So the other site im on… Guy posted about his SR20
ae86drifter -
sorry forum god didnt know there was a section. But as far as a time line i have found out i have a blown head gasket now and possibly a bad gasket on my oil pick up or a bad oil pump.
Just a note to everyone dont buy from a place called Japan Star motors out of Albany NY. the first motor i recieved from them was a long block with no accs. on it and had obviously been installed into a USDM car. Cussed and fussed and they finally sent me another motor. The one they sent me had been run the shit out of. BAD AND I MEAN BAD cam wear and was oil soaked all over. I agreed to put the best of the to together as long as they provide the gaskets and now i am in the predicament that i am in. I am gonna start on the head gasket in the next couple of days and try to fix the oil pressure problem. I tried to get a refund and they said i had to send the motors back but they said i would have to pay for shipping… I said Bullshit. So i do not recommend anyone to buy from them.
Idk if some of you remember Drift485,he was on here a short time last year… He bought a SR20 and we had them compression test it on the spot. when testing i pointed out that a couple pulley were wobbling, and lowered the price a little bit. I think its blown now… i have to get in touch to see the outcome.
buyer beware, youre buying a shipped USED motor. itll be 10x the cost if they were to actually take them all apart, recheck everything and recondition it and then sell it to ppl. but then everyone would be bitching at them cuz their motors are too expensive and whatnot. you’re buying a used product, what do you freakking want? it happens. deal with it.
ya but vadim, almost EVERY motor ive heard of that came out of there is a shit box in some way.
Most of the people that buy them, if not all just swap and drive. It would be a different story if they were going to rebuild it anyways. Also, i’d be pissed too if i saved up 1500 and i bought a blown motor that i have no money to do anything with.
You shouldn’t be buying an old POS motor and swapping it in without checking the entire motor over. It’s a USED motor, what do you want from it? :lol Buy a fresh crate motor if you want something you can drop in and drive 200,000 miles on without having to worry about anything.
I have gotten a lot of mediocre engines from there and a few good ones. Fortunately most were taken apart to build anyway. I’d say 50/50 chance you are getting a motor in acceptable condition. Many have water in the manifolds and cylinders and they are handled poorly with broken sensors, bent pulleys etc. The key is to pick them carefully and check over all the details before buying, i’d hate to purchase anything there sight unseen. I’m not flaming them, they are reasonable if there are problems.
I saw a post on Zilvia of a guy selling an engine from them, he was in Virginia IIRC? I had to really bite my lip to refrain from posting up on that one… lol.
Japan Star sucks my balls. They only get screwed by Chuck, because its a name synonymous with a guy so kickass he can make time wait for him.
I’ve got there three times, and would have a few more times if they weren’t always close for a few days with a piece of paper saying they would reopen the following monday…
----The first time I saw an RB in a clip with the crank pulley smashed as well as water pump and timing belt cover, the guy said it was in good shape! Yeah, its fuckin mint all right.
----Round 2 - went in for a p/s pump bracket, wanted $60 bucks. Told them to take their pressure washer gun and shove it up his pee hole.
----Third Rendevous - Went down to look for parts for a friend, had nothing but “minty fresh” engines.
I should make sure to repost this for a third time on shift…
JVG’s SR20 - fail
Friend of a friend’s 2JZ - 2 dead cylinders
Friends CA18 - cylinder 1 dead
Friend’s turbo - seals blown
Friend’s B16a - FOUR dead cylinders
–>his second - cylinder 3
lmao, that d-bag at the lot that had the red miata with the carbon fiber hardtop was talking about Japan Star motors and some bullshit about getting some 1800rs motor from his miata from there. I’d laugh my ass off if it blew up
he claimed that he had the variable valve timing head on his motor and a bunch of other bullshit. he also had the JDM tow hooks but hadn’t installed them yet. I asked him if he tracked the car and he said something like no I wouldn’t do that. wtf?!
Best part was when I asked him to see the motor and he was like I don’t pop my hood for anyone, ask my friend. and his friend goes “yea he’s popped it like once or twice for me” fucking tool