kaput in Deutschland

Actually got thru the automated phone service to speak to a person.
She reckons another three weeks for delivery.
Phone us again middle of next week for ETA in UK

If all goes well it will be a mere 10 weeks between breakdown and repatriation.

Got to get it fixed of course when it is returned.
 
An ETA!!!!!

First ETA has been given

October 7th

Had a couple of quotes for a remanufactured engine

Sofim 2.8TD

Between £2500 and £4500, before labour costs to install

Or should I buy an MOT failure van with an identical engine for £750?
 
Fingers crossed for you.

Thetford will be full to overflowing becase the stow-aways will have drunk all the wine in the garage when they ran out of food.
 
Seriously don't know how you have not got upset about the time being taken.
 
Last edited:
First ETA has been given

October 7th

Had a couple of quotes for a remanufactured engine

Sofim 2.8TD

Between £2500 and £4500, before labour costs to install

Or should I buy an MOT failure van with an identical engine for £750?

Thats the eveco engine and there a squilions of them about,why not get one from a crashed van with low miles and fit a new cam belt.
 
First ETA has been given

October 7th

Had a couple of quotes for a remanufactured engine

Sofim 2.8TD

Between £2500 and £4500, before labour costs to install

Or should I buy an MOT failure van with an identical engine for £750?

Here you could buy a engine for between 250 & 500 ,so for about £1000 to £1500 fitted all in up and running.
 
First ETA has been given

October 7th

Had a couple of quotes for a remanufactured engine

Sofim 2.8TD

Between £2500 and £4500, before labour costs to install

Or should I buy an MOT failure van with an identical engine for £750?

As I said earlier buy a up and running van, you could always have the rings and crank bearings changed along with any oil seals,would be much cheaper than a recon unit
 
As I said earlier buy a up and running van, you could always have the rings and crank bearings changed along with any oil seals,would be much cheaper than a recon unit

new rings in an unknown cylinder bore? thanks but no thanks. Do it once and do it right.
 
I am of that persuasion also.
Once and right.

:yeahthat:

what motorhome owners need to keep in mind is how well maintained a Motorhome needs to be at all times. (at least from my point of view).
It's 3.5t or more of vehicle stranded on a small mountain road in Italy or in the countryside of France. Not as easy to tow away as a car.
 
new rings in an unknown cylinder bore? thanks but no thanks. Do it once and do it right.

if you run a glaze buster up and down the cylinder and there is no lip on the bore
it is quite alright
 
As I said earlier buy a up and running van, you could always have the rings and crank bearings changed along with any oil seals,would be much cheaper than a recon unit

Wast of time putting round rings in a oval bore as it will burn oil and smoke like a steam train.
 
Golden opportunity to replace the diesel engine with a big petrol one????

I fancy a 400 horsepower unit to help on the uphill bits

How difficult can it be?
 
Sounds like a big job to me with maybe a new wiring loom fuel lines and ecu/blackbox etc.
If i was going to change I would go for later model diesel engine but you will still have the wiring loom problems but you may be able to find an engine specialist to help you.
I would start looking now while the van is still returning good luck.

Snowbirds.:wave:





Golden opportunity to replace the diesel engine with a big petrol one????

I fancy a 400 horsepower unit to help on the uphill bits

How difficult can it be?
 
Golden opportunity to replace the diesel engine with a big petrol one????

I fancy a 400 horsepower unit to help on the uphill bits

How difficult can it be?

just one word.

DON'T !

I have fitted engines in cars where they didn't belong. A lot of work sometimes and afterwards you will have the trial and error period to find out what stuff holds up long term and what not.

If you have a good workshop and can make all the conversion parts needed yourself you can pull this off. The first hurdle to overcome is to get to know the engine you want to fit. What's required to get it run (electronic? Immobiliser delete?), then how to fit it to your chassis, what gear box (ratios?), cooling, and and and.

Unless you can find find similar conversions to share some knowledge, I wouldn't go anywhere near this.

