Need some quick advise
 

Heys guys I need some quick advise. I'm currently in Phoenix (7 hours from home) looking at a 94R. One of the first things I did was pull the plugs to check the compression and I found that the #1 cylinder had a helicoil in it that came out with the plug! Other than that I think it just needs some brake work and it should be good to go. The seller was originally asking $2500, went down to $2100 and is now asking $1500 since I discovered the helicoil. A mechanic friend has recommended that I walk away because of the helicoil and the fact that when i took it out pieces of the adhesive may have fallen into the cylinder. What do you guys all think? How much would it cost me to replace the head doing it myself? Would you recommend just putting a new engine in it instead? I have to decide in the next couple of hours because I need to go home tomorrow. I can get a tow dolly from Uhaul to pull it home so I won't need to drive it. Thanks for your help!

fucking ADVICE!!!


$1500, take it and redo the helicoil.

I worked with an older dude who couldn't pronounce any Spanish city names in NM and called Alamogordo "alga-borga." lol

Buy it. Look into something called TIMESERTS. They are sold inserts as opposed to wound wire. They will not come out once installed. Worst case, get another head for $200, or even a 99 head for $500-600 which will help you on your boosting ways. But, if it is a complete R with the bilstiens and all package parts and the body isn't beat to shit then hell yes buy it.

take it! drivetrain is worth $800-1k by itself!

if you dont buy it - i will :)

Thanks for the advice guys. I ended up picking it up for $1460 and pulling it home. After more investigation it turns out that its not actually a helicoil , its a solid threaded "sleeve" like the timesert. I went down to NAPA to pick up an oil filter for my truck and they had the same thing. I picked up a pack and I think I'm going to try installing one as I don't have much to lose. If it works great, if not I'll just replace the head like i was planning. My only concern is that when i pull the plug again pieces of the old timesert or the adhesive will fall into the cylinder, any ideas on how to prevent that or get the pieces out if they do fall in? Thanks.

If that is all that it is, money would be well spent on a $40 head gasket, pull the head, clean everything up off the piston tops, put a new timesert in it and remount the head. You will be running this car for less than $1600 which is an outstanding value for an R. This way, you will save the bottom end if there is actually insert parts in the chamber.

Dope

Christ, BUY IT! Heads are pretty fucking easy to come by for 1.8 94-97 motors!!!!