Motor Blown Yesterday

[burnthefurniture]

Hello everyone,

 

Not a Chevy truck, but a chevy motor. My father's business uses a couple of Isuzu NPR trucks. One is a 2005, one is a 1997. The 1997 has a medium duty 350. The trucks are rode hard, but generally maintenance is kept up with well. I'm not here to discuss how well they were or weren't maintained to lead up to the blown motor, however, I am trying to determine the best course of action.

 

I don't know what happened or what would cause it, nor was I in it but apparently water got into the oil somehow (head gasket maybe) but the engine is fried. The Isuzu dealer quoted almost 11,000 dollars to replace the motor. Certainly that seems astronomically high to me.

 

What is the best course of action for us? I am mechanically inclined and I have a friend who has rebuilt and installed tons of motors in trucks. If we were to do it ourselves, where should I get the engine from and what is different in a "medium duty" 350 as opposed to one in a 1500.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Doug_Scott]

I think you will find the engine in your truck has some parts that are unique to that truck. I think you could likely get just about any engine put in it for 11k. Why not just get the original rebuilt?

[burnthefurniture]

I think you will find the engine in your truck has some parts that are unique to that truck. I think you could likely get just about any engine put in it for 11k. Why not just get the original rebuilt?

 

 

Certainly the motor has unique parts to the truck, its a basic 350, but the intake plenum, cooling system, accessories, etc are all isuzu. I guess I meant more as if the designation of "medium duty" 350 means more in terms of internal upgrades or changes.

 

We would get the original rebuilt, but I believe the block is cracked. Our mechanic looked at it and determined it a total loss. Whatever happened to it really grenaded the thing. i haven't seen it, nor will I until this weekend, but I'm trying to do my research so we can get that vehicle back on the road asap.

[oldschool327]

Just get a Long Block 350 (800 bucks) and bolt all the other Isuzu items on. Easy day

[burnthefurniture]

Just get a Long Block 350 (800 bucks) and bolt all the other Isuzu items on. Easy day

 

Would there be any internal differences to make the motor a medium duty? Upon looking into it, I think the intake gasket went south, bad. Just heard that the crankcase was full with oil/coolant to the top of the dipstick. I don't know how that kind of thing could happen. Very upsetting.

[oldschool327]

Some call the 4 Bolt main bearing cap a (medium duty) engine vice the 2 bolt main. Everything I find it is a 5.7 chevy 350 engine, nothing special. Picture would help all of us.

[oldschool327]

http://w3500.i75cars.com/

 

Read this, Looks like any old 350 will suffice. Most I find for sale have the Medium "tag" applied but it is just a classification of the overall truck not the engine.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-REMAN-I...sQ5fAccessories

 

That is just a quick ebay search. You can get a better deal at Autozone for the same motor under a grand or junk yard for even less.

[brisk]

Just get a Long Block 350 (800 bucks) and bolt all the other Isuzu items on. Easy day

 

^^^This