Is this M130 worth saving?

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Do you have a reason to save it? If not, then no.

The only way to know if any part is worth saving is to find what it would cost to repair vs. buying a replacement part.

I am guessing you could pick up a good used engine for less than this would cost to repair if repair is, in this case, even possible.

If it is original to a valuable classic, yes. If not probably better with a known good runner to overhaul or use.

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"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

Define the level of "saving". What were the circumstances that lead to water ingress and length of time it was wet. ( I see oil and ATF in the bores )

Given the engine is out of the car, I'd carefully clean the bores with a _NEW_ burr free razor blade and vac out the dirt. Pull the oil pan, remove pistons. If possible organize the disassembly so the most rusty bores have the piston driven lower in the bore so more rust can be cleaned out.

Once it is apart, lightly honing the bores and new rings may bring it back for general use. Don't worry about discoloration in the bores, pits are all we are concerned about.

At minimum, careful disassembly could net a set of good pistons and crankshaft that could be inserted into another block. If you really want to save the block, an automotive machine shop can sleeve bores.

I'm in the process of rebuilding a m130 and I can tell you it is pricey (compared to my past GM and ford rebuilds)

Hey Guys, thanks for all the responses. I have a W110, which I guess has no collectability value at all. It does have the original M180 2.3L motor, which I thought was too slow for city driving; 4 speed on the floor. The engine looks to have never been opened, and it has the twin Weber carbs.

I have been stockpiling parts from a 3.8L SC V6 engine from a Grand Prix GTP (fwd), and a 5 speed T-5 gearbox (rwd) to do a conversion in my Finnie. Then I came across this M130 engine, which are quite rare in Miami. It seems to have been opened up before as there is extra silicone around the oil pan and block plate flanges. It also has an oil cooler, P/S pump, and A/C compressor, none of which my M180 has, but I would like to add to my car.

The M130 engine was left outside with the rear bolt missing from the valve cover, so the rearmost lobes of the camshaft (an 08) are rusty, and water got into the cylinders by way of the carbs. So I am thinking that between those two engines, I might be able to make one good one with 2.8L of "muscle", retaining my 4 on the floor gearbox.

I don't know which camshaft is in my M180, as it's still in the car, but I am hoping I can use it in the M130.

Also, I notice that the head gasket does not have circular "O" seal rings immediately around each cylinder; it has "8" shape. Is this for the air ports from the injection pump, or some other reason? Does this "8" shape lower compression?

Is there a traditional gasket available with circular sealing rings (I am a bit of a traditionalist) that I could use instead?

I guess this M130 motor had to comply with Federal emission regulations, which I won't need to adhere to.

Those would be called "fire rings" , It is odd that they are shaped like that. If anything they would increase emissions by leaving a pocket of unburned fuel. What is the cylinder head shaped like?

Was this motor series made as a diesel? It would still be odd for a diesel.

Look at the head gasket for a makers mark / part number. Usually red silicone lines are "Fel-Pro Print-o-seal"

cv:
Turn the cylinder head chamber side up, place the head gasket on the head, and look. The picture in your mind will be worth at least a thousand words. Then, take pics of the chambers and gasket for the benefit of 97 (below). Knowing beats guessing hands down.

Given the head is apparently shaped for the gasket, I'm thinking the spark plug area is in the semi circle.

Thanks for your comments guys; I finally got around to looking at the head (photos attached). It seems that the small semi-circle is where the exhaust (smaller) valve lives. The spark plug and the intake (larger) valve live in the main hemispherical chamber.

Does that head seem repairable? Some of the valves looked very corroded, but I am not sure if it's only surface corrosion.

Is the CR 9.0:1 on this motor? From the head part number, does anyone know what year vehicle this would be from, and the horsepower (USA motor with air pump)?

If the M130 weighs 450 pounds, the head with manifolds, carbs, and cam must be about 150-200 pounds of that. Man, that thing was heavy!

CORRECTION: The spark plug is located beside the smaller valve in the raised combustion chamber.

The head gasket doesn't appear to match the shape of the combustion chamber in the head. The gasket sealing ring is like a large and a smaller circle , while the head is like a large circle with a rectangle. It looks like the spark plug would be igniting above the head gasket.

Is this normal in these motors?

You are indeed correct; two different chamber configurations were made for that engine, and two different gaskets to match the chambers (rather than the head being made to match the gasket, as was suggested above!)

The gasket that you found on the engine is incorrect for that chamber.