Cadillac Repair: heads for eldorado, worse case scenario, 2 quarts

Question
I just purchased a engine for my car, he told me everything was good but i want to double check. what can i look for before i put the engine in and after

Answer
Wow, I hope you heard it run and checked it out thoroughly, but it sounds like you are just taking some guy's word for it that the engine is good. You did not specify what year the engine was and what year your Eldo is. Cadillac has not supplied a "good" engine since the 1981 368 C.I., but it is all relative.

If you are referring to a Northstar, many come with inherent problems. They can NEVER be overheated or there will be head gasket and possible block problems and Cadillac had their share of problems that could cause overheating.

You may get the impression that I don't like Cadillac engines. The opposite is true. I just plan for worse case scenario. I love Cadillacs. I just sold my 88' Allante with 62K miles and it was the best car I ever owned. It had the 4.1 that commonly came with a knock from the factory. You either had a good one or a bad one. The same holds true for the 4.5, 4.9 and the North Star.

You need to be concerned about oil leaks. The north star commonly used oil. Not always leaking and rarely smoked, but I commonly saw 2 quarts added after 500 miles. You need to be very vigilent checking the oil every other fill up.

Check the remains of the coolant where the hoses connect. If rusty, the engine has either been overheated or the engine was not maintained. If the engine still has an oil filter, remove it and pour the contents into a pail. If thick and black, you may have problems due to lack of oil changes.

I am a little concerned about your question here because it does appear as though you are taking a guy's word the engine is good. Its a lot of work to change an engine and then to find the guy did not tell you the truth.

Hindsight is 20/20, but I would have told you to take a mechanic you trust to take the car with the engine down the road or at least had it running to determine if the engine was worth buying. There are a lot of crooks out there and it really is "Buyer beware"

I hope it all works out for you.

Rob