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Motor repair vs replacement

Last post 10-10-2008, 9:19 AM by Ed Holland. 3 replies.
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  •  10-09-2008, 6:16 AM 16587

    Motor repair vs replacement

    Well, the worst has happened.  The motor has blown on my 76 MGB, and I am faced with the choice of a major overhaul vs finding a rebuilt or used engine for replacement.  Any advice from anyone who has been down this road would be appreciated.  Cost comparisons, impact on value of the car if I switch engines, satisfaction with final result of the two options, reliability of rebuilt engines, good source for rebuilt or used engines, etc are all matters of interest to me.  Thanks for your information.  Ronaldooo
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  •  10-09-2008, 7:57 AM 16588 in reply to 16587

    Re: Motor repair vs replacement

    You don't indicate what part of the country you're in so a particular referal is difficult. The problem with buying a "rebuilt" engine is that unless the seller is very reputable you may get one that was rebuilt on the cheap by a novice and not have good results or length of life from it. I'd recommend finding a shop that is associated with the British Motor Trade Association. http://www.britcar.org/index.html If there isn't one in your area then contact one of the local clubs and see what references they can offer.

    Switching engines shouldn't affect the value of your car unless it's a very original example, having a good engine is of more value than having the correct serial number for most MGBs. On a rarer car such as a Twin Cam MGA then that might cause a drop in value.

    For me, unless the block has been damaged beyond repair and you can do without the use of the car for a while I would have my existing engine rebuilt by a reputable shop. That way you know exactly what you are getting and can tailor the cam and compression specs to fit your needs if you want to increase the performance.


    '73 Midget (V6)
    '59 MGA (I6) under construction

    "There is a fine line between a hobby and mental illness"
  •  10-09-2008, 10:11 PM 16605 in reply to 16588

    Re: Motor repair vs replacement

    If you can find a good running engine that would be the easy way to go. Rebuilding is also an option but your skills will effect the price. The engine in my 73 broke rings on 3 pistons and chunks of pistons were missing on 3 and 4 2 weeks ago. So its getting a complete rebuild. So far I have a little over a grand into it between parts and the machine shop and I will be doing the reasembly and should have it back in the car and running this weekend. This did not include the head which I had recently rebuilt. Expect a built long block to be 2 to 3 times that.


    [image]http://www.75mgb.com/photos/sig.JPG[/image]
    1975 Titanium Grey Metallic MGB.
    Beer Restoration of the B Click here [/b]
  •  10-10-2008, 9:19 AM 16611 in reply to 16605

    Re: Motor repair vs replacement

    Another option, if you're up for it, is to put a cheap running engine in the car, then fix your engine "at leisure". This could help spread the cost over time, and take the pressure off the engine fix, whilst keeping the car on the road. I did this recently with my gearbox.

    It's only really a winner if you can do most of the work yourself, as there is a lot of labour involved.

    Cheers,

    Ed


    I want my MGB