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Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 17 Jul 2013, 10:31
by AdrianC
Ian Hulley wrote:But I have seen an engine with less than 250 miles on the clock but 5 years since 'a Vege engine was fitted' with the receipt for £1000 just for the engine and the thing was a disaster area (the elderly owner had died and his widow couldn't force herself to part with the van until it had decayed away on the drive). In the end a friend and I stripped the engine and on one bank it said 'Good Side' on the barrels and pistons :lol: The whole of that side was made up with blue silicone and spaghetti-like strands of it were right throughout the cooling system. Both heads had been painted silver and there were several very poor stud bodges possibly done by the Buxton garage who had 'fitted' the engine.

Was it actually a Vege engine, or did the garage do their own "recon", which somewhere down the line got translated into Vege - either by the garage being shysters or by somebody who thought "Vege" was some kind of generic?

Vege's actual remanufacturing plants are in NL and Tunisia - so I doubt they'd write "Good side" (in English) inside...
http://www.vegeuk.com/uk_en/vege_facts_and_figures.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I like the sound of this from Vege's site...
Customers Own Units (COU) – A Bespoke Service

The VEGE sales team are specialists at what they do and if they can’t offer you a fully remanufactured product from stock, they may be able to arrange for your damaged/broken unit to be rebuilt within a few days.

This service, we believe is unique to VEGE and draws on our vast European network of trusted suppliers. Every VEGE Branch relies on smaller local rebuilders to help them supplement the VEGE standard range of remanufactured products.

There are no set prices, every engine is different. First we ask you to tell us the damage to your engine, at this point we try to provide you with a ‘guide price’ subject to inspection. Once the price is accepted in principle; we arrange for the collection of your unit by our carriers. When the factory has had the opportunity to inspect your unit we are able to confirm the cost of the remanufacture and gain your approval before proceeding. A few days later the rebuilt engine is delivered back to you for refitting , the unit carries the same Pan-European 12 month warranty you would expect from a VEGE product.

But, if you're going to get 'em to do that rather than an off-the-shelf, might as well get a local expert to actually rebuild it for you.

Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 17 Jul 2013, 11:23
by Ian Hulley
He only had the receipt for the engine and it is now about 8 years ago. I've heard other reports of blue spaghetti though (Perhaps Neil could comment IF he sees this thread ?)

Ian

Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 17 Jul 2013, 11:32
by Ralf85
VEGE used to have a good reputation 20 years ago. After using them for years my local garage won't touch them with a barge pole after recent faulty rebuilds. VEGE were taken over some years ago and since then the quality of their engines has deteriorated. Shame because they were reckoned to be the best for boxer rebuilds.
:?

Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 17 Jul 2013, 17:55
by itchyfeet
I have taken two WBX's appart both had what looked like silicone around the studs and liners which had largely peeled off. looks to me like this may be common.

Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 17 Jul 2013, 19:20
by weimarbus
silicon sealant is the spawn of the devil, with vw's engineering you should only need red hermitite or blue hylomar, obviously other than the head rubbers.

Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 17 Jul 2013, 19:22
by AdrianC
weimarbus wrote:silicon sealant is the spawn of the devil

Some bodgers'll slap it anywhere - there were strings of it dangling off the sump of the 205. Whoever last fitted it had gone for a big bead of splodge rather than a £3 sump gasket... Hell, they must have used £2.50 of sealant!

Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 17 Jul 2013, 21:51
by waltraud
I went elite a few years ago. Overheating on the motorway they said was due to running in. Next day flames licked up the side of my van which eventually burnt to a shell. My 7 yr old was next to me. I was also put off by big Dave's bigotry. Little Dave was nice. You get what you pay for + a % of luck.

Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 18 Jul 2013, 00:22
by uniB
Just looking myself as it looks like my engine is shot. Anyone know anything of http://www.t25direct.com/ who list a reconditioned 1900DG Waterboxer for £995?

Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 18 Jul 2013, 05:55
by lloydy
He's mrcheese on here

Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 18 Jul 2013, 05:57
by lloydy
I just don't see how a proper recon can be under a grand. But if you go into the deal knowing that's the case, and you get a reliable engine with a warranty then it's not a bad price to pay. You could but a used motor for around £400, but hey, that could be as shagged as yours.

Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 18 Jul 2013, 06:25
by trucker
I had a Remtec 1.9 dg put in my last bus and did about 4000 trouble free miles before I sold it. The guy that fitted it is very conscientious and a lovely job all new fasteners exhaust bolts etc.
Not cheap though.

Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 18 Jul 2013, 13:44
by 300CE
I'm currently running in an Elite replacement engine, although i renewed a lot of ancillaries, etc pipes as well as i didn't want anything else to fail that might cause the engine to pack up - thought i might as well go for the whole shebang - also offered a 24 month warranty if you take it back to them for servicing.

Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 18 Jul 2013, 15:24
by uniB
It does sounds like the Elite engines offer the best balance of spec/price/piece of mind - although waltraud's fire based story is a bit of a worry :shock: . I suppose the cheaper option from T25 Direct (mrcheese) may not have as many reconditioned and replacement parts, I'll have to ask and find out. Trouble is, there's always going to be someone who's had a bad experience and it's impossible to know what's gone on inside that sealed up chunk of metal!

Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 18 Jul 2013, 19:18
by weimarbus
There is one way to know and that is to rebuild it yourself, that way if it fails there is nobody to blame but yourself :ok

Re: WBX replacement engine suppliers

Posted: 18 Jul 2013, 19:37
by helga592
I got an engine from one of the supplyers already talked about. I must admit it wasn't the most positive expereances iv'e ever had. The van is going lovely now but it did take some twoing and frowing to get thing write. If I had to do it again I hate to say this but I think diesel would be the way to go!!