Time for a new engine?

[da8gizmo]

Hi all.
So yesterday the unthinkable happened.
I was cruising down the A2 to Dover when all of a sudden there was a big judder and my engine appeared to stall. I lost all power, all my dash lights came on and I rolled to a stop.
Turning the key in the ignition just gives one 'grunt' but doesn't even turn over.

I had no warning lights or clues to anything wrong prior to it actually happening.

When Mr RAC arrived he asked me to put it into forth gear while he tried to roll it forward and backward, but with no joy. Checking oil and water levels, all looked fine.
He just said "for some unknown reason, you're engine has completely seized up!"

After a long wait (4 hours) sitting on the side of the A2 for a recovery vehicle we eventually got my poor little Puma back home.
I happen to live above a Kwik-Fit so I just asked them to take a Kwik look.
He plugged his Diagnostics machine in but said he couldn't see any errors reported by the ecu at all so it must have been some kind of catastrophic mechanical failure.
Looking under the bonnet again we noticed that there was now no water in the resevoir.
He suspects that what may have happened is that the water pump broke and in turn, has taken out the timing belt which has of course lead to my engine siezing! :-( :-( :-(

Looking at my service history I can see that the previous owner had the belt and water pump replaced last year by Halfords Auto Center.
Mr Kwik-Fit suggested I phone them and try and make it their problem.
Would I have a case at all? or is a year or so (May last year) about the life expectancy of those parts?


A quick search on ebay has turned up a bunch of complete enginess for a few hundred quid.
am I better off just getting a new engine and fitting that instead?

all in all, I'm looking at some serious money here aren't I?

Sorry if this post is a bit all over the place, it was a very long day yesterday and I didn't sleep too good.!

Thanks in advanced guys.

Giz

 

[quest63]

If indeed it has definately siezed I think replacement rather than repair is the only option, its the only one I would take anyway.

The next choice is recon or used I think Sparx paid £800 / £850 for a recon / rebuilt one + fitting but they are possibly a bit thin on the ground.

The best bet I think is to get the best used engine you can preferably with the cambelt etc already done.

I may be wrong but perhaps the previous owners warranty if it even exists after this long may not apply to you, give it a go though.

Good luck with it :thumbs:

 

[Sparx]

Sorry to hear of your woes

In 2011 my cambelt slipped after a faulty tensioner, the damage it caused to my old engine was pretty bad, 8 out of the 16 valves had been busted by the pistons when it went bang. Luckily the cambelt was still in warranty so i had it all fixed, I think it cost the garage near on £2.5k including the amount of time put in with what they would have charged for labour.

They actually said to me after it was done that it would have cost them a lot less to just supply and fit another engine... so thats actually what i'd recommend.

My new engine which I got earlier this year did cost £800 but that was a fully reconditioned engine with all new parts. You can get second hand used engines for a couple of hundred quid now. You just need to be sure of the milage the engines done and like you say, if its had new belts and water pump.

Talk to Ian G on here - he's our resident puma parts guru so he may have a couple of engines waiting to be snapped up for a good price.

 

[quest63]

Sparx did you get any more info about the bore linings on your recon engine? How has it been for you by the way?

I'm expecting my car to be written off and should know by the end of the week, its on 92k but has new cambelt and tensioner, auxilliary belt and tensioner and waterpump and rocker gasket all done within the last 1000 miles. all with genuine ford parts and done by a ford garage.at a cost of over £400.

It might be of interest to you?

 

[da8gizmo]

Thanks for the advise so far guys!

Quest, that sounds like it might be ideal. How come yours in getting written off?
Could be of interest for the right price I guess...

Just looking at some engines on ebay at the mo and looking for self service garages nearby...
this could turn into a mini project!

 

[Sparx]

Sparx did you get any more info about the bore linings on your recon engine? How has it been for you by the way?

Nah i didn't but the engines been fine so far! although now its no longer my daily driver i've barely got 500miles on it yet :lol:

 

[Midnight Blue]

My engine was terminally damaged after the HCV disintegrated on the A14. I got a replacement engine from Ian G and had a new clutch, cambelt and water pump fitted at the same time.

 

[da8gizmo]

May I ask how much all of that set you back? And did you fit it yourself? or take it all to a garage?

Thanks

 

[Midnight Blue]

Engine was £265 + £55 carriage. Cost of replacing engine plus new clutch, cam belt kit and water pump was £1013. The car is in much too good a condition to scrap it. If you go for an engine contact Ian G. Don't risk eBay offers.

 

[quest63]

Did the £1013 include the initial £265 +£55 MB?

I picked up a cheap Astra estate last Thursday is why I'm expecting mine to be written off

theres a pickie on page 5 of this thread

http://www.projectpuma.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=21833&start=100" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Midnight Blue]

No, you'll need a calculator

 

[quest63]

Bloody hell with those numbers Ill need a supercomputer lol :-D

Pumalove dont come cheap sometime

 

[Midnight Blue]

Very true :-(

 

[da8gizmo]

Thanks again for all the help guys. I've sent Ian G a message so I'll see what he comes back with.

Out of interest, has anyone ever attempted replacing and engine themselves?
and I don't necessarily mean completely on your own.
My boss reckons it should be relatively straight forward and we could give it a crack ourselves. we're currently looking at something like a self service garage (http://u-spanner.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false and a bunch of us doing it in a weekend..?

Is this plausible or should we steer clear?

Thanks

 

[quest63]

Theres no reason why someone reasonably competant and with enough tools / equipment couldnt do it.

Remember to take the oportunity to fit a complete new clutch while the engines out it would be silly not to unless your 100% sure its already got a complete new clutch very recently :thumbs: