[LoopyLew]

Hi all

My current G13BA is stuffed, still runs but head gasket gone, not all that long after I replaced it, (bought fairly cheap with this issue) there has been a history of overheating and recurring head gasket trouble, I seriously think a thermostat or parts of a broken one (I only found the outside of one when I replaced it!) has damaged the engine at some point somewhere so I think it's time to junk this engine. (Reconditioning, even just a head seems to be as expensive if not more than a whole second hand engine or even whole car!)

I am tempted by the Baleno engine conversion but they hardly ever come up for sale in Darwin for the prices you get down South...

My 91 Sierra bodywork is in pretty good condition, it's been fairly well looked after. No chassis rust or anything.

My aim is to replace this G13BA engine with something similar at a reasonable price, I don't care about performance increases (although I did put a Weber on it!) I would just like a reliable replacement that I won't have to do too much to in the forseeable.

Before anyone suggests buying an engine from the wreckers up here, forget it, it's daylight robbery up here!

My choices from Darwin Gumtree at the moment are:-

A G16B engine from a Vitara 224,186km for $400. Probably not too long before this engine would need work, is my guess.

Or

A whole '97 Swift Cino with only 92,000Km (registered) for $1650 - I could cash in some of the remaining Rego or even drive it around for a bit, so just over a grand for this option, I'm assuming it's the G13BA engine.

I have to say I'm quite tempted by the Swift Cino, just wondering what people think as to whether I should I keep the injection side of things, I suppose it would be better on fuel than the Weber. Suppose I could sell the Weber and the original factory carb to help offset the cost of the new engine.

Or should I keep it simple and just go with the Weber, less to go wrong...

Are there any issues from taking a G13BA out of a Swift that I might not have thought of, like the dizzy needing swapping or the whole loom if I want to keep the fuel injection? Or would it really be essentially a straight swap?

Would like to hear anyone's suggestions - I had thought about a Southern Baleno adventure - cheap flight down south, buy registered low mileage Baleno, fun road trip back to Darwin..for about the same as the wreckers up here would charge me for just the engine and bits needed..

But from people's experience, is the Baleno/Vitara conversion really all that much better for the work involved?

Thanks in advance for your input

[MrRocky]

Suzistore will freight you a rebuilt motor for 2-kish
Other than that scour gumtree and see if someone can freight you a motor but i went through 3 supposedly good ones before i found a keeper.
Another option would be the g13bb efi motor from an early jimny, far less work than a baleno motor and prob same price as a rebuilt 1.3
the vast majority of wreckers ship australia wide, many guys i wheel with in perth get stuff from qld suzi wreckers at half cost of perth

[shep]

Does the motor use oil or just do head gaskins? If head gaskets I would pull it off, make sure it isn't to bent, replace the head
gasket with a quality one and also replace the thermostat and cap with genuine Suzuki ones. Also replace the radiator with a new
one, they are under $200 from from repco for copper good ones. Oh and replace the water pump as well.

My orange Lwb did close to 80000km with a 0.2mm bend in the head and a stuffed water pump seal. I just put a bottle of chemiweld in it every 12 months or so.

[LoopyLew]

Thanks for that...yeah the motor did use a fair bit of oil, is now a bit smokey too, (I bash it around my bush block and cross my fingers - no point putting water in it any more - best to avoid hydraulic locking of oil and water - and anyway if I put water in it just comes straight out of the exhaust as steam! - I just stop driving it when the temp gauge gets up toward half way!)

I'm pretty sure it's not worth me persevering with. It never exactly purred (for me anyway), had countless attempts at valve clearances but it was always clattery (probably cam follower wear, also I think there must have been something damaged there and possibly elsewhere when the head gasket first went before I owned it, or maybe even before that, who knows....)

It sounds almost like a fairly quiet diesel these days! I did replace thermostat, radiator, cam belt, water pump, they and the head gasket all seemed good quality to me; it was fine for nearly two years or so. I could go to a lot of trouble but I think I would end up in the same position another two years or so down the track, to fix this I'm more inclined to put $ and time into a permanent solution but I do appreciate what you're saying Shep.

MrRocky it doesn't surprise me to hear that Wreckers in Perth are as greedy as those in Darwin. Many times I've tried to explain that charging over half of the new price for something means people are more likely to buy the new part and they end up with their stock not moving, but I'm always wasting my breath...

Thanks for the info about the G13BB. But again, would you need more than just the engine (wiring loom, sensors etc.) even assuming you can just slap your Sierra inlet manifold and Weber on there?

Qld Suzi wreckers sounds good, but again, like your Gumtree experiences, it's hard to know for sure you're getting a good engine, I'm more inclined to part with $ for a whole local car with long service history and low K's that I can go and inspect than get stuffed around which is bound to happen with unknown quantities.

This local Swift Cino sounds worth a look - I'd be lucky to find another suitable replacement engine that's done under 100,000 Km plus the engine would be protected from the elements until I get around doing the swap ( I live in a caravan on my bush block, no garage / shed yet unfortunately.)

I'd rather reward someone for looking after a car and its engine with my $ than give more money than things are really worth to greedy wreckers - I'm sure most would agree!

Plus, who knows, down the track I might even stumble across another engine cheap to put back into the Swift and then sell that on again! The body looks immaculate..

[shep]

Last g13ba I bought was from wants33s on here and it cost under $400 delivered to Katherine. I would just buy something 1/2 good and freight it up. Repco would be cheaper then $2k for a long motor I would think