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February 08, 2004
Tim
I am not that familiar with the 1500 cars but I expect the engine will have
to come out to replace the clutch and so this is going to cost 300 in most
garages, however if money is tight and the engine was running OK before the
gasket blew why not just get that fixed (maybe 150 or so). The problem with
second hand engines is that they may be no better than the one you have and
you are not going to know without removing the head and checking the bores,
so it will still cost you a head job.
I had a reconditioned engine fitted to my 1098 Sprite a couple of years ago
and since I was about to drive the Sprite down to Spain a month or so after
it became obvious that the engine had died I had to get a replacement
quickly. At the time I found it quite difficult to find anyone with a
reconditioned 1098 but finally located one at Brown & Gammon's in Baldock,
for about 850. I had this engine fitted by a local MG garage and with the
new clutch and other bits and bobs finished up with a total bill of over
1200. As you can imagine that was quite painful, however on the plus side
it transformed the car, gone were all the little rattles and squeaks and the
engine ran sweet as a nut and sounded phenomenal (I think the 1098 is the
nicest sounding Spridget).
I ran the Sprite in for 500 miles and then set off for Spain, however I soon
noticed the oil pressure at idle when the car was hot got progressively
lower as we clocked up the miles. There was nothing much I could do 1000
miles from home in a foreign (almost Spridget free) land apart from have the
oil and filter changed, I had oil and a filter with me since I expected to
clock up enough miles for an oil change on this trip. The oil change made no
difference with the oil coming out being as clean as that that went in. The
engine continued to run beautifully although the oil gauge told a different
story.
I returned home and with 3000 miles on the new engine I took the car back to
the engine supplier Brown & Gammons who changed the relief valve and tried
another oil pressure gauge but the problem persisted so they (without a
quibble) agreed to remove the engine and fit a new one for me at zero cost
(even though they had not originally fitted the engine). When I originally
bought the engine I thought 850 was a bit expensive, but they had a 1098
when nobody else did and the after sales service was superb. The new engine
is still running as sweet as a nut.
Dave
"David Dixon" < e-dave@... > 29217
Posted on February 8, 2004 09:40 AM
Posted to category(s) Cooling System | Cylinder Head | Engine (external) | Engine (internal) | Gauges | Intake System | Lubrication System | Miscellaneous | Transmission
