300tdi replacement recon engine from where?

[carl1959]

Have a grumbeling engine and would like to replace with a recon interested in finding a supplier or someone who can recondition my engine, based in North Wales.

Can anyone advise or help.

[Retroanaconda]

Turner Engineering are widely regarded as being top notch Land Rover engine rebuilders, but they're not really anywhere near you. They're in Surrey, close to the border with Sussex. Few miles from me, but that's not much help to you

One could argue if you are going to spend many £££s on a recon engine, the extra fuel to go to a specialist like them may be worth it?

There may be other specialists around, but they're the only ones I know of.

http://www.turner-engineering.co.uk/

[Ally V8]

Turner Engineering are widely regarded as being top notch Land Rover engine rebuilders, but they're not really anywhere near you. They're in Surrey, close to the border with Sussex. Few miles from me, but that's not much help to you

One could argue if you are going to spend many £££s on a recon engine, the extra fuel to go to a specialist like them may be worth it?

There may be other specialists around, but they're the only ones I know of.

http://www.turner-engineering.co.uk/

And having dealt with them for a long period of time I have to say that like Ashcroft Transmissions they are decent companies who stand by what they sell,if they cant supply I dont bother.(Often LR themselves cant supply exchange units.)

[Briarston]

Have a grumberling engine and would like to replace with a recon interested in finding a supplier or someone who can recondition my engine, based in North Wales.

Can anyone advise or help.

What about Landy Ltd.? They ad. on ebay, and spec. looks good, but not had dealings with them.

[keithjh]

What about Landy Ltd.? They ad. on ebay, and spec. looks good, but not had dealings with them.

I got one from them about 18mth ago (300Tdi), no problems since then and its done about 30000 miles, quite a lot of that has been towing a heavy trailer.

Regards

Keith

[rovernutzz]

i know this is an old thread now but want people to be warned.....

below is a letter sent to martin Rawlinson at Landyltd which he did not respond to. it was sent recorded delivery.

he had put me off for months and months saying he was ill and in and out of hospital and it wasnt till i confronted him with friends i had had text him asking him when he could rebuild engines for him and him responding he could do so immediately that i got another engine form him. as the letter below describes i was suspicious of when it arrived....

Now i am left with the need to take him to court over it now that trading standards are involved so i am posting this on forums to warn others of what they may get. (i have had other engines from martin over many years which i have not had issues with)

if you too have had problem please get in touch as trading standards now have a file on landyltd and Martin Rawlinson.

the independant report on the engine is copied along with photos in this link http://s1287.beta.photobucket.com/user/duncanxj...0rebuilt%20300tdi

13/11/12

Martin Rawlinson, Landyltd, wern ganol farm, nant-y-ffrith, bwlchgwyn

wrexham, United Kingdom, LL11 5YR

Dear Martin Rawlinson,

I write to you with regard to the land rover 300tdi engine I sent to you to be rebuilt last year. The same engine I returned to you due to lack of oil pressure on the 13th oct 2011 shipping ref 013646.

Though you said there was nothing wrong with the engine, when I asked you to just return it to me you told me you would build me another.

After almost a year of chasing you for it you finally said it was ready and I arranged for it to be collected and brought back to me on the 22nd oct 2012.

the engine was clearly missing a few things.... oil filter, engine mounts. On closer inspection I became concerned with its condition and its lack of engine number to identify it and so I removed the vacuum pump and found a rusty cam shaft. At this point I decided to continue by removing the timing cover to find used timing belt kit with oil. I continued by removing the sump to find the bearings were old and worn out. What baffled me was that it had all been apart and refitted using the old parts.

I contacted you by phone and got little but abuse though you did agree to send me new bearings and engine mounts, which you did.

I continued by removing the cylinder head and found that the head gasket had not been crushed as the bolts had bottomed out in their threads as the head had been skimmed to its maximum. Also there was head damage due to a valve having dropped into the cylinder at some point. This was all verified by Bowden Engineering in Patchway Bristol who informed me the head needs welding and skimming again with the valves seating further into the head, or possibly even a new head.

I am now stuck with an engine I paid to be rebuilt and it was not. It is sitting here now partly stripped and in need of a rebuild.

