Peter (Monty) Posted August 6, 2016 Posted August 6, 2016 Has anyone got any tips for sourcing a Honda engine? Seems to be slim pickings on eBay these days.
Steve (sdh2903) Posted August 6, 2016 Posted August 6, 2016 It depends on what you want to pay really. There a few breakers out there who have really nice low milers but they want 3.5k and up. Highest price I was quoted earlier in the year was 4750. I nearly dropped the phone. Other than that email anyone who's breaking one on eBay to see if they still have an engine. There's also a honda breaker up in Perth who gets them in from time to time and he's not too bad on price when he does have them.
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted August 6, 2016 Posted August 6, 2016 The Perth guy might be the one mine came from, sounds the right area...
Peter (Monty) Posted August 6, 2016 Author Posted August 6, 2016 Are there any red flags I should be looking out for? For example here's one on eBay, lower price and apparently only 90k mileage, but even at first glance the cam cover doesn't look great... How do you separate the wheat from the chaff? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262547191652
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted August 7, 2016 Posted August 7, 2016 The cam covers are atrocious for shedding powder coat, I wouldn't be unduly put off by a bad one - mine looked like that after I gave the engine a hose down with the jet wash! Seeing and hearing it running is a good thing though.mmake sure it's got good oil pressure - they run higher oil pressures than many more conventional engines, as the oil is used to lock the second cam profiles into place during VTEC operation. Check for any smoke from the exhaust, especially on the over run, take a good look over for leaks etc. The engine is built like a Swiss watch hen you look inside! So should, even if grubby, look properly fluid tight etc. listen for any rattles from the front end around the timing chain. Check oil level and condition. If there is a service book with the donor car, check service frequency etc.
Peter (Monty) Posted August 7, 2016 Author Posted August 7, 2016 Thanks Dave, very helpful. He sent me videos of it running, revving and also doing a quarter mile (14s) at some event... (you can tell its the same one because of the mismatched bumper). Idle sounds okay, no obvious rattling or lumpiness, and didn't notice any smoke in the third video. I asked why it's being broken, apparently it needs money spent on it ("tyres, roof rot") but the engine's good. Offered me engine, harness and gearbox for £2500 delivered, and it's under my 100k limit - seems almost too good to be true, within a day of starting my search! I feel like at that price I should just go for it and can always sell it on or replace parts if there's any issue...
Ian Kinder (Bagpuss) - Joint Peak District AO Posted August 7, 2016 Posted August 7, 2016 If you do buy the engine, buy the hand brake lever too.
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted August 7, 2016 Posted August 7, 2016 Sounds promising if it feels "comfortable" when you've been communicating with the guy, I think I'd go for it.
CraigHew Posted August 7, 2016 Posted August 7, 2016 There appears to be a very good one here http://locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/34/viewthread.php?tid=204916 It's 4K but the package includes so much more than the engine. It's being taken out of a Westfield too.
Peter (Monty) Posted August 7, 2016 Author Posted August 7, 2016 Very tempting Craig but a bit out of my current price range. I can get other bits from the car, is there anything else useful apart from handbrake lever (e.g. radiator/hoses, engine/gearbox mounts)?
CraigHew Posted August 7, 2016 Posted August 7, 2016 Well, the ad has been there now for a couple of weeks and no-one has bitten his hand off. If someone was to offer 3k cash who knows??
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted August 7, 2016 Posted August 7, 2016 Jeez, snap that Locost sale up in a heartbeat, I'm not sure what loom it includes but it'll save you a thousand on buying an ecu, and you'll end up with the better ecu. In all seriousness, I'm seriously considering buying it and breaking the package up, reckon I could make a grand or two on it given current F20C prices. Damn, just reread, it includes exhaust and prop that's another £1500/2000 you'd have had to spend. Seriously, with the extras, the engine and box is only around £1500/2000 of the £4000!
CraigHew Posted August 7, 2016 Posted August 7, 2016 my thoughts exactly. I was tempted too if I had the room to store it.
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted August 7, 2016 Posted August 7, 2016 As far as generally, handbrake aside, you need the cast aluminium engine mounts, but not the rubber bushes, you need the gear lever, though almost all boxes come with it. You need the gearbox mount the bolts directly to the 'box, but not the crossmember that attaches to it and bolts to the car. You also need the engine loom, as Omex need to salvage some connectors off it to make up your ecu loom. That's all really. You. Ight be able to re-purpose the odd bit of hose, but the Westfield plumbing set comes with almost all the hoses you'll need anyway, along with some bespoke fabricated metal pipes to link everything together.
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted August 7, 2016 Posted August 7, 2016 my thoughts exactly. I was tempted too if I had the room to store it. Wouldn't even store it. I'd clean the engine up as necessary, give it a coat of paint if it hadn't had one and flip it with the gearbox. At current prices, there's a good £3500 give or take right there, then I'd flog the other bits individually, might even swap some of them onto my own car, I'd seriously consider swapping my ecu over to the 710, good as the 630 is, the 710 would be much more flexible going forward.
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