Sometimes just fitting the next bigger engine from the same range can turn out very intensive but you already have the 2.8

The only thing I would look into (time and funds permitting) would be the more modern version of your engine to improve power and fuel economy.
But even this isn't always a good idea.
 
Golden opportunity to replace the diesel engine with a big petrol one????

I fancy a 400 horsepower unit to help on the uphill bits

How difficult can it be?

Being a front wheel drive with a transverse engine and box which is already shoehorned in, I would have thought nearly impossible, and should it be possible you will need very deep pockets, plus even deeper pockets to run it.
Richard
 
Hi Teutone,

I was tempted to say the same but like you i have had some interesting projects in my life and I think everybody should try at least one.I done most of mine in fast Fords in the 1970s but a good a friend from the Dormobile club put a Ford Granada 2,8i ghia with the power steering auto box and propshaft and the complete dashboard with the wiring etc into a CF Mk1 Bedford Landcruiser the same model as I had with a 2.3 slant engine.
It had a police emission tester scratching his head when he lifted the bonnet and found the twin cam and asked if was fitted professionally.The Owner died a couple of years ago but it's still out there some were and I would love to see it again.

Snowbirds.




just one word.

DON'T !

I have fitted engines in cars where they didn't belong. A lot of work sometimes and afterwards you will have the trial and error period to find out what stuff holds up long term and what not.

If you have a good workshop and can make all the conversion parts needed yourself you can pull this off. The first hurdle to overcome is to get to know the engine you want to fit. What's required to get it run (electronic? Immobiliser delete?), then how to fit it to your chassis, what gear box (ratios?), cooling, and and and.

Unless you can find find similar conversions to share some knowledge, I wouldn't go anywhere near this.

Sometimes just fitting the next bigger engine from the same range can turn out very intensive but you already have the 2.8

The only thing I would look into (time and funds permitting) would be the more modern version of your engine to improve power and fuel economy.
But even this isn't always a good idea.
 
Hi Teutone,

I was tempted to say the same but like you i have had some interesting projects in my life and I think everybody should try at least one.I done most of mine in fast Fords in the 1970s but a good a friend from the Dormobile club put a Ford Granada 2,8i ghia with the power steering auto box and propshaft and the complete dashboard with the wiring etc into a CF Mk1 Bedford Landcruiser the same model as I had with a 2.3 slant engine.
It had a police emission tester scratching his head when he lifted the bonnet and found the twin cam and asked if was fitted professionally.The Owner died a couple of years ago but it's still out there some were and I would love to see it again.

Snowbirds.

Back then it was a lot more easy. Not the mechanical side and the engineering. The electronics can get in the way big time. I am lucky, I have a friend who works at the source. He is able to rewrite the ECU software to delete just about anything and makes it work. Like BMW V10 M5 engine into an old 3 series.
 
Sorry folks, I wasn't being serious.

However, you can get a transverse front wheel drive layout from a Saab engine, with 400bhp but the gearbox would struggle with the torque and mass of the vehicle.

Can't imagine how bad fuel economy would be

Just going to have to suck it up with a nice new shiny original spec engine. If I ever come to sell the beast then you lot can have first dibs:lol-053:
 
Sorry folks, I wasn't being serious.

However, you can get a transverse front wheel drive layout from a Saab engine, with 400bhp but the gearbox would struggle with the torque and mass of the vehicle.

Can't imagine how bad fuel economy would be

Just going to have to suck it up with a nice new shiny original spec engine. If I ever come to sell the beast then you lot can have first dibs:lol-053:

Unfortunately this will be an expense which will not dramatically improve the value of you motorhome. Sure when selling it one day it wil help to achieve a better price but as always, everybody will be keen to buy it for the low mileage engine but won't be willing to pay a premium and point to the age of the vehicle to knock the price down. I would do the same to be honest because if it ever gets written off, the insurance will just look at the book value.
 

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