LUVTruck.com

The guy I bought the truck from said that the engine ran low on oil and he thinks the camshaft siezed. He says that he can turn the crank back and forth a little bit with a torque wrench, so the bottom end isn't siezed. I'm not too sure what I believe about all of that, but I don't know anything about the vehicle. Does anyone have any suggestions...rebuild, new engine, etc.?

Cam

I would rebuild but I rebuild every older car or truck I buy just to be sure and to make it my own

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currently working on my 1977 luv truk

I would do what Luvster said. I have 2 motors and they both had really bad crankshaft damage so I am rebuilding one of them right now.

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2003 F250 7.3L
1975 Luv

So if I rebuild it, how much time and money are we talking? I don't know too much about working on cars, but I am willing to learn; I really want to learn! I don't have alot of money invested in this project yet...yet being the key word here. I am at least willing to try and rebuild it.

Cam

Well here are the prices I have gathered up around here:
Crankshaft: $200
Rebuild Kit: $260
Timing Kit: $60
Water Pump: cant remember
Get blocked Bored: have not checked yet. usually around here it is between $20-$40/hole = $80-$160
Head Milled: have not checked yet.

somebody else might be able to give you a more accurate price range.

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2003 F250 7.3L
1975 Luv

I have a complete motor and manual trans for sale from a 76...

Just sayin...

I had ( www.powerpro2000.com ) reman. my engine. It came with a 5yr 100,000 mile warrenty. It came with a printed run sheet with oil pressure, hot and cold, exhaust gas temps, noise levels, leak test,and a compression test. the price was $1750. That included truck shipping both ways. The engine runs very strong, no smoke or leaks. It was explained that the only parts not replaced was block, crank, rods and head. Everything else is new. After pricing out parts and machine work, i could not have done the rebuild myself for the money nad it comes with a warrenty. I have been very satified with the engine.

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1980 4X4 LUV

I appreciate the offer. I am going to look around and price some different things, but I may get back to you. I honestly don't want to have to make another road trip to get anything after all the problems I had getting the LUV.

Cam

I have seen where people have rebuilt them for around $400 or so. I am sure that they aren't having any machine work done, which is where a major price difference is; and there is no warranty. At that price, I think I would rather do a 350 V8 though.

Cam

Where are you located?

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currently working on my 1977 luv truk

I am in Camden, SC. Pretty much the other side of the world from you, haha.

Cam

Well if your going to rebululd make make sure you have a book but if you have the tools and a place to do it its not really that hard its like a puzzle I think the hardestnthing about rebuilds is getting the machineing done and finding the parts and its not even that hardv its just time consuming. My luv was the first 4 banger I rebuilt and its way easy Er than a v8

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currently working on my 1977 luv truk

lucky for me my father knows enough people I know where to go for everything, so the hardest thing for me is making sure I put all the bolts back in the right place.

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2003 F250 7.3L
1975 Luv

So what all would I need to have machined...block, head, crankshaft, etc.? I'm not real sure about getting machine work done in my area; maybe some where in Columbia though. I know that I will have to order all of the parts, but are there any special tools that I will need. This will be the first engine that I will have ever really worked on.

Cam

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1980 Chevy LUV 4x4

The only thing I had to buy that was special was the metric Allen socket to torque the head down with . But since your engine is seized up I would take it apart and take it to a machine shop and have them check it all out . They have special tools for every thing(4 instance like a piston ring installer) but there not mandatory there just nice if you have them but if you run into some thing you can't do with your tools you can rent the high tech tools by the day . Make sure you buy a book though if you don't have one I think its the. Best 20 bucks I spent it covers just about everything good luck and keep us posted on the rebuild

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currently working on my 1977 luv truk

What needs machined in the bore, the head (how its aluminum) If there is any good amount of damage on the crank it will be cheaper to buy a new one. I ended up bring wrong on my Crank Shaft price. I was able to buy the crank shaft with the kit for $150 plus $20 freight Took in the block to get bored and head to be milled for a total of $115, then bought my gasket kit, rings. I still need to order over size pistons and timing kit, but I will do that later this week.

Good luck on your first motor build! Like Luvster said all you will need special is the allen socket. Lucky for me when my father was in High School he owned a 74 Luv, so he still had the socket and I stole it from him

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2003 F250 7.3L
1975 Luv

Those metric allen sockets don't look to be too expensive. I think that I can handle that...lol. I don't know that it is seized for sure. I haven't even had a chance to look at it since I got it home. From what the guy I bought it from said, I am assuming that it probably is though. I think there was a book in the truck when I got it. Maybe a Haynes, but the cover wasn't on it so I'm not sure. I'll keep you posted, but it will be slow!

Cam

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1980 Chevy LUV 4x4

That is the main stuff that I was thinking of. That's not too bad a price on the crank either. I may go that route. My main thing is finding a good machine shop. The mechanics that I have talked to before don't really like anyone local...so I guess I will have to see.

Luck I will need; and probably alot of help from you guys! Thanks for support. That's a good thing that your dad still had the socket...and how long ago was he in high school?

Cam

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1980 Chevy LUV 4x4

I think he got out of High School just about 25 years ago. And I am only 22, parents got married right out of High School. Its not like him having the socket was a big deal, just made it for i had to spend what $3 more on the truck Sad thing is that he does not remember much about his Luv, plus he had the original style of G180 with both manifolds on the same side. The only recommendation he made for me is that I need to make sure i replace ALL the timing stuff. When he had rebuilt his motor, the gears and chain looked fine, and about 3 months later they went bad and cause the motor to seize up.

He does not like working on cars or anything either, so I only go over to us his stuff not really get help. But having a garage to do it in is a lot of help during the winters, so I can not complain about that. Good luck on your motor I start putting mine back together next weekend I hope.

Your price on the crank might be a tad more however how I decided to use the G200 motor that also came with my truck. By what I have found out they are the exact same specs on both cranks, but there is about a $40-60 difference between the too. Did not understand that one, especially where the place I am getting it from is the one that told me in the first place that they were the same.

Where I bought my crankshaft kit, oversize rings, and gasket kit from CarQuest, and the timing kit from Rockauto.com , one of the links that I had found on here. The timing chain kit for the 2nd Generation (exhaust manifold on one side and the intake on the other) of the G180 is about $40 cheaper too.

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2003 F250 7.3L
1975 Luv

I know that it wasn't a big deal...just pretty cool that he still had it. It is always nice when parents hang on to stuff and you can use/borrow/buy or do what ever you need with it. I wish my dad had kept his Scout...I freakin loved that thing. But he sold it right before I started driving
Yea, a garage would be very nice. I have a shed. If I can get crap situated in there, I could do alot of the stuff in it.
That's not too much of a difference on the cranks. Yea I don't see why they would be different prices either, but whatever...maybe someone else know why.
I'll look around on the parts. I may buy them online, but I guess I can get them at a AutoZone or some place like that too. I appreciate all the help and the links.
I know that you said you are 22. I was just wondering how much experience you have with cars and stuff? Was the LUV your first engine rebuild?

Cam

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1980 Chevy LUV 4x4