My Willys’ engine broke on the way back from a Dopefest last June. I took it to the sho Saturday and they called me today. Broken crankshaft on the #4 cylinder. (How the heck did I get it home that night???) It will cost almost $3,000 to fix (parts and labour).
Now I have to make a hard decision: Spend three kilobucks and get it fixed, or sell it as-is and lose at least three kilobucks from what I paid for it.
Son of a whore!
Huh? The crankshaft is a single piece. And you only have one of them. Perhaps you mean the connecting (or piston) rod between the crankshaft and the piston.
That’s what I asked. I assumed that the #4 cylinder is the aft-most one. From there the shaft connects to the flywheel and transmission, right? If the crankshaft snapped there, then how did my transmission get turned so I could make it four miles home?
But I did ask the guy at the shop and he said the crankshaft snapped. I suppose I should have typed at the #4 cylinder. Anyway, the crankshaft is over $900, then there’s the bearing kit, labour… 
I guess the first thing to think about might be what kind of shape the rest of the vehicle is in. I know you’ve mentioned a front-end wobble. Do you think the frame, drivetrain and suspension can last long enough to make a new engine a worthwhile expenditure?
Good luck with it.
Well, it’s lasted… what? 55 years so far? The wobble should be fairly easy to take care of. The rest of the Jeep is in good shape. (A lot of people are surprised at its condition, but it’s not “showroom”.) Either way I’ll lose a lot of money. If I opt to have it repaired I’ll still have the Jeep.
No, no Chevy engine swaps. It has to stay original.
Fix it! If you sell it, you will regret for the rest of your life.
Three large sounds like a lot to rebuild an engine. I’d get a second opinion on that, but I’d keep the car. I’ve sold a number of great cars over the years, and I regret each and every one of them.
Ooh! It hurts to think about my '57 Chevy (did I need the money that badly?).
And my '55 Buick (four-holer, no less; not sold - a working restoration effort stolen).
Ah well, what’s done is done.
Three grand for an engine replacement is not out of line these days, especially if you consider that Johnny’s got an out-of-print model.
Johnny, that Jeep rocks in ways too numerous to mention.
Don’t get rid of it, you’ll kick yourself for years.
It needs to be fixed.
S. Norman