engine swap Altima

I have just bought a 1994 Altima. The odometer says 120,000 plus miles. The dealer told me they swapped in an engine with 67,000 miles.

This car is a sweet runner and I like it........ my only question is how do I verify the engine change claim. Would there be matching numbers to check?

The owners manual shows numbers on the motor and the front grill area......... should they be the same?

Maybe I should just enjoy my new ride......... but there is that nagging question to verify a claim. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hawkeye

Reply to
Hawkeye
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No one knows I guess. Any hints where I could verify the engine swap claim?

Hawkeye

Reply to
Hawkeye

I would say it might be obvious to check bolting. For instance engine mounts bolts should show some indication that they have been removed and replaced.

Reply to
William Michael Greene

I changed an engine about 6 weeks ago, and after reading the post went and looked to see what signs of the engine change might be visible. The engine mount bolts actually don't look like they've been touched. The bolt head shape doesn't allow a socket to touch the paint on the mount, so there's nothing to see there. Likewise the bolts on the bell housing and a few others on support brackets, bell housing inspection plate etc - they don't look like they've ever been touched. I didn't take any special care to ensure that hose clamps lined up with creases in the hoses the same, but it just seemed neater to line them up, so there's nothing to see there either. I know that I knurled exhaust flange stud bolts a bit, but after the engine has been run for a couple of weeks, the shine on the knurled bits have flattened off and darkened down so it's hard to see anything there either, and at ~100k, then the exhaust might have been worked on anyway. It seemed neater to reuse wiring loom cable ties, most of them were easy to open, the replacement engine came with loom intact but cut, so there was a spare for any tie that I damaged. So there's no sign there. Perhaps someone in a hurry might just cut them and use standard cable ties. The car I did was a fwd so I had to remove the axles, so I could see that the axle nuts have been removed and replaced and the old split pins reused, but again at 100k they might have been removed for work on CV joints/boots anyway. The single and IMO most definitive sign is that there are minor paint scrapes on the bottom of the sump - not from rocks or damage that could have likely been done when the motor was in the car. These probably happened before I got the replacement engine. The wreckers tend to lower the engines on an old tyre or similar to support them, but the sump still bottoms out on the ground, and probably twist a little as they are lowered or lifted. Apart from that, the engine and trans housing is a lot cleaner than I'd expect on a car of it's age/mileage - but there wasn't any real need to clean it that well - just me being a bit fussy. I think that it could be very hard to tell.

Reply to
frederick

Thank you both for the info.........William Michael Greene you were very detailed and really gave me a valuable comment.

Thanks again to both of you,

Hawkeye

Reply to
Hawkeye

Thank you both for the info.........Thank you both for the info.........William Michael Greene you werevery detailed and really gave me a valuable comment.

==============SORRY TEXT SHOULD HAVE READ********************* frederick - you were very detailed and really gave me a valuable comment.

Reply to
Hawkeye

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