I have had it inspected and its condition verified by an independent land rover specialist. A copy of the report is enclosed.

Having sought legal advise and been in touch with Trading Standards i have been advised to send this letter to you as under the Supply of Goods and Services Act, you should carry out the rebuild of the engine with reasonable care and skill and for a reasonable price, using parts that are both of satisfactory quality and fit for their purpose. This has clearly not been the case.

I therefore request that having had the opportunity over the past year to build and send me a rebuilt engine you either give me a refund of the £1100 which I paid through paypal or pay for another reputable local garage to carry out the work to the correct standard.

Given the time scale already involved in this process please let me know in writing in the next 14 days so I can proceed accordingly.

Yours sincerely,

[tolley]

rovernutzz

did you get any contact with martin Rawlinson .

[RodneyA]

That is one shockingly bad rebuild. I hope you managed to get a refund at least.

[Les Henson]

Can you not do it yourself? I've rebuilt one myself and it was as good as new when it was finished. There's not that many special tools required to do it, and specialist engineering isn't that expensive. The pics you posted are god awful - more like an engine you just bought from a scrapyard.

Les.

[tolley]

looks like I have been had ,by mr rawlinson

[tolley]

Got my recon from Mr Rawlinson 4000 miles (if that), later the heads gone .

goes into strip down this week and see what else is wrong , already got a good list so far .

[Ohlins]

....and so it goes full circle for some...Get a cuppa for this one....

I bought a 110 from rovernuttz a while back operating under Land Rover Import dot com....It was supposed to have had a reconditioned 200tdi Disco engine it it. I wanted the LR for bringing in wood and for my son to drive.

Traveled to pick it up. Upon arrival and starting I pointed out the water pump bearing was chirping. First warning sign. Requested list of parts put into the engine to prove it was reconditioned. He stated 'someone else did the work for me' and I'll get it for you later;OK I took it that he'd post the receipt after the other entity got it sorted as he said he would. (year and a half later I get it)..sort of.

Truck was running fine apart from the pump and the chassis was as clean as it was when it came out fo the factory. Body very straight and bulkhead no rust at the usual spots. I also noticed he had straight water in the radiator and not coolant. Ho hum. He had a new radiator installed,stating he'd pinged the older one with a drill whilst installing the electric fan support surround.

I of course had the choice to not to buy it but based on what I saw along with the promise of getting me a breakdown of the work to prove reconditioning. I drove it home via a LR parts place in Plymouth after I bought a pump in case it broke en route.

Upon getting the LR home and after about 2weeks I spy front and rear crankshaft oil seal leaks and blue smoke on overrun....vazlve stem oil seals....I asked if the timing belt been done and he stated that it was. I could see silicon on the timing cover and wondered why a paper gasket wouldn't have been used,then thought perhaps it had been torn in fitting or something.The rear brake cover plate on one side had been replaced and the bolts not tightened.

Of course when I arrived to pick the truck up he stated the rear axle had been reconditioned. On carrying out forum searches this seems to be a standers sales pitch also. A few weeks later I had to replace all the hub seals. Closer inspection also showed that the engine mountings had no nuts on them to keep the engine secure.

The comical part of the whole affair was when I sprouted a radiator leak and upon inspecting I find that he had actually pinged the new radiator with he drill and cut a small square of plastic about 1cm square....put some glue on it and pushed it onto the hole. This was made even more ludicrous by the fact he sprayed it with silver alloy paint complete with overspray to hide it. Later when pulled on it,he stated a professional radiator repair company carried out the repair. Of course I stated that either the company,who he wouldn't give me the name of,did that unprofessionally or he as a business owner accepted it and that in itself illustrated his incompetence.

Mentioning incompetence...he had also fitted the engine (with a 300turbo and inlet manifold) but didn't check to see if the steering column bolt touched or fouled anything..........of course one turbo later after the inlet hose had been rubbed though by the bolt as mentioned and had been sucking in dust.....a turbo was not offered when brought to his attention but a turbo seal kit. After frequent requests for same,even culminating with 'I thought I posted that to you' a year and a half later I get the seal kit as I do with the receipt.

