Engine Replacement Advice Please

I suspect that an element of luck is involved too as you hear good and bad about most folk if you are around long enough. A very famous builder rebuilt my bus engine for an amazingly small sum and supplied second hand twin webers cheap too but is also the same bloke that made a complete mess of Zed's.

I guess you pay your money and take your chance to some degree but Alex is right that recon means different things to different people and costs can vary accordingly. If I were doing it again I would probably get it rebuilt by someone I trust to do a proper job or do it myself with advice from the truly ace lot of folk on here who have been the done that. If Zed and Paradox recommend Robert Parry then I would give him a try for a type 1. I think I would head to Paul Weeding for a type 4 (Robert Parry may be great at them too)

 

I am not sure why people are insistant that off the shelf are bad, They can be bad I am sure but that is not the case for all.

Our engines are built in a proper ISO factory, in the same building as they build modern ford engines so they fall under the same quality control checks. Also our units use better quality parts hence why our units are not the cheapest available.

I have had properly built units that have gone wrong too due to stupid parts, the most annoying being the oil pick up in the sump broke.

Just my 2p worth.

 

Alex, I'm insistant that off the shelf are bad based on my personal experience.

I'm sure some off the shelf are ok. All I know is that i paid a fortune for an off the shelf engine, then I paid for fitting by someone who knows vw's. As soon as i drove it i knew it wasn't right, then on the advice of the 'off the shelf' engine builder i spent a fortune adding bigger carbs, more cooling, oil breathers, rolling rd etc etc. Nothing cured the problem, the situation went on for years, fundamentally the engine was dog Marmite! So i eneded up having to get one built by someone who knew what they were doing.

My advice to all is still don't buy an off the shelf engine. If people want to ignore the advice and go off the shelf, then i suggest that they at least buy an off the shelf from someone who offers an engine fitting service. That way if there ae problems the engine builders can't blame the fitters and vice versa.

If you must buy an off the shelf engine, then get them to fit it as well

 

That does echo what someone else knowledgable has said....

 

Funny you say that we do offer that service now too! You can have your engine fitted here at VWHeritage if needed as we now have a workshop at the new premises.

You having a bad experience does not mean all off the shelf engines are bad, I know just as many people that have spent far more getting a specialist to build them a unit end up in bother too.

I agree the instalation is KEY and must be done too the letter!

 

Alex are the fitting entails on the website?

 

*details
!!

 

No, you will need to call and speak with Paul S on 01273 444 000 and its a new service we offer.

 

I didn't realise Heritage now offered an engine fitting service as well.

My experience does not mean that all off the shelf engines are bad, but loads of people have had the same issues i had with 'off the shelf' engines.

When i ended up getting a specialist to build mine it wasn't all plane sailing. I decided to reuse the case from an old engine, which we eventually discovered had a tiny crack by the oil cooler mount (so it leaks a bit of oil), but fundamantally i knew as soon as i drove it that it was 'right'. As i'd had all the machining and fitting done and it drives great then i decided to let my van keep marking it's territory!

On the other hand the off the shelf engine had a brand new crank case and that absoluttely *******ed oil out of it

PS The Bruce, i'm not knowledgable about anything technical, but i don't want people to suffer the same costly and frustrating 'off the shelf' engine experience i had.

 

Personally and I repeat personally! ..... I think anyone with a 1600 bay that thinks it cruises happily at 65 mph is mechanically unsympathetic! It's screeming it's nuts off!

 

Has anyone used the VW engine company? Offering two year warranty with fitting. Whilst it doesn't preclude stuff going wrong, at least the after sales is simple as there will be no middle man fitting the lump.....

 

63-ish in 4th is peak power for a T1 I think. My 1600 loved that more than 55-60 and fairly hummed along.
As others have pointed out, having all your tins and seals right is essential.

I think we've got used to driving deisel cars at half the revs, or modern petrols you can't hear.

 

Not me My golf's only got 3 gears and it cruises happily (if not silently) at 90.

I'd agree too that my 1600 T1 seems happier a little above 60 than a little below it. Certainly it maintains this speed better up hills and I'd rather that than a labouring engine. As I said before, it's the lorries that slow me down.

Oh and by the way it's a Vege engine, which I think counts as off the shelf. Still runs great 15 years after installation (just 30,000 miles) touch wood. I don't think it's had any major work, and a recent compression test was very encouraging... Uses a bit of oil but I think most of it is out of the rocker covers (loose bales) so could be sorted easily if it bothered me particularly.

 

Well that helps!

Some folks had great experience with off the shelf and others scream NO WAY,

 

It's not advice... just my (limited) experience. I suppose what others are saying is more about after sales backup than anything - I'd expect a good independent builder to be better on that score. OTOH, if VW Heritage are doing a fitting service then that could be a good option. At the end of the day then it's up to them to make sure it's running right.

 

This is just an example of price because I know nothing. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/vw-aircoo...851?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item33a287c0fb

 

Well it's been cleaned and painted at least with new seals to stop it leaking for a bit.
When is a turnkey not a turnkey? When the 2 most expensive pieces of tinware are missing.
Seems like you have to buy a load of bits you already have too. One wonders if this would improve the situation of a conked out engine other than this one runs ATM.

 

Yeah not having a dig. I really think we're going To have to go with a turnkey but fitted by the vendor, either vs heritage or the VW engine shop. Just don't have the funds for a one off build plus installation. There is then the point of after sales. At least if the vendor is fitting it's straightforward who's responsible if there are any issues.

 

This has to be a good move and does avoid some possible conflict. As others have pointed out it's all very well for your fitter to then be repairing leaking oil seals etc, but then trying to get recompense from the builder? Bit of a joke that one...