Rebuild engine or buy a new one?

[Tatey]

This thought has been running through my head for a while now. To rebuild my 1.8 CVH engine i'd be looking at spending £150-£200 for the following parts:

• Engine degreaser - £5
• Engine paint - £6
• Piston rings - £32.50
• Big end bearings - £17.50
• Head gasket set - £30.50
• Head skim - £20
• Oil - £20
• Spark Plugs - £10
• Thermostat - £5
• Oil filter - £5
• Timing Belt - £10
• Sump Gasket - £8.46
• Core Plug Set - £7.50
• Air Filter
• HT Leads - £12

When i got the engine i was told it was a dud, once i stripped it down i found out it blew its head gasket meaning it needs a skim and the big end bearings are through to the copper. I dont know how many miles the engine has done.

After having a look on ebay i've discovered i can buy a new engine for around £150, which i'll know how many miles its done and if it actually was running before it was taken out. I stumbled across this 1.6 zetec engine:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ford-Escort-1-... t_1966wt_939

Which was built in 1994 meaning emissions wouldn't be an issue. Although I wouldnt be buying this engine as i dont have the money at the moment, im just using it as an example but Im eventually planning on upgrading to a zetec engine, so thought, why put all of this money into my 1.8 CVH and just go straight for a zetec, i could also sell parts from my CVH to help fund it. I do know i'll need to buy bike carbs and megasquirt/megajolt to get it running, but i was possibly going to be going down this route with my CVH anyway.

What are peoples thoughts on this?

[HandyAndy]

tough decision to make,

if you spend the money on the cvh then at least you,ll know you have a rebuilt engine that should last a while,

if you buy a 2nd hand zetec, they may say it was running fine but you have no way of knowing for sure

Or go all out & buy a new zetec engine for approx £700 plus extra bits to get it running (carbs,megajolt etc), then you know for sure the engine is spot on, with lots of power & may probably cost the same as rebuilding your current engine + the cost of when you eventually swap to a zetec anyway in the future.

me personally if i was in your shoes would go for the latter,
but as i know my cvh runs ( drove the donor car) then i,m going to use it,

Hey Simon, not sure when you hope to finish your car but depending on timing my cvh might be available by next christmas when i plan to install a zetec myself

andy

[Tatey]

The zetec idea has played on my mind a few times, but what about the cat i'd need since the engine would be newer than Aug 1995?

[HandyAndy]

i,m not "up" with the cat stuff but lots of folk install newer engines that need a cat , i,m sure its not too difficult to achieve & if sourced on the 2nd hand market might not cost much either, maybe a cat bike exhaust /sensor would do the job?

or wait till next christmas for an engine

cheers
andy

[Bonzo]

Personally, I would be very reluctant to spend a pile of wonga on an engine that is not my first or final choice.

I have found from past experience that engine rebuilding often turns into a money pit

The list of work that you have proposed will cost a fair amount of money + you'll probably need extras such as new water pump, timing belt tensioner, spark plugs, clutch ??
The final list could be endless !!

---------------------------------------

Here's some food for thought

If a brand new Zetec engine is out of reach at the moment

Why not have a look arround locally for an earlier Mk5 escort fitted with the 1.8 Zetec Silvertop engine. ( J, K, L reg, )
A J or early K plate will most likely not have PATS fitted, this may open the way to using the Escorts ECU ??

A MOT failure would be ideal & should not cost you a fortune

Remove the engine, loom, ECU, etc. Take the remains to the breakers, probably get at least £50 for it.

The 1.8 Zetec Silvertop is not a bad budget choice.
Alloy sump that could be used, as is if you wanted
Lighter flywheel than the 2 litre version
Fair bit more power than the CVH if you mangage to find the 115BHP GTI version + a little more power if you fit it with a pair of 2 litre cams

Once you have fitted a budget Zetec, the swap to a later Zetec 2 litre Blacktop shoud be a lot more straightforward as most of the hard work has been done + you'll have the parts needed for Blacktop conversion to hand

[Tatey]

What would the complete cost be to install a brand new 2.0 zetec. Im talking even little things. Where is the best place to buy the engine from? What mods need to be done to install it? I could delay my build while i get enough money to put in a brand new engine.

Also how much you think i'd get for parts of a 1.8cvh? Im planning on cleaning everything up, i know i wont get much for it as a hole engine since its blown its headgasket and nothing is known about it.

Also what problems might i encounter on my build if im having to wait until i have the funds to buy the engine? Im close to finishing the chassis now. So the next thing will be to get the chassis rolling, and then what is the next stage? If it means installing the engine, will it be possible to skip that part and move onto another stage of the build until i have an engine?