Receipt;This was made up by him and not the other entity ....and guess what?..of course there was no breakdown let along receipts of parts thrown at the engine...only a price.

I pointed out that other companies supply a breakdown list of parts or list standard checks they carry out on their website. He stated that when he sends engines to the USA he never even gives a breakdown in that instance smiling that they never ask for it.

I only received this later under the guise of selling the 110 and would need a receipt to prove to the new buyers that work had been done. I ask how does he ever know the work has been done and he stated he just accepts his suppliers word. Great. I stated that his supplier will have a breakdown of parts and to get it. In fact I eventually ask him if I was to sell the 110 I'd have to then advertise it as 'having a lift out drop in disco 200tdi engine of indeterminate mileage' and he agreed such.

I also ask about how with about 2000kms on the motor that the front and rear seals leak if there were new seals fitted. He said they do that sometimes.

I asked him later if he had installed the Steve Parker bolt kit at the bell housing to avoid flex and thus rear crankshaft oil seal leaks and he did not tell me if he had.

Later he stated that if I drove the 110 back to the UK I could watch him take the engine apart and see what it was like inside. Of course he knew that such a ridiculous offer would cost me more to go and come back than another new engine. As for the LR leaks he stated that it could've been my fault as I was using the 110 for work and questioned whether I had it serviced properly.

I could see the rhetoric one gets from a used car dealer coming to the fore; customer didn't do this or that blah blah,which doesn't overwrite the original problems... crank seals leaking after 2000kms etc and en engine that was no reconditioned.

Later I ask him for the average difference in a second hand engine and that of a recon engine,approx £1200 to which he refused. Later I also pointed out that on his eBay adverts he stated that he never uses silicon ever in his rebuilds ....so that proves he never did the timing belt on mine.

Things still to do....timing belt and seals and now I have to put a new clutch in it; He stated he checked it and it was fine,which it was until after 25000kms it slips..no problem with that..but one would question why would one not install a new clutch anyway before you put a 'lift out drop in engine' in to at least avoid the customer coming back after 1000kms or .......not.

As an aside...if one looks at the copy of an 'experts report' he has posted above ..IMO based on having had access to same and how poor his grammar and written English is when one reads his website and eBay adverts......they all tally ...such as starting sentences without capital letters,where his own name is even without capital letters etc etc .I suspect that he has written that himself.

This same poor diction and lack of basic capital letters and the fact that the 'expert witness',instead of stating in plain English after checking the engine e.g. 'To summarise,this in our opinion,is not a reconditioned engine' they write 'NOT a rebuilt engine in any stretch of the imagination' etc

Expert Witness reports are not written in that style and have correct grammar. You'll also note that the date is hand written and with a squiggle for a signature?which can happen.What is required is a copy of Mr Thackery's signature and or a confirmation from his company that this is a true report to prove I'm wrong.

One will also find that he states in his website that 'we' recondition engines.....it is a one man outfit with no certificates or diplomas etc on show. He is not to BS standard and not a member of the federation of engine builders......he operates from farm barns and outbuildings and when I picked my 110 he was being in the middle of being ejected form the outbuilding he was renting.

There is no fixed telephone number with only a mobile number and he will only answer emails when its convenient for him to do so. The only fixed address that that I know of that he uses is student accommodation in Bristol rather than his outbuilding farm address.

Who in business these days does not have a fixed number. He also prefers cash over anything else. He also is not a time- served mechanic by trade.

If one carries out a search in the US forum using his user name here one can see what's what.

He does not use his full name on Facebook and would be hard to find if one was looking for business but only uses 'Duncan James' rather than Duncan Goodchild etc

I really should've known when he stated that LT77's gearboxes use EP90 .......

Trading standards have been informed.

So,all that to say....pay the money and drive off in a properly recon engine from the federation of engine rebuilders

.

[tolley]

the head Is off now , and their are score marks in a few places good old martin Rawlinson

[Ohlins]

Any pictures of the damage by chance?

.

