Some Help with an '88 3800 Damaged Piston

[hrhoward]

I posted a thread earlier on my "home" site asking about some piston damage in a '88 3800, Vin code C. Piston Damage
This is related this post I made on this site. 1988 3800 Head gasket?

Now the question is, what to do next?

Here is the situation in brief. The car needs to run until someone gets back on their feet. She recently escaped from a very sh***y situation. She has enrolled in some state sponsored programs and has her kids enrolled in school. Needless to say she has no money.

Based on the money situation this is what I was thinking; just replace the one piston and rings. The cylinder bore looked ok. The other cylinders still have decent compression. The car is in decent shape for it's age, 1988. She just needs it to run for a few months.

Anyone have any advice pro/con?

TIA

Heath

[Quarts]

I had a 1988 olds 98 regency with the 3800 and I finally sold it with 240,000 miles on it and it would still smoke the front tires, I liked the original.

[fastech]

Here is the situation in brief. The car needs to run until someone gets back on their feet. She recently escaped from a very sh***y situation. She has enrolled in some state sponsored programs and has her kids enrolled in school. Needless to say she has no money.

Based on the money situation this is what I was thinking; just replace the one piston and rings. The cylinder bore looked ok. The other cylinders still have decent compression. The car is in decent shape for it's age, 1988. She just needs it to run for a few months.

Anyone have any advice pro/con?


Yea, it's either that or find an inexpensive used engine. Depends how long she expects it to last.

[firebuick]

i would check the scrap yard for a short block these ln3 engine are easy to find and often in good shape