Replacement Valves

[Thrustyjust]

Problem is with an engine swop is that the engine is unknown. Those engines can do intergalatic mileage and for 250 notes will probably be one, even if the add says different. Maybe worth scrapping it , if money is that tight at the moment and get a fiesta. Any engine work ends up as , oh fit a clutch, fit a new cambelt, fit a new water pump, oh that idler rumbles , the list goes on and when you buy an engine for 250 quid, it somehow ends up at hundreds on top to fit it.

[John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison]

Yes but completely unknown history. I could be paying £250 for the exact same thing. If I had enough time to pull the entire engine I'd look at that as a serious option but I'm limited to doing this outdoors after work at the moment and I need to get back on the road ASAP.

 

 

Sorry to be blunt but the history of yours is known (it needs 16 new valves at least from you say at big cost) so why the obsession to save it and not fit another complete engine for a fraction of the cost given that you are on a tight budget?

 

Worst case scenario if you buy a complete motor for £250 is the chances that it may have 16 good valves in in that you can use for a lot less than new ones

[Andrew O Byrne White - Ireland AO]

I know where you're coming from but even with a new engine I'd probably end up having to split the head from the block to fit it into the car, meaning I'll end up with the same cost for gaskets, bolts etc. (£250ish for all the OEM bits)

As to the question regarding whether the belt snapped - Unfortunately I've gotten myself in this mess as I did the timing belt myself on Friday. The belt went on fine and it was all timed up correctly, but in putting the timing belt cover on, the seal around it must have come dislodged. This got caught in the belt while the engine was spinning ar 3.5k RPM on the motorway and caused the belt to skip, putting the crankshaft a quarter turn in front of the camshafts. The cams on the Lex are geared together so good chance I've knackered both inlet and exhaust.

I've since managed to source the valves for under £200 but I'm just waiting on a tool to get the head bolts out to figure out how many I actually need. The lifters aren't adjustable, but not hydraulic either. There's a range of sizes available, so I'll have to do clearance checks on each cam and replace the lifters with a matching size if they're out of tolerance.

I know it's a fair chunk of work for a car that's arguably too old to be worth it but I know that the rest of this car is in really good condition. It'd be as much work if not more to source and fit a replacement engine and I don't think it would be any cheaper. Best way I can look at this is as a learning experience!

[TAFKARM]

- Unfortunately I've gotten myself in this mess as I did the timing belt myself on Friday. 

 

If it makes you feel better, thats how mine died too. 

[Andrew O Byrne White - Ireland AO]

It might sound daft, but do try it!

For years it was a known money saving tip for owners of Jaguars etc, which shared many BL parts bins. Buy the same bit with an Austin, BL or whatever part number on it, and it was significantly cheaper than the identical item with a Jag part number.

Forgot to respond to this one, sorry - those price differences are down to the supply route through the dealer franchise rather than the brand, so you'd actually find two different franchises for the same car brand could give you different prices.

I this case, both the Toyota and Lexus dealers closest to me are Listers. If you ring the front desk for either one and ask for the parts team, you actually get put through to the same people. Any Listers dealer around the country would supply the same price for those bits, regardless of brand.

I would normally ring around a bit for things like that but as I'll be blagging a lift to collect any parts I've ordered I can't stray too far from home! Also, the price they gave me for the head gasket kit and all the required bolts etc. For the job was cheaper than expected from a main dealer so I didn't want to question it too much!

[DamperMan]

Well I'd take it apart before spending a penny. This was mine running for under 20s with a broken valve on the cylinder, on tick-over. This is what I found in the sump. If you don't recognise it, it's a piston!

[tisme]

I have to agree with the engine replacement route although it depends on how mechanically competent you are and also how quickly you need it back on the road.

 

If doing it yourself, I'd certainly strip the whole thing down - it may well be that one or more pistons could be damaged (even if you can't see that from the top) - you may be able to source the bits yourself but you could also try any local engine rebuilders / re-conditioners (google / yellow pages etc) as you're going to need them for things like re-seating valves, head skimming and so on. They often have access to complete reconditioned engines at reasonable prices - for instance, I used these guys in Bedford when I needed my C20XE engine block and head redoing http://www.vintage-engine.net/   - they're old school proper engineers who know their stuff and don't charge an arm and a leg - I'm sure there are similar ones in Warwickshire.