Engine parts Quality

[staginhiding]

I am about to start buying parts for my forthcoming engine rebuild.
A lot of talk on here recently about the quality of new parts..

I am loathed to dump serviceable, genuine although used engine parts,but I do not want to buy poor quality new..
The engine rebuild is probably the most critical unit of the Stag rebuild and I dont want to fit sub standard parts..

Does anyone have experience of the parts on offer from the main suppliers..
Are the valves, springs,piston rings,shells etc different from one supplier to another or all from the same source..

Any info would be appreciated..

Sam

[GDPR]

The majority of engine parts, pistons and rings, shells, cam followers etc are County, just rebagged. Pistons can be all different weights, poorly finished or great, depending on the batch.

Shells are ally faced, and not lead/indium so not advisable to fit until the crank is hardened first... it's a lottery to be honest - just check everything really carefully, re-use as much original as possible and fingers crossed!

[milothedog]

I would also add it may be worth shopping around some of the old established engineering shops for parts, I have details of one near me that may have some old stock sitting on there shelves if you want it Sam.


Ian

[jleyton]

Hi Russ,

Would the suppliers who have their own workshops be in any better position ? Wards, Robsport etc.

I wouldn't have thought they'd be wanting problems with the engines they'd rebuilt.

Cheers

Julian

[GDPR]

Agreed Julian but there must an element of buying in loads and using the best of what they have, then sling the substandard back to the suppliers. They woukd do this at point of use, and not necessarily use the same scrutiny on mail order small quantities we buy.

Also they may have dwindling stocks of oem stuff squirrelled away not for retail - like my Renolds tensioners... just for my use..

Can't blame them...

[jagorstag]

This is something the really concerns me as well, it's one thing to have various rubber mounts fail due to poor quality as they're relatively inexpensive and doesn't tend to cause any major, and costly, damage. I'll be rebuilding my engine in the next few months as well but learning about all the p1ss poor quality spare parts we seemingly have to choose from makes me wonder if I should put a different engine in after all... I don't want to spend thousands just to have to redo it all again because some parts fail due to substandard quality.

I know of a fellow Stag owner who rebuilt his Stag engine at great expense only to have it ruined after about 1500 miles when the cogs on the idler shaft (I think it was that one) wore down and partially shattered and the metal bits found their way around the engine with some serious destruction the end result... Apparently this was due to the cogs not having been sufficiently hardened, but it took months to get the manufacturer to admit to the slacking in the quality control (assuming there actually was such a process). Admittedly this happened several years ago, but it doesn't look like the quality of Stag parts have improved, rather the opposite seems to be the case...

Perhaps I should order a GM crate engine after all, at least it would turn the Stag into what it always should've been to become a success in the US!

Cheers,
Joakim

[staginhiding]

Thanks Ian,Russ and Julian..

Joakim I am not a purist and have another Stag with a Rover engine.
The engine that is in bits at the moment is going into my standard car which I want to keep that way.
There are lots of mods around that keep me going in that direction for this car.Without them I'm not sure if I would have kept the TV8..

Sam

[staginhiding]

I have spoken today to two different Engineering companys who certainly seem to know the Stag of old..

I was talking to both of them about linering the 2 bores of my engine that have been attacked by the water that was left in them for 23 years.

One of them said they wouldn't recommend just the two on one bank but suggested that each liner when inserted can distort the bore next to it..

The other said he didnt see it as problem and he would happily liner just two..

Has anyone had any experience of this..as Im in a quandary now as which advice is correct..

Sam

[jleyton]

Didn't Drew have some of his bores linered ?

Cheers

Julian

[jagorstag]

Thanks Ian,Russ and Julian..

Joakim I am not a purist and have another Stag with a Rover engine.
The engine that is in bits at the moment is going into my standard car which I want to keep that way.
There are lots of mods around that keep me going in that direction for this car.Without them I'm not sure if I would have kept the TV8..

Sam

Hi Sam,

I'm not really a purist either to be honest, although my preference would be to keep it as original as possible. I'll have to wait and see what it throws at me though when I've completely stripped down the engine, if it's salvageable I'll most likely go the mostly original route but if itll make a better anchor than an engine I'll probably look to some engine conversion instead.

Cheers,
Joakim

[dasadrew]

Didn't Drew have some of his bores linered ?

Cheers

Julian

Yep. All 8. They're fine up to now. Mind you, I haven't started the engine yet.

I reckon in general that old bores need to get new lines every so often.

[stagmuffin]

I reckon in general that old bores need to get new lines every so often.[/QUOTE]

[flying farmer]

Should be no problem getting single bores linered, I have had it done on several engines. If they need a big enough press to fit the liner that it distorts the block I would suggest that their machining isn't up to much!

Neil

[staginhiding]

Thanks Drew,but with you having had them all done sadly doesn't give me the answer I need.

Thanks Neil,your experience does..I didn't really want to liner bores that didn't need to be done..

Sam

[mike@thenook]

I am about to start buying parts for my forthcoming engine rebuild.
A lot of talk on here recently about the quality of new parts..

I am loathed to dump serviceable, genuine although used engine parts,but I do not want to buy poor quality new..
The engine rebuild is probably the most critical unit of the Stag rebuild and I dont want to fit sub standard parts..

Does anyone have experience of the parts on offer from the main suppliers..
Are the valves, springs,piston rings,shells etc different from one supplier to another or all from the same source..

Any info would be appreciated..

Sam

Hi Sam,

As others say on here i'd try to use a good engineering shop that will use quality parts rather than some of the dubious stuff - any problems contact Gosnay's in Romford, miles from you yes but they are real specialists and the people that developed the stainless Savashim sold by HRS etc.
I recently got hold of a set of Cords piston rings from them - gold dust and the best!

https://www.Gosnays.co.uk

Cheers,


P S Got that spoiler yet.........