What do you reckon I do with the stock engine ?

[Dooley]

Okay I know there'll be info on the options.

But basically what I'm looking at now is my zook is leaking and burning oil like there's no tomorrow. Rear main so the engine is coming out.

It's done 230k with no major work that I know of, compression only in spec on one cylinder the rest are sorta okayish to getting a bit bad.

Some of the more 'exotic' options like a vitara engine would be nice but ain't practical for me.

Just wondering if you guys think I should do the rear main and then while it's out just the rings, full rebuild, something in between, replace it with a low k motor... ?

I do plan to keep it for a bit but no big plans as I don't have a big budget. Max I can spend is about $1k.

So yeah, don't know the engine that well myself. What's worthwhile ?

[Gwagensteve]

Import swift motor. should be about $800, swap all accessories from your motor. This is the cheapest way to get a "genuine" suzuki motor in good condition.

You'll need to swap manifolds, crank pulley, camshaft, sump oil pickup and probably a few other things, but it's no big deal.

Most rebuilds do not last anywhere as well as a stock suzuki built motor.

Christover has done this.

Steve.

[Brendan-s]

1.3L donks go on eBay for a couple of hundred bucks all the time... I'm of the opinion that I'll drive my 1.3 til it goes pop, then put another in, then another...

[Gwagensteve]

Most wreckers will sell a motor with a 3 month warranty. That's worth a fair bit in my book for a daily driver.

Steve.

[gman79au]

ive seen a few 1.3 die at arount the 120-130k mark normally due to piston skirts falling off I ve seen this twice with No 4 cyl and another fella told me about his experence, but once rebuilt properly ( rebore, piston rings and bearings done) you can get double the life! But! you must rebore the cylinders as they will almost certainly become out of round especially at the base of the bore, small stationary engine suffer from this fate as well

[Gwagensteve]

Apparently the skirt failure is associated mainly with coil sierra and jimny motors, and can occur at as little a 70,000k

I am informally aware that sierras tend to ovalise their bores so a hone is often inadequate to improve ring performance, but I have not had a 1.3 apart myself.

I have been "quoted" as much as $6k for the rebuild of a sierra motor with all genuine suzuki parts.

I have seen "rebuilt" motors fail get unacceptably smoky at as little as 20K.

I would still vote with an import swift motor. If it hasn't been off road (which a swift motor won't) or opened up, and comes with a warranty, you couldn't do wrong IMHO.

Steve.

[alien]

why dont you just keep topping up the oil, perhaps use sikaflex to seal it to get you by... in the meantime, save your pennies and chuck the vit motor in =)

I did similar - except i managed to blow mine up before i had allllll the cash ready to roll... but thats what family are for, right? haha

[Dooley]

I would like to one day get a vit motor in.

Thing is it's not just cash, don't have the time at the moment and it's my daily driver so can't be out of action for too long.

[St Jimmy]

it cost me 600 bucks that included pistons rebore crank grind bearings big and little 40tho off head and gaskets i have done 50.000 on new motor and it still goes hard do all the spanner work your self or get some mates to help for a carton

[gman79au]

the first motor which died on me was in a coily and yes skirt fell off, than i bought a motor g13a from i think a late 80's model for 200 bucks same thing skirt fell of that too same cylinder (No 4) maybe the motor knows when its in a coily sierra and it tries to keep up with everything else falling off them (eg trailing arm mounts, dashboard mounts, body mounts seat mounts front shocktower holes,) Icould go on.
I also was told about machining the bores but have experenced it in brush cutter engines a new set of piston and rings will last about 30 seconds than stop dead find major piston scores and rings pinned in there grove from the damage with no evidence in the bore to the naked eye. saying that I had another G13a engine which I pulled down as it was a little smokey the bores where worn to the point i had to break the rings to slide the pistons out from the grove in the bore you could spin the crank without the head on and it felt like very little resistance from the pistons sliding up and down, all i could say it was perfectly worn, I wonder how long it would have run if It wasn't pulled down in the first place.
sorry I like to share knowledge

[Dooley]

Well probably going to go with an import/low k motor.

Sorta confused though, wikipedia didn't help.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_G_engine

Mine is a G13BA according to the stamp.

A swift motor would be a G13A.. ?

[nicbeer]

G13ba is the 1298cc lump and the g13a is the 1324cc lump.

direct swap for each other. the 1298cc engine was developed for the under 1300cc cup so therefore little less cubes.

Nic