Help! Need your opinion...

Why would there be water on top of the cylinders, if the antifreeze was added to the crankcase? That makes no sense. If it's coming from the crankcase, then the rings or valve seals are gone.

Running an engine with anti-freeze in the crankcase can destroy an engine. The problem is that the antifreeze prevents the oil from lubricating properly. Without proper lube of course the rings and bearings and any other metal-on-metal bearing surface gets destroyed by friction.

Follow jdoe/Larry's advice (pull the fuel pump fuse and plugs, crank it until the cylinders are cleared out, etc.). If the antifreeze really did get into the crankcase and it was only running for a minute or so, he might be fine. I wouldn't worry about an engine swap until I knew for certain the engine was junk. Have your mechanic test the compression on each cylinder (this will tell you the state of the rings/seals). If it's good and you can get the engine fired up, make certain you run some sort of detergent through the oil to ensure you've gotten all of the water/glycol out of there (SeaFoam might be good enough - I don't know).

If it fires up and the compression is good, then drive it till it stops. If you're lucky, then worst-case, he only knocked a few years/few thousand miles off of it.

Best regards, and sorry to hear about your Mom.

First off most of what I'm going to write is going to be more of a rant than an opinion. Also we all make mistakes in life. I've made a few costly mistakes and I'm bound to make more by the time I reach my 60's.

Considering water is not a lubricant and with that much in the engine any revolution to the crank would scrape the bearing surfaces. Running it would of flat out destroyed them. This being a 2002 six cylinder and costing 10 grand to replace I have no doubt that this is the 3.5 HONDA engine? Just so you know Honda made the oil fill cap, not Saturn. This is one reason why I tell people not to buy foreign cars or engines.

A brand new LS1 (corvette motor) list for $8500 but can be picked up anywhere for $5900. Think about that compaired to that "Honda"... A GM

People think all this Jap $@#$ is invincible and none of it is. If its imported as a complete car it sounds like a deal, if its imported as a part it becomes two or four times as much when compaired to a domesitic!

Sorry about the situation you and your families going through but that kind of money for an engine seems crazy to me. I bought a 3 year old pontiac bonneville with 73k on the OD for 5000 bucks. Why any used late model engine would be worth that is beyond me. I think he would be better off buying a used car and getting what he can out of the Vue. A new vehicle to me is like throwing away money, this is like throwing even more away... The only idea I have if you want to replace the engine is to find out how compatible the 3.5 engines in Honda's are. If they're close you could probably increase your potential of getting a better price on a used engine. Theres one on ebay now that goes to a 02-04 Odyssey (52k miles). Some parts like the intake or oil filter placement might be different but if everything that makes up the "Long block" is the same you can pull parts off the vue's engine and stick them on it to make it work I would think. Also shop around some more for price quotes.

to the crankcase? That makes no sense. If

Thats what I was thinking...? I figured something got garbled in the passing of information which happens on here a lot. It couldnt be "hydrolocked", the bearings probably welded everything together.

The Honda V6 didn't go in until 2004. The 2002 would be the Opel I believe.

But yes, 10K does seem excessive.

Thats right, I was thinking it changed in 02'. Same problem applies though, still imported. I think they might also be tacking a lot more labor cost on than they should. A break down in labor and parts cost would be insightful.

Possibly it got sucked through the PCV route?

Thanks for all the suggestions - Before I could talk to him, he ok'ed the engine install from the wreck with 28K on it. I think the new engine for

Thanks again, Scott

ok'ed the

engine for

turning it on,

having! He

At least the most important thing has worked out good. Cars and dishwashers can be replaced, Mom can't.

Best Wishes, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Ken

Well as Peter mentioned it would be a 3.0L Opel (german) motor. Which is also found in the L series but has a different intake but I think they could be adapted.

The 3.0 would never have came from Honda. A certain amount of stuff is bought and stored away to be sold at a later time as replacements. Since the 3.0L isnt common nor made here that would be the reason why they cost so much as a crate motor. Those were really a pi** poor motor design anyhow. I think in a way your dad done the world a favor by destroying one of those.