Debating Engine Rebuild... Options

[caribou17]

Well my engine is leaking from alot of places right now, Not huge leaks but i do have to replace alot of seals, also there is oil inside my timing cover and the timing belt needs to be changed....So who here has rebuilt the 5S? I see the price to replace everything in my engine will be the cheapest way for me doing it myself, i just cant afford a mechanic right now...BUT the only thing holding me back is my lack of knowledge at this point. I am pretty determined and would love to do this task, but how difficult will this be? Thanks..

[mkernz22]

Why waste money on a 260k engine. Either do a full rebuild or dont spend a dime on it.

You can rering it, but you will probably need it overbored with oversize pistons and rings. Align boring and bearings for sure. Water pump, oil pump. Have the cylinderhead checked by a shop, rebuild it as necessary. You need to replace the clutch, either motormount if they are worn. New timing belt of course. Replace all the vacuum lines while you have it apart.

If it's still in good running condition other than the leaks, then just replace what you need to for the time being.
My car is at 238,000 miles now. Still has some leaks that I need to fix after what I have already fixed. It's been out of my car once for the transmission swap, the head gasket is still fine on it too (not sure if original or not, but most likely).
No sense in me rebuilding my whole engine because it still runs fine. It's a Toyota, it can handle the high mileage. I ran it on a strip a few times, beat it up off roading sometimes, and get on it a lot just driving around because I like to have fun with it.

The OP can do what he wants, but being that he doesn't have much experience with engines, I would say that doing the gaskets / seals are a good first project. Once the car is leak free, he could just buy another 5s to rebuild so that he doesn't have to worry about the car not being on the road. Also, he would have plenty of time to build that engine right and learn a lot in the process rather than just rushing through it to get it back in the car.