[Snagger]

I don't understand why people use companies with names like those. They sound like gash operators. Likewise, I don't understand people buying parts on mail order from breakers. There are many ways of checking up on a company before you do business with them, and if spending thousands, surely it'd be responsible to do so?That there are con men littering the motor trade is no new revelation. There are only two names in the UK with a good reputation for engine rebuilds, one more so than the other; Turner Engineering and ACR. They cost more than others for a reason - they use decent quality parts, they replace anything remotely questionable and they have decent tooling and staff. Choosing on price means you're going to get an engine made of worn out parts, poor quality pattern parts and cut corners on the workmanship.

These con men should be punished, and hard. But owners have to stop thinking they're being clever by finding a cheap deal - quality costs, and on assemblies like engines and transmissions, it costs a lot, but is less costly than doing it on the cheap and then having to do it again properly. The same applies to sourcing parts; how many threads have we seen over the years complaining about poor quality parts, usually from the same notorious wholesaler? But, do most heed the warning and buy OEM or Gen Parts? No, they keep chancing the carp because it's cheap. In doing that, they spend more in the long run, encourage that supplier to keep churning out rubbish, and contribute to the failure of the better quality suppliers who can't compete with the low prices, buggering the supply chain for all of us.

For god's sake, you get what you pay for!

[Ohlins]

I concur.....exactly with your post.

I couldn't have said it better myself here

"But, do most heed the warning and buy OEM or Gen Parts? No, they keep chancing the carp because it's cheap. In doing that, they spend more in the long run, encourage that supplier to keep churning out rubbish, and contribute to the failure of the better quality suppliers who can't compete with the low prices, buggering the supply chain for all of us"

Why would I not e.g. spend a couple of euros more on a Corteco seal to ensure I don't have to return to do the work again later by buying cheap seals? etc etc.

In my instance I was able to see emailed pictures of the chassis and bulkhead etc etc which is clean as a whistle....I suspect my 110 had been dry stored for a good few years....and when the engine was to be reconditioned as part of the package that was a bonus.

If I was told that my engine was a "lift out-drop in engine,of indeterminate mileage" I would still have bought it with a price adjustment as long as it was running. I have a great 300tdi engine stored that I know,so I was always of the opinion if it ran too lumpy later I could install that engine and work on the lumpy engine at my leisure.

If he hadn't have said anything about the rear axle being stripped and reconditioned I'd have changed all the seals myself without a moment of thought...thats what axles do after being stored....they leak.

The scamming dishonesty relative to the engine and the 'reconditioned rear' axle is what I'm highlighting,and if I were to go the route of a recon engine,if I didn't have an donor engine,I would recondition another donor engine myself.

The Winter just past was spent reconditioning a 200tdi engine as an indoor project and I'm lucky that there's a good precision engineering outlet not too far from me that can do the head work etc.

I always think of the people who don't have the experience or aptitude, e.g. the likes of my OAP Father,in these instances and where it'll cost them money to rectify any problems to make their purchase what it should've been from the beginning.

.

[Edward and Louis]

Jeeeeeez, I came on here with a plan to get my 300Tdi reconditioned and was looking for ideas/advise. Seems theres too many cowboys out there to take the risk.  Think Ill look more local so if anything goes wrong, theres no problems in chasing it up. I did have some work done in Chippenham including a full respray by 'Prestige Body Works.' The paint bubbled in 4 areas and the panels were resprayed 3 Times. Same result. It came down to them blaming the supplier of the doors ! Can you imagine ? The door manufacturer was responsible for their carp spraying. Gave up in the end.  Their website looks great, but in reality they are a disgrace. 

Another landy they were working on was returned 4 or 5 times while mine was in there. They said the owner asked them to look after it for him while he went on holiday. The mechanic told me they had all sorts of problems with it, and the owner kept taking it back to be rectified. Not sure what the longterm outcome was, but I'd avoid them like the plague. Bunch of cowboys.

[western]

Either rebuild the engine yourself or buy a replacement from Turner Engineering 

https://www.turnerengineering.co.uk/land-rover-stripped-engines

[Mo Murphy]

Turners.

Mo

[monkie]

Do what Western says. There are plenty of rebuild threads and info if you search on this forum. If you get a second hand 300tdi to rebuild then you don't have to rush and you have your old one as a source of spares.