'89 16 Valve Value

[Guest Alex Reece]

My brother and I have an '89 16-valve TC with a blown head gasket. We were looking into prices to fix it, and we decided it was better for us to try to sell it than to try to fix it. Does anybody know about how much it would be worth, so we know how much to sell it for? (It has a dent on the trunk and the blown head gasket, but other than that it is in great condition and everything works.)

[Guest EmmettTC]

If you're mechanically inclined at all the head gasket job it isn't as bad as you think it is.

[Hemi Dude]

3 hours ago, EmmettTC said:

If you're mechanically inclined at all the head gasket job it isn't as bad as you think it is.

Unless Alex is a pretty proficient mechanic, I would not suggest he and his brother take on this job. I've done Chrysler products since 1959, I don't particularly want to do a 16V where as an 8V is a piece of cake. "Just saying"

[Guest EmmettTC]

10 hours ago, Hemi Dude said:

Unless Alex is a pretty proficient mechanic, I would not suggest he and his brother take on this job. I've done Chrysler products since 1959, I don't particularly want to do a 16V where as an 8V is a piece of cake. "Just saying"

What in your opinion makes the job complicated?

[Reaper1]

It's not necessarily "hard", but if it blew the headgasket, then I certainly would suggest sending the head to RDI to be gone through. Figure $1500-2k for a total head gasket swap for a 16V. I will also say that without a factory manual, I would NOT suggest doing that job on a 16V. Again, not terribly hard, but it's different enough from any other Chrysler engine that the basic instructions I don't think are adequate enough.

[Hemi Dude]

The most difficult is dealing with the A/C & alternator bracket which has to be removed and reinstalled. Some bolts retaining it are truly a son-of -*-B***H!

Then there is the issue of setting the 2 camshaft sprockets. Don't think you will get it right the first few tries. You MUST VERIFY that you have them set properly by rotating crank several revolutions after each try and setting the crank to TDC, then observing that both cams are in proper alignment. The distributor drive shaft (intermediate shaft) is another issue to align during the timing belt installation. The head will be on so you can't see the distributor unless the intake manifold is OFF. Keep that in mind.

So, that is why I would consider the job difficult, IN THE CAR. I have built these engines in an engine stand, that is a piece of cake.

[TwinCamFan]

I bought a 16V car 8 or so years ago, owner had passed and his wife contacted me because she knew me thru the TC club.  She said it had been sitting for years, her husband had spent a great deal of money on a head gasket replacement years earlier and it never ran again. He loved the car and owned since new so didn't want to sell it because he was sure it was 'something simple' Royal cabernet/ginger car 5 speed car.  So I dragged it home from east SF bay area on a dolly(also picked up a nice low milage SRT6 on the same trip   )   Back at home it needed a fuel pump and a tank cleaning but still wouldn't run but would return  an occasional 'pop'.  Took some digging but I found that the camshafts(tho they are the SAME SHAFTS but are indexed differently, 90 degrees apart) were 'reversed'  IN was in EX spot and visa versa.  I also found $4500. in receipts in the glovebox  from the HG "repair"  Fired right up and ran smooth as butter after that.  I felt bad for the previous owner.

 

If there is a point here it's  yeah, the HG repair is doable *IF* you know what you're doing.  If not you'll spend a buncha money and time and she may never run again.

 

I'm curious Alex as to where this car is and what the color combination is  ?