Engine rebuild or..?

[Gilespfr]

I wanted to ask the advice of others who have faced similar decisions with engine rebuilds of tired engines. If money / marriage was no object, it would be clear cut decision. I've got my engine in with C K engineering who are respected locally in Wycombe area. The heads are off and the it looks like it does need a re bore.

Is the cheaper option of putting new head gaskets on and cleaning up heads a waste of time? I'm being quoted £800 for this option, skimming heads, new gaskets, tidy up and decoke / reset values versus £2.5-£3k for a complete rebuild, which should be good for another 60k+ miles. I'm keen to keep the car for the next five plus years.

If I go for the rebuild root, I guess a new clutch is advisable and crack testing the crank. Also, moving onto getting the engine back in the car, a new header tank is worth doing I hear. Also, one of the adjusters on my carbs has seized so might need a clean. And has anyone tried the waterless coolant available? Are there other things I should consider which would enhance the performance and behaviour of my Stag?

cheers

Giles

[wilf]

Difficult to answer Giles. Was it using oil before the strip down? Did a compression check reveal ring seal issues? Any crankcase pressurisation?

If it "looks like it needs a rebore" I suspect you already answered your own question..........considering how long you want to keep the car.

[norfolkstag]

Giles....faced that decision myself a few months ago.....big the bullet and went for the full Monty at 3k. Expense was tough to take but performance of the car has been transformed and I'm getting way more pleasure from driving it. From my perspective worth the money versus £800 for heads alone

Nigel

[Another Peter]

And has anyone tried the waterless coolant available?

Giles

If you use the search facility, you will see that this topic has been discussed before, and before, and before, and before, and...(yawn)

In fact three times in the last two weeks there have been threads about bl**dy waterless coolant.

With regard to a full rebuild or not? Do it once and do it right. I'm sure you'll find it more cost effective during the five years you intend to keep the car.

Peter

[Another Peter]

Giles

Another point about having a rebuild is that costs can start to spiral. Whilst the rebuilder is at it, he may as well do X and Y.

My Stag's engine was professionally rebuilt nearly two years ago and I ended up forking out just over £4k but that did include some other bits and bobs being done at the same time.

However, I consider it money very well spent. The car has run beautifully including a couple of continental trips with me having full confidence in it.

As Norfolkstag stated you will get more pleasure from using it.

Stag paranoia? what's that?

[flying farmer]

One common problem with just doing the heads is that the extra compression on a tired bottom end often results in high oil consumption, this is not a Stag problem in particular, just any tired engine.

If the engine is put together properly with a rebore and hardened crank it should be good for well over 60,000. The one currently in my Stag engined Estate had done 60,000 when it was removed from my TR when the head gaskets failed. (Due to a header tank it never overheated, just fed up with gas hissing out of the rad cap).

I decided to remove the engine, totally strip it and see what new bits were needed, as the TR was ready for its current efi engine The answer was just a set of gaskets and timing chains, nothing else was needed, rings were still within spec, honing marks could still be seen on the bores and the crank bearings were perfect. The engine was reassembled and fitted to the Estate and I would expect it will do the same mileage again with only routine maintenance.

Although the wallet will take an unpleasant battering now, it should be cheaper in the long run to get the whole thing done now.

Neil

[Gilespfr]

Nigel
That's good to know - did you do it yourself or get somebody to do it? Did that include the engine fit in the car?

What performance enhancing things did you consider / do?

Good to hear from you.

Giles

[Gilespfr]

Peter
I agree I am fast coming to the same conclusion that there is only one decision here! I've seen the other threads - some mine too! Have you refurbished your engine?

Giles

[Gilespfr]

Sorry Peter just seen this
What extras did you have over the agreed original costs?

Giles

[Gilespfr]

Neil
What is the Stag estate? I'm not sure I've seen that?
Did you fit the header tank, sounds worth while addition!

Giles

[norfolkstag]

Giles,

Whole thing was done by Richard at Bracken Brae garage in Norfolk. They are local stag specialists round here and look after quite a few cars locally and further afield. I don't really know one end of a spanner from another so no didn't do any work myself! They literally trailered it away after heads went. Anyhow they did a great job for reasonable cost.

Work included comprehensive top and bottom end rebuild with rebore, heads skimmed etc. Also had new water pump, oil pump, change of gearbox oil and carb set up for that. I actually have a Holley carb conversion on my car which I'm told can improve performance etc so maybe worth thinking about.

Nigel

[flying farmer]

Neil
What is the Stag estate? I'm not sure I've seen that?
Did you fit the header tank, sounds worth while addition!

Giles

My Stag estate is a 2.5PI estate I bought with a knackered carburettor engine. Having finished the bodywork rebuild I ended up fitting the Stag engine that was originally in the TR, though after being in the TR it did a few years in my 2 door Toledo.(most people change their cars, I just keep changing the engines and the Stag lump was too heavy for the Toledo though the RV8 is perfect).

All my cars are fitted with header tanks (including the RV8 in the Toledo), two are Volvo units, the other 2 Renault. Whatever I can find in my local scrappies with a metal locating frame as it makes for easy making of fixing brackets.

I have lost all my photos of the Estate when my old computer died, must take some more.

Neil

[bullstarz]

£800 top end rebuild and head skim. That's a lot of money. £2-3000 for a complete engine rebuild is silly money. Just goes to show what a rip off garages are. There's got to be a more cost effective way of doing it. I know the last engine i rebuilt, not a Stag but a V8, cost less than that and it had 8 custom made pistons and H beam rods, arp studs, new cam set etc.

Thought of doing it yourself. It seem soon as you mention Stag the price goes up. For £2000 i would expect a good race engine.

[Westfaling]

When an engine rebuild kit (with crank) costs £1700 from RR and this is with a lot of aftermarket components that some will be reluctant to use, you can easily see how it can cost over £3K to do a rebuild. You'd have to re-use a lot of parts to keep the cost lower. My rebuild was well over that and labour is much cheaper down here.
Nick

[jagorstag]

Considering you get a brand new, complete Chevy 350 for £2000, it makes you seriously ponder that as an option... Admittedly there is more to it than just fitting the engine, but still...

Cheers,
Joakim