Well, I f** up... She was running low on oil and thanks to these stupid dip sticks and my own error, i managed to put too much oil in the engine. Dipstick looked low after sitting undriven for a week. I added 2.5 qts. Ran fine for multiple days, I drive it 10 miles, get a smog test (passed), then driving back down the road yesterday the engine just stopped. No lights and nothing on the OBD. Looked under the hood and nothing obvious, no fluids coming out anywhere, etc.

Had it towed to a local shop, and today they tell me there was 8 quarts in it and the engine hyrdolocked. Shop tells me it needs the engine replaced and they are working up costs for me probably on Monday.

She's a 2006 JCW with about 100,500 miles. I've been the only owner. Done some of the maintence myself, like replacing supercharger pulley, PS pump, alternator etc. Trying to decide where to go from here.
1) Whats a reasonable cost to have the shop replace the engine? I'm expecting a quote from them well beyond the value of the car since it looks like engines run $3500-5000?
2) Maybe I tackle this myself with a mechanic friend and buy an engine from somewhere else?
3) Try to source one from a salvage yard?
4) Is it possible to just have the engine rebuilt somewhere versus an outright replacement?

Another mechanic is telling me that the excess oil just needs to be drained out, and the engine is probably fine?
I'm now questioning myself about I could have gotten 8 quarts in the car, without it overflowing. Did they get some excess oil and are exagerating?

Need some guidance from the collective...

 

It highly depends what exactly got broken in the engine. I would not trust shops (never have) unless they show me in person the damage in the engine.
If I had to speculate, I'd think that the head is fine. It could have broken piston rods and damaged block, but still - I would really want to see that myself if I were you.
So, you might end up replacing the short block only, which is cheaper than the whole engine. Or, maybe even less than that, maybe crank is fine, pistons are fine, maybe even block can be salvaged. Needs to be seen to figure that out

 

Hydrolocked engines usually have a bent connecting rod(s).

I agree with Nervos. You've got to get inside the engine to properly assess the damage.

I put a used engine (from LKQ) in my car earlier this year. It had 76k miles on it and cost me $1800 (long block only, I provided my own labor). I visually inspected the engine prior to installation by removing the valve cover and oil pan. The engine seemed to be in good condition, so I replaced every seal on the engine longblock and ran it. It's been great for 2000 miles so far. Accounting for all the seals I replaced, the new clutch and some other miscellaneous parts, the job cost me about $2500. The value of my car versus the cost of the repair was of no consequence to me. I could not get in a better situation by spending the money some other way.

 

Engines get locked...from the top..!! Like water "above" the pistons. NOT the bottom end. As others have said, this normally leads to a bent connecting rod, "maybe" two.

Too much oil will just splash around, get nasty and foamy and possibly "F-up" the rod and main bearings because the oil pump got foam, rather than liquid oil through it. Foamy oil does not...keep the bearings properly lubed. "Maybe...this is what they are talking about, but again, this ISN"T a hydraulically locked engine from too much oil !

I'd be looking for a new repair shop, first thing !

Mike

 

Wife hydro locked her r50 injector stuck open while cranking Rodney was pissed and bent.