Which recon enginewould you recommend

[mr2allotments]

Hi Rob

sorry mate but i was trying to make a decision pretty sharpish and it looked like most people were only replying to the most recent postings .... so as my queries developed i posted new questions.

A bit cumbersome maybe but i got the required info in the end and thanks for amalgamating them all - good work.

Hopefully this will help others as well now

Cheers

Chris

[glasshopper]

I an thinking of purchasing a reconditioned engine after some recent trouble with my van.
From this forum post I am definitely leaning towards a REMTEC.
It is a bit more expensive - but I am looking for quality and reliability more than anything else.

My van has had a Laurie Petit rebuild in the past - lovely bloke and good service.
But after about 5000 miles I experienced problems which on investigation was a cracked head.

I now have new cylinder heads in the van on Laurie's rebuild at much expense - [ I should have got a recon then ] only to now have a leaking head gasket after overheating when my alternator bracket broke. Knowing my luck if I fix the heads the crankshaft will go or big end bearings.

So rebuild is the only way as the van is staying with me.
If anyone has good experience with VEGE I would really like to hear about it.
Thanks.

[glasshopper]

I am about to make the plunge with a recon engine - can anyone give some feedback about VEGE engines ... ? A VEGE would be a considerable saving on the Remtec ... but the saving is nothing if it is unreliable.
It would be great to see a poll on the site so stats about recon engines could be gathered and give conclusive results on this issue.
Also it looks like original engines are still available from the classic part centre - how do I work out the engine model number - from my engine code? I would be interested to see the price comparison.
Cheers.

[bruce]

the cheapest is never the best

[toomanytoys]

One point is, that no matter where you get the engine from NONE of them are all new.. all are refurbished/reconned/rebiult.. all of them will only do the min amount of work required to get the engine back into a std spec..

Trouble is nobody wants to pay what it costs to build an engine with a lot more new (improved) parts..

Just go add up how much it costs to buy a pair of new heads and pistons and barrels.. let alone all the other parts and machine work... thats more then the price of virtually all of the available engines on offer out there.. and there is a LOT more to do in an engine...

But... There is nothing wrong with reusing most of the components, as long as they are in spec and some care and attention to detail is maintained when refurbing..

I am rebiulding my engines now... I only have myself to blame if owt goes wrong, but I can also control what actually is used and how much work goes into them.. But not everyone has that option of course.. But then very few poeple would be prepared to pay for my attention to detail..

[tonytech]

I have a VEGE engine in my 2.1. fitted by local mechanic.
NOT cheap.
done about 35K in 4 years.
Daily driver, doesnt get much use on the motorways,
Drives well.
Fuel economy average,

Cant really coment more than that.

T