Club 80-90 Forums

Ay one had any experience of fatoldandslow recon water boxers on eBay - I need one as mine is getting a bit tired and I've had heads off twice now

Anyone know if they're reliably reconditioned. The add reads good
Thanks

found it...
dunno...
reads right..
But in my personal opinion of looking to rebuild wbx's properly... I couldn't do them at anywhere near that price or what the others charge either.......

I did put myself a stopgap engine from a supposedly 30k mile gen vw rebuild bottom end..(didn't open that up) gasket kit and some good heads barrels and pistons I had purchased previously.. but without any labour and no new parts... it still cost me 650 quid... Mind.. fingers crossed.. its still going strong more than 2 years later and its been well used... (abused!!!)


Put the phone number into google... comes up as the one I thought it might be... not anybody new...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/fatoldandslow/m.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The phone number is Elite in Basildon.

TMT - how much of that £650 was for the used bottom end, though? Probably fairer to give the price without that. Since that £1150 price is exchange, they've got a usable/rebuildable bottom end sat there for the next one - if it was totally fubar, then there's bound to be a core charge on top.

But it does sound awfully cheap. Take the VAT off, and they're actually seeing less than a grand.

Thanks for responses - I'd rebuild mine but need the van so short of time

As I said I've had heads off twice now , new gaskets seals and rings, but it puts oil light on when it drops to t/o after a run so I'm thinking its a bit tired but done 160k

Not sure what other options there are that are quick to swap?

Cheers
Nick

only paid 180 quid for bottom end as it was needed gone.. and it was a risk as a nut had been dropped down the inlet and mullered a piston and head...
200 quid for a pair of nearly new heads..... utter bargain... I was lucky... (for once)
gasket kit is 100 quid...
I had to raid my wbx stash for good parts as things like valve adjuster screws wear badly.. And of course I could put the thing together...

m3nutter wrote:Thanks for responses - I'd rebuild mine but need the van so short of time

As I said I've had heads off twice now , new gaskets seals and rings, but it puts oil light on when it drops to t/o after a run so I'm thinking its a bit tired but done 160k

Not sure what other options there are that are quick to swap?

Cheers
Nick

Main bearings are worn.. if you know the oil pressure really is low... (gauge??)
wont be long before a bearing picks up and spins then locks a rod and throws it out of the case.. leaving you with a pair of heads that might be usable..

Despite all the continuing "discussions" about what Elite do, many / most folk are very happy with them. I believe even Gasure use them, so they cannot be bad. They also do a collection and fitting service (iirc). The only thing I would be wary of is making sure you do NOTHING that might invalidate their warranty. In fact if you can get them (or Camper Shack in Granthem or Gasure in Chester) to fit it, that would be good in this respect. If I needed a motor (crosses fingers) this is what I would do.

You can't expect a good job for so little money. There's not enough to cover the basic parts on a basically good engine, of which there aren't many if they've ended up as cores. Suffice to say, when you get told by an insider "they are just re-cycling, little more than a re-ring and then banging them out again" you want to think twice before handing over your dosh.

Hobson's choice though, does anyone do a commercially available full and properly reconditioned WBX ? And if they did it would be a couple of K£'s minimum (as we have discussed often before). There are not many complaints on here about Elite "re-con" units and quite a few are using them. A bit "rich" though claiming in that Ebay ad that all the internals have been replaced or properly reconditioned (crank, pistons, liners, guides etc) if they haven't (and you are correct of course, it is "unlikely" they do all that they claim at that price) = almost criminal actually (if true). They would be better saying "Any parts that were in need of replacing have been replaced" and leave it at that

I have just emailed Mick at Elite re his text stating all those parts that are replaced. I also suggested that for those of us in the know (including 80-90 forum users) he might be better stating "Any parts that were in need of replacing have been replaced" and leave it at that, as I wrote above. Mind you, we may be making false assumptions, they might replace all they say they do (added as I don't want to end up in court for libel )

If he does not ask for any reply to be confidential, I will post it here.

None of this changes the fact that I will still recommend Elite as a cost effective way of getting a working engine with a guarantee and I would buy one if ever I needed one. That bit is not written for legal reasons = I mean it.

The suns come out, I am off out to play at summat oilly (BSA needs polishing )

Thanks for the responses I will look at the elite option to find out more

toomanytoys wrote:

m3nutter wrote:Thanks for responses - I'd rebuild mine but need the van so short of time

As I said I've had heads off twice now , new gaskets seals and rings, but it puts oil light on when it drops to t/o after a run so I'm thinking its a bit tired but done 160k

Not sure what other options there are that are quick to swap?

Cheers
Nick

Main bearings are worn.. if you know the oil pressure really is low... (gauge??)
wont be long before a bearing picks up and spins then locks a rod and throws it out of the case.. leaving you with a pair of heads that might be usable..

Good point actuall mate , what pressure should I get at t/o?

cold anything from 50-90psi at idle on start up, hot at 2000+ rpm you want 40-50psi really, 26psi is bod territory, it can drop to just 10psi at idle hot but must ramp up very quickly to the higher figure when you increase the revs

Aidan wrote:cold anything from 50-90psi at idle on start up, hot at 2000+ rpm you want 40-50psi really, 26psi is bod territory, it can drop to just 10psi at idle hot but must ramp up very quickly to the higher figure when you increase the revs

What are those figures in BAR?

KINGPRAWN wrote:

Aidan wrote:cold anything from 50-90psi at idle on start up, hot at 2000+ rpm you want 40-50psi really, 26psi is bod territory, it can drop to just 10psi at idle hot but must ramp up very quickly to the higher figure when you increase the revs

What are those figures in BAR?

Google perhaps ?