Recomended recondition engine suppliers

[djhammy]

Hi folks about a year back my head gasket started weeping/dripping slowly. A small pack of K-Seal seemed to have done the trick and kept it at bay.

I have a 1985/6 1.9 DG engine.

Last week my metal water pipe from pump to thermostat sprung a small leak whilst driving home from Brighton to Southampton so i replaced it with a nice stainless steel one from Brickwerks.

Since fitting the new pipe the head gasket has started weeping again this time round on the right hand side (it was originally on the left) and a new bottle of K-Seal hasn't worked. As the engine is now 13 years old well it was a reconditioned one fitted in 1999 I'm thinking ofr biting the bullet and getting a new recon rather than throwing money at having just the problem at hand sorted.

I don't have time to be off the road as its my work van as well.

I expect its been asked many times but wondered if any one recommends suppliers. JK and Stusus do Vege ones i know. I purchased my gearbox last year from The Engine Shop in Erith Kent but the communication wasn't quite so easy after purchasing which was a worry.

Your views would be gratefully accepted.

Many thanks

Hammy

[Ian Hulley]

Our Elite DJ has done nealy 70,000 miles ... nothing to report.

Ian

[djhammy]

Thanks Ian is that the company name. Cheers

[Ralf85]

I expect its been asked many times but wondered if any one recommends suppliers. JK and Stusus do Vege ones i know. I purchased my gearbox last year from The Engine Shop in Erith Kent but the communication wasn't quite so easy after purchasing which was a worry.

Hammy

If you go back through the archives you will see this discussion cropping up constantly every few weeks. Some people have been lucky and bought a recon/rebuilt engine that has been fine. Others have had bad experiences. A long time ago vege were the best. They are now hit and miss. From what I've read over the years unless you go for an expensive South African rebuild you take pot luck. It seems that there are no reliably consistent boxer engine rebuilders in the UK. I dread the day when mine packs up. Probably have to go the subaru route.

You will now get a number of people coming on here who have not been happy with elite!

type engine suppliers in the search box and you will get a flavour of the discussions.

[Ian Hulley]

These are the people ... http://www.elitevw.co.uk/products.htm

I have had no issues what-so-ever with our engine, others have had issues with communication and delays but if you have an engine out on a pallet and they deliver a recon unit for you to fit in exchange I don't see the problem. I would replace every hose I could and change the pipes to stainless (as you've started to) fit a new water pump (keep the old one as a known-good spare).

Others will be along directly with their experiences of course.

Ian

[ermie571]

I have 3 elite units. Older ones...all with nothing to report.

The two Micks did mine. Now its the sons of Micks. Read between the lines, folks. Mick's the younger did my daughters....and I wasn't as impressed with the service...but engine seems ok. (but maily because I knew what to look for when we went to collect it, resulting in a non-collection....) I don't like dissing folks, but it was leaking slightly from a head stud....and Micks the younger were happy to let it go....Mick senior wasn't! Got the feeling Micks younger were in for an ear-bashing once customer was out of earshot!

DON'T take your van to elite if you need it.......they have always been known for delays etc etc.....Get a palleted engine I guess.


Trouble is as referred to above. There is no-one out there who reconditions engines. They replace a few parts that need doing at point of purchase...What attracted me to elite was the length of g'tee - 2 years or 24,000 miles whichever came sooner. When I was looking VEGE offered 6 months.... And I wouldn't go near TES (The Engine Shop either...)

You pays your money and makes your choice. Look in detail at the alternative engine forum. I personally think more of us will be going that route as the wbx becomes harder to reliably replace for less than megabucks....

[Mr Bean]

Well I have been running "bangers" since age fifteen (yes I know!) and have always rebuilt my engines and the occasional gearbox up until about 3-4 years agou when I got the WBX together with a wiring problem with my eyes. Guessing that parts would be difficult to get I submitted my gearbox to a one man firm in Essex. This failed in France and was fixed under warranty after a kerfuffle over repatriation. Then the engine was rebuilt by Elite which for the money seemed a good deal although tracking down the right Mick was a bit of a problem and their workshop was shall we say more practical than showcase at that time. The engine was guaranteed for two years. I was very happy with the job. However sadly the rivets failed on the camshaft and this broke the crank case after about four months. Elite promptly picked up the van and honored their two year warranty although it took a couple of months to get fixed. I understand that this is an endemic problem which has been dealt with by high tensile bolts. They put another two years on the engine which has now expired (the Warranty) . I guess it depends on your attitude and how you are fixed for cash. The way I deal with the problem is by running two "bangers" alongside each other and relieving my self of the necessity of a one or two day turn around and being a bit of a mechanic myself. Would I use Elite again? I don't know but have to say I have seen similar situations with other firms which went a lot worse. Perhapse it is the Essex lad in me...
cheers
CS

[Ian Hulley]

Any engine, old, brand-new or 'reconditioned'/repaired is only as good as the ancillaries attached to it ... if you cooked your old engine you cannot expect to be able to plonk a new one in and it to have rectified the issue. Half the complaints I've read seem to be along the lines of "They quoted £1,000 for the engine BUT the bill came to £1,400." well, a clutch is £100+ for starters and then you start on the £50 for a water pump, £75 for the big pipe PLUS anti-freeze plus labour etc etc kind of jobs which all add up BUT all of which make the engine capable of having a 2 year warranty on it in the first place.

Yes Elite have had their issues with communication, yes Elite have had their issues with faulty replacement parts (but ALL reconditioners would have the same issues ... the last big one being a faulty batch of pushrod tube seals ex-GSF if my memory serves me right ?) but I know several members hre have had crated engines and with minimal troubles if at all. If I were you I would get all the parts in stock ready and as I said before replace everything for stainless (inc the exhaust) and replace what hoses, front>back paipes, heater hoses etc etc you can for new while the engine's brand new, clean etc.

Ian

[Tobyt25]

Here is the good and bad of my experience.
Elite were a pain to deal with and cost more than the estimate. Also i wouldn't count on the guarantee.
On the bright side, even with overspend, still cheaper than any other quote i got. Engine runs lovely with no problems, I'm happy with the work that was done. Starts fine, first time. Had it checked by another garage and they said it was a good job.

[djhammy]

Thanks to you all for the advice.

Can i ask as all coolant will need replacing can i start with afresh with G13 or stick with G12 + as i have been using.

Cheers

[djhammy]

HI guys went with a Vege via JK seems to be running nice so fingers crossed.

Only annoying thing is JK say i have to wait for my deposit surcharge refund until my old one has been stripped down by Vege. Surely they won't withhold any money for any worn or damaged parts this is the reason I've purchased a new one. Never had to wait when i had my old one down and the gearbox last year ??

[Ian Hulley]

Keep an eye out for the blue spaghetti in the cooling system then.

Ian

[MattBW]

Depends on whether you want reconditioned or remanufactured, if the latter see my sig. Family business mainly do trucks and fire sprinkler units but can do most engine on exchange basis been going 25 years.

[AdrianC]

You've got a known-good engine apart from a weeping head seal. Why not just replace the head seal?