miketomcat Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 I have a bit of a conundrum. The ibex has a discovery 200tdi in it, the original engine went well with not issues till I started getting low oil pressure. I suspect the cam bearings have moved but haven't checked. So I removed that engine, threw together a bitsa and fitted it. Said engine blew a head gasket on holiday, which I changed and drove home. Since then I've done some towing and I've just come back from Silverstone on both occasions it ran warmer than I'm comfortable with and it's smoking more than my mot man maybe happy with. I suspect it has a broken ring but not sure that explains the elevated temperature. I'm tight on budget and time so a full rebuild looks to be un-likely. Do I, A, replace the cam bearings without line boring so I don't have to fully strip it. Whilst there check as much as possible and re-fit. B, replace the rings on this engine Insitu and hope for the best. C, find another 200 TDI fit that or find a disco and grab the gearbox as well given mines tired. I know which is quickest but it's potentially an unknown engine, doing cam bearings would mean I could nurse the current engine for now or do rings but it means the truck off the road for a bit. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 I would rebuild the engine you ran originally and swap it over. Then rebuild the one you took out and put that in the 110. The amount of time, effort and bandwidth you have wasted with knackered TDIs surely warrant doing it properly this time, I'd say. Nurture the one you have in the mean time. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty_wingnut Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 Fit a 300 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted August 29, 2022 Author Share Posted August 29, 2022 My biggest concern with rebuilding any of them is cost. I really can't afford for it to cost much more than £300-400 less if possible. @rusty_wingnut fittting a 300 is not going to happen. Firstly I'd need to buy one and a gearbox then I'd need new engine mounts, radiator and exhaust. Second a 300 is no better than a 200, no better on fuel and no more powerful. Yes there's more of them but they still have a set of standard problems just different ones to the 200. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 I think your best move would be sort the engine you removed, at least you have a fair idea what needs doing, A & B would be the minimum work but to replace cam bearing the timing case has to come off. A thought from my 360,000 mile plus 200tdi, when I stripped it to rebuild the cam bearings had not moved, so hopefully yours are OK, it's usually the ladt one the moves & covers the oil gallery hole, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 Having followed you up there & in & out of site it definitely smokes a fair bit more than is healthy - mostly black & white, didn't really notice any blue and burning oil is one of the few things I have a very good nose for. I was hopeless on the champagne tasting trip but I can tell you if a Honda kart is going to blow a ring 8 hours in advance I'm inclined to agree with the sentiment of getting the previous one up on the bench & stripped (costs nothing) and then you can inspect & rebuild as required in slow-ish time rather than having to guess what's up with the running one, order parts that may or may not fix it, and rush the job to get the truck back on the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallfry Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 Repair what you have. Better the devil you know. We all know how it goes. Buy another engine (and box) because it appears to be the cheapest and easiest option, but then, after spending a lot of time chasing one down, buying it, plus travelling (cost and time) to get it, then fitting it, only to find that its "disappointing"...... Thats if you can resist the temptation to "just" take the head off to check it over before fitting, and then spending yet more money. Money and time that you "saved" by doing it this way. Plus you end up with yet another dead lump cluttering up your life. The likelihood of getting a nice low mileage, genuinely excellent condition 200 Tdi is now quite slim, and the lesson is, you should have kept the rusty one that you had in your front garden ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 19 minutes ago, smallfry said: The likelihood of getting a nice low mileage, genuinely excellent condition 200 Tdi is now quite slim, and the lesson is, you should have kept the rusty one that you had in your front garden ! I think that ship must have sailed about a decade ago or more, I can't believe there's any actually nice 200's left out there that would naturally crop up for sensible money. Only way I can see to get a good one is to buy one from Turners or rebuild one yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted August 29, 2022 Author Share Posted August 29, 2022 @western did you rebuild yours yourself or get a recon block. If the former what sort of cost was it. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 Rebuilt it myself, 95% of the parts came from Turners, machining for bore oversize to +020", crank regring to - 010", fit & ream new cam bearings, fit new small end bearings to conrods, skim the head & recut valve seats, done at a localish engine shop, costs are in my engine rebuild thread, IIRC parts were just shy of 950 Inc vat & carriage, matching was about 400. It worked out less than a stripped engine from Turners & no need to tell DVLA about a change of engine number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted August 30, 2022 Author Share Posted August 30, 2022 That's about the numbers I thought it would be. Thank you. Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 Sounds like a no brainer to me. I mean if I speak to you in 20 years time, I'd say you still have your Ibex. How many more engine changes are you expecting to do. Just sort it out now once and for all. Daan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L19MUD Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 10 hours ago, western said: Rebuilt it myself, 95% of the parts came from Turners, machining for bore oversize to +020", crank regring to - 010", fit & ream new cam bearings, fit new small end bearings to conrods, skim the head & recut valve seats, done at a localish engine shop, costs are in my engine rebuild thread, IIRC parts were just shy of 950 Inc vat & carriage, matching was about 400. It worked out less than a stripped engine from Turners & no need to tell DVLA about a change of engine number. This stacks up very closely to mine costs when I did the same on my 200tdi, also buying parts from Turners and getting local machine shop to do the work for me where needed 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted August 30, 2022 Author Share Posted August 30, 2022 1 hour ago, Daan said: Sounds like a no brainer to me. I mean if I speak to you in 20 years time, I'd say you still have your Ibex. How many more engine changes are you expecting to do. Just sort it out now once and for all. Daan It's only a no brainer if you can afford it, which I can't. Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 One of my friends wanted a 200Tdi to put in his vehicle - and had the same issue with finances. He put an ad in Friday Ad seeking MOT Failed / Scrap Discoverys - taken away for free! He got several hits. One, IIRC he fixed & sold but eventually ended up with a good engine - for free plus whatever he got weighing in the remainder. That way at least you can usually drive it, or at least start the engine to see if it's OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallfry Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 One here, but is it worth the risk ? https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/764729471306371/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 48 minutes ago, miketomcat said: It's only a no brainer if you can afford it, which I can't. Mike I would try to wrangle another 6 months out of the engine in there now, giving you time to rebuild and save up for the parts. It is false economy to rely on a scrap engine to get you to work that pays the bills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 @miketomcat worth speaking to Banda about the machining (if it needs any) as they seem very reasonable. But it depends what's actually wrong with the lump you've got - there's no point doing a full gucci rebuild if all it needs is £100 in parts and a set of gaskets to get it back together. Stripping the spare one down is free and can be done in slow-time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 Strip the spare, you don't know what is wrong, then you can make an informed decision, anything else is guesswork. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 2 minutes ago, FridgeFreezer said: @miketomcat worth speaking to Banda about the machining (if it needs any) as they seem very reasonable. But it depends what's actually wrong with the lump you've got - there's no point doing a full gucci rebuild if all it needs is £100 in parts and a set of gaskets to get it back together. Stripping the spare one down is free and can be done in slow-time. This, just open up what you have. When we were in Russia, my engine you told me was death, when I got home, I took it apart, found it in as new condition, apart from the big end. I bought a tdi with a melted piston for £50, used the crank and sump of that, the crank measured and found to be ok. I polished the journals and fitted it with new shells. I still run it today. I am very much for solving the problem of what you have, rather than swapping it for another unknown engine. Daan 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted August 30, 2022 Author Share Posted August 30, 2022 To be honest I kind of knew the answer before I posted just wanted a reality check. If I had the money I would recon and go, but I don't so was looking at options. The biggest issue is it's my daily and I was hoping the current engine would buy me a year or two. Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nonimouse Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 Mike I would go for the non line boring option - in most cases, the cam journals haven't chewed up anything but the white metal bearings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 If by some miracle the bearings are the same as V8 ones I have a spare set sitting around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cackshifter Posted August 30, 2022 Share Posted August 30, 2022 So going for expediency, if the cam bearing has moved, is it possible to just put it back loctited, IE no need for new bearings and reaming. Yes I know it would be a dirty fix, but if the rest is ok then that gives a good engine. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miketomcat Posted August 30, 2022 Author Share Posted August 30, 2022 A conversation with nonimouse I while ago lead me to believe it maybe possible to replace the cam bearings without a full strip down. As has been suggested I think I need to get it here and apart enough to see what's what. Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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