Hi All,
Having recently returned from an epic 1,700 mile road trip around Spain and France without any Z trouble at all, my mind is turning to possible improvement works this Winter.
My engine is currently stock and I'm keen to keep the 240 as original as possible (albeit the respray was done in a non original colour).
One candidate is a full engine rebuild, with poss re-profiled cam etc. I'm not after maximum hp as the car will remain an auto for the time being.
Sadly, I have neither the space nor the knowledge to do this so I wondered if any of you have done something similar lately, what sort of ball park budget am I looking at?
Thanks,
Nick D.
Hi Nick
I am in the process of refurbishing/rebuilding an L26 engine but I am doing most of the work myself (see thread on L26 engine). It is reasonably straightforward even with limited mechanical skills as the L-series engine is pretty simple. I got hold of a book 'How to rebuild your L-Series Engine' which gives step by step instructions on how to do this. Available from Amazon UK.
I too have limited space and have just about got room for an engine stand in my garage. I bought a 2nd engine to work on so my current engine is still in the car allowing me to get the full enjoyment out of it during summer and giving me the time to do the engine work without time pressures. If you have a good current engine then I would recommend doing the same but I would advise to make sure you know the history & condition before buying . You should be able to pick a reasonable one up for £250-300 and you can then sell your current engine when you swap over.
As for cost, it really depends on the work that is needed on the Head and Block. You will need a Head set, a timing chain kit and a block gasket set which should cover all the gaskets & seals that you will need. I think mine cost about £350 in total from Mike F at MJP. My head refurb will cost about £150 which will be to skim, port & regrind valves & seats and replace valve guides plus remove the usual sheared manifold studs. Not sure what a cam, bearings & lash pads would cost and I have yet to get an idea on cost for honing the bores. I am estimating Piston rings & Bearing shells being about £200 & hoping that the crank is ok when I remove the bearing caps.
You will then need to factor in ancillaries such as Water Pump (about £30), Oil Pump, oil, filter & pressure sender, Thermostat (with possible housing), degreaser etc. Most of the other bits can be swapped over when you are ready e.g. fan, pulleys, pipes etc.
In all I would estimate a total of about £800-900 (not including the cost of the engine to start with). At least double that if you are getting someone else to do it for you.
Good luck if you do decide to do this.