to go?
The only thing I can save off the old motor is 2 cylinder jugs, and the bolt ons. Everything else is toast. Case is broke, center connecting rod is broken, head is pitted badly.
What's the best way to go here? I need a case, crank, 1 cylinder jug, a head and of course pistons and gaskets.
Should I roll the dice and buy a used crank, or should I buy a used crank and send it out for rebuild?
I was thinking king of going wiseco for pistons and gaskets.
Since I'm starting from the ground up, is there a better way to go?
1st thing I can suggest is to spend some time reading old posts on here. There are a number of very good engine builders who have shared a lot of help. Then I would start looking for a used engine complete. You should be able to get a complete engine for a little more than you can get crank, cases, cylinder, head, etc. Even if you rebuild it you are about the same price as getting the individual parts. The OEM pistons and rings are the way to go for reliability and performance (unless you are building a serious modded engine). If you are lucky the crank in the engine you get should be good. If not then you will have to pay for a rebuild.
Quite likely the cheapest way to go is a good running used engine. There are usually a few listed on here in the classifieds.
Quite likely the cheapest way to go is a good running used engine. There are usually a few listed on here in the classifieds.
Thanks for the reply. My thought was that if I bought individal pieces and assembled I would know what I have. I guess I'm mainly wondering, do I chase viper parts or go for an srx engine or?
viperking
Active member
Pm sent
Yup... buy a used engine and have it gone through, or do it yourself if you have the tools to check everything. If you get it from a reliable source, you might just be able to slap it in and go...
rx1jim
New member
Finding and buying a complete used engine from a reliable source is probably the easiest and least expensive route. IMO, even if you puchase a used crankshaft, unless it comes from a trusted reliable source, it still needs to be checked. To check it by the book, you need some specialized equipment. If you are going to rebuild it, might as well check every part to be sure you don't have problems during the all too short riding season. I bought a few used SRX crankshafts and sent them all to Jeff at Midwest Crankshafts to have them checked and repaired. The cost for checking and repairing the ones that needed it was very reasonable. If you enjoy working on these engines, like I do, then repairing the damaged engine would be the way to go. You can get replacement cylinders from Millenium or US Chrome. Put up a post in the wanted section for the parts you need, see what deals you can make while you look for a complete engine. Once you have all the data, then pick a direction. If you choose to rebuild your damaged engine, you will get plenty of help from the members of this site. I recommend staying with OEM parts for reliabilty.
Jim
Jim