I own a 05 Chevy Z71 with 168k miles. Mechanic tells me the number 1 cylinder only has 10lbs of pressure. Should I spend the 3~4k to fix it adding to the 4k I have already spent on it in the two years I've owned it or go buy a newer truck?
Thanks for the advice
Rebuild the whole motor yourself!
How is the rest of truck? Transmission, rust,...
If the truck is a decent shape, find a good used engine from junkyard.
If your choices are spending 4 or 5K to fix it or the $45,000 average price of a new car, I'd pick the former.
Along @yaser 's line of thinking, if the frame is solid and the tranny is good, I'd try a used engine from a junkyard. Make sure it has a warranty/ guarantee. LKQ yards offer them. Might take a few, but this is much better than paying a fortune to rebuild and gamble on quality. Nobody rebuilds modern engines or trannies very well.
Move on.
You didn't mention what engine you have in this pickup. There is more than one reason a cylinder may only have 10 pounds of pressure. One reason could be one of the valves, intake or exhaust valve, of that cylinder may be sticking or not sealing like it's supposed to. If that's the case, the head would need to be taken off to fix it but the engine doesn't need to be pulled out. Get another opinion. The market for newer used trucks is crazy high right now.
I would say if you could perhaps find another vehicle that will do what you need it to do for 4k or if you can afford more, then feel free to make a switch. If you can't, then just get this engine fixed and keep it running if everything else (frame, transmission, electronics, suspension) is otherwise solid. You could also part out the truck or sell it for scrap to make a little extra and add to your budget if you don't want to keep it.
sell it and buy a nissan
