First I'd like to say that Im new to the forum and that this is my first time ever actually joining one so hello nice to meet you all but onto the dilema that im having. So Im debating whether or not i should buy a replacement engine for my 2000 Accord EX or if i just refurbish the one i already have. its over heated several times and the last time it did my head warped and the car runs and turns on but it shakes on idle and wants to turn off but it stays on. So one question i have is, does the fact that its over heated so many times affect the block as well? or just the head? Because ive had the head redone and fixed so i dont want to do it again and would rather get another one, but im also broke and would rather go with the option that will save me money in the long run even if i have to spend more to fix the issue. I know ive rambled but any help would be great.

P.S I have no clue where I could take the engine to get it refurbished nor do I know of any reliable places to get a refurbushed engine. Im in the south houston area.

 

I was in a similar boat a few years ago, had an engine fail and needed a fix on a budget.

option 1: find a good used engine locally. availability can be a big player here. knowing how to asses the condition of the engine for sale is crucial as well. in my situation the seller(s) would not reduce the price to match the sub-optimal condition.

option 2: low-mileage used Japanese engine. these normally come from companies that will offer a warranty and in my experience the condition is always pretty good. At the time I needed one, shipping time was too long so i went for option 3

option 3: rebuild the damaged engine. this is not for everyone. I already had the experience, knowledge and willingness to buy any special tools i didn't already have so i could do the job right. it ended up taking me about 3 weeks from initial failure to driving again since there were some parts that needed to go to the machine shop. the bill from that work plus the cost of the rebuild kit was less than option 2 but more than option 1.

in the end I had an engine I knew was good and ended up getting another 140k miles out of it before pulling it for something bigger. but I knew most of that engines history and took several steps to mitigate the risks of doing the rebuild myself.

for you, I would suggest weighing these options and any others you think of for cost, risk and how well they match your budget and use requirements.