Engine overhaul.

Try Regal Engines, Purfleet, a father/wife/son run place with at least

40 years experience rebuilding engines to my personal knowledge. 01708 867190

Not having done this for over 30 years, I don't know what the work costs now. But if £2500 is the average price, then it's worth doing what you're thinking of doing. I did that many years ago with a Spitfire engine, then installed it, and an overdrive gearbox, into my Herald 13/60. Very useful and nippy it was, too.

Does the £2500 get you some warranty?

Thanks - I'll contact them.

I've also had a recommendation for a place in Bromley which is a bit closer for me.

They have given me an email quote of £600 to do all the work, supply the bits and assemble the basic short engine. (I've never actually fitted new pistons to the RV8 rods - so makes some sense to pay them to do it)

Trouble is that seems too cheap given the norm of four times that plus. ;-)

The last full engine overhaul I did was to my Austin 1800 (Landcrab) in the '70s. Was better than new afterwards. ;-)

Not sure anyone would give you much of a warranty on what is a part built engine?

Dave Plowman (News) submitted this idea :

Be very wary of the replacement engine suppliers, many are just engines pulled from scrap cars and just cleaned up. The warrantee is worthless.

I have no personal experience just what I have seen on TV. I have only rebuilt them myself and not for very many years. The last time was a complete replacement engine, which was bought as an emissions failure imported from Japan. It was absolutely fine, apart from the mess the company I bought it from, dropping it in the engine bay. I spent days fixing their mistakes.

Quite. No intention of using one of those. That's why I want my block and crank refurbished.

I'm intending doing the majority of the engine build myself. And the installation.

I hope to be in a similar position soon when the kitcar (single donor) is 40 years old. ;-)

It's currently running the original 1300 X-Flow from the 4 dr Mk2 Escort, but I have another 1300 long engine that was supposedly rebuilt (ready to go in another kitcar), a 1600 long engine (supposedly rebuilt and was briefly in a kitcar) and a 1300 GT long engine that I took out of a 2dr Mk2 when we built the kit.

So, like you I'd like to get back to a solid short engine (probably the 1600) and then use the best of the rest as appropriate.

Like, would using the 1300 GT head on the 1600 block give me the best airflow / performance? The chances are the GT head won't have hardened valve stems / seats(?), would they be as easy to get done as the 1300?

I also have the complete 2L Pinto I took out of the Sierra Estate (I had for 23 years) but I feel it's just too big and heavy (although one of the valid engine options in the kit) and would need too much work to make it fit 'now'.

Cheers, T i m

No, no, no, you want a Lotus twin cam in there.

Whilst that sounds like a good idea and the sticker would look good on the back I'm pretty sure that would be even more of a waste of money than anything else I've mentioned for this particular vehicle so far. ;-(

Had it been a Caterham or any other L7 clone then it might make sense, but a Rickman Ranger, I down't fink so. ;-)

No, I just need to do something with the tired 1300 that's in there and get a little bit more power for towing (small goods trailers etc).

Cheers, T i m

In article , T i m scribeth thus

If its any use to anyone this long established company do engine re builds and gearboxes they, according to a mechanic mate of mine do them to very high standards but aren't the cheapest around....

I've no idea what is easily available in that sort of engine size today, but the competition guys don't seem to use the old Kent based Ford engine in things like Escorts these days - unless their class demands it?

A Pinto lump with uprated front springs would be simple, cheap and easy to fit and when needed, easy to repair. If a light powerful engine is required then either a K series or something Japanese would be my choice. Still won't beat the sound effects of the Lotus twin cam though.

Think my niece's partner who races a Mk2 Escort used a Vauxhall unit at one time? Not sure I'd risk a large version of the K Series.

Very true - but I'll bet a decent used one would cost a fortune.

Obviously since it's RWD (I assume) the problem is finding a suitable engine and box or a way of fitting an engine to the original box. So wondered if one of the four cylinder BMW units would be a good idea? As there must be plenty written off.

Alfa flat four. Might be hard to make it fit though. ;-)

Tim

Could be handy, thanks.

Cheers, T i m

That could be the case with some classes I guess?

For this workman's post-apocalyptic shed it just need something simple, durable and ideally, something I already have.

The advantage of sticking with the 1600 Kent as an upgrade to the 1300 (over the Pinto) is that everything is on the same side (fuel, (stainless) exhaust, engine wiring etc) and it would still use the same engine and gearbox mounts and axillaries. I already have the factory replacement strut brace that is needed for both the 1600 Kent or Pintos

Plus I hope that if I still need any extra bits that because of the current interest in old Escorts, I might still be able to get them?

I have also already replaced most the rubber bushes with Poly and the Luminition would also swap over I'm hoping.

I also have what is supposed to be a 'better' gearbox that I think was last bolted to the 1600 so I might suffer less obstacles (like prop shaft length / ends) if I went that way.

I'm also hoping staying with the Kent might be less 'radical' re insurance (being that is was a fairly common stock fitment, as opposed to the rarer RS 2000 etc).

So, it's just a matter of knowing what bit might fit with what (like

1300 heads on 1600 blocks) and checking / getting the best of what I have, brought up to spec. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

Ironically I had already uprated the front springs and shocks ready for the Pinto but because of the change of direction, have already replaced the springs with stock +1" and just need to replace the dampers with std ones again.

For this shed it's more about the easiest most worthwhile / practical solution than the best. ;-)

Re exhaust noise. I did originally fit a 'factory' stainless system that could be used for everything from the 1300 to the 2L but it was side exit and very loud (to my Tinnitus ears) do it was quickly taken off and replaced with a std saloon stainless (Grundy?) system.

Engine / exhaust noise it something where the novelty wears off very quickly (with me), *especially* on something 'utility' like the Ranger.

Mind you, I'm the same with my motorbikes, pretty well since I first took the baffles out of my moped exhaust as a kid (lasted about a day then put them back in). ;-)

I think the best exhaust notes I've heard for a while were a TVR Tuscan and an Audi A10 (is it)? Both were more about the rev range than the actual sound as much. 'DC to Light' as us RAs would say. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

you definitely lose quite a bit of power if you put a 1300 head on a

1600 block (I know because I did it) the valves are a lot smaller.

It's all that sort of thing I'm trying to avoid, wanting any job to be as quick, cheap and easy as possible. That was the whole point of building the Ranger (over pretty well anything else available at the time) in the first place. ;-)

If I had a huge workshop and nothing else to play with then I would quite like to fit something that may not have been fitted before. However, there are at lest 4 motorbikes waiting to be done, the Messerchmitt KR200, a couple of boats and a million other smaller projects so I really need to do, so I try to make each job as easy as possible in the hope I get at least some done before I die. ;-)

Cheers, T i m