Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi everyone
I'm thinking about replacing my engine with a recon unit as I want to daily my car soon and need it ship shape.

I like using ESM so I'd probably buy their recon 1098 engine at £1050 inc vat but they're out of stock currently.
Any other good sources available?

I'm also going to add an alternator, spin on oil filter and better heater.

davidpidge wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 10:00 am I'm thinking about replacing my engine with a recon unit as I want to daily my car soon and need it ship shape.

Yes ESM are a pretty good act aren't they...wide variety of stuff and it comes quick, and some great upgrades too but those recon engines have been OOS for ages, wonder what's going on there. Recon moggie engines are now very expensive I think because most engines have been reconned a few times and need more machining (re-sleaving etc.). MOSS is listing 1098's at £2,314.30, I wonder if ESM might be nearer this when/if they restock. I should phone them. ClassicMachineShop.co.uk are pretty similar I think. I'm getting mine reconned as a short engine by a nearby engine specialist and buying a recon head probably off them too. This is an option if there's a business not too far away from you.
If you're taking your engine out at some stage, worth checking the gearbox as a nice, willing recon engine is going to put more strain on it. Difficult to check internal wear without at least a partial dismantle but just checking the play of the input shaft can give a useful indication of bearing wear. And, obviously, paying attention to any gearbox noise. I bought a spare gearbox when i was using the car daily as the one i had was getting noisy. When a free weekend came up I bit the bullet and swapped them, then had to change it back on the sunday as it was even worse

I don't know exactly what's going on with ESM and reconditioned engines but the last time I spoke to ESM 2 years ago I wanted a reconditioned cylinder head. They said their supplier is "very slow" and in the end I found a business that specialised in Mini engines to do the work. Since then, the business I used seems to have closed.....

Stephen

Excellent thanks guys. Maybe I'm best off getting my engine reconditioned then. Gearbox seems to be good so that's got plenty of life left.

davidpidge wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 10:00 am Hi everyone
I'm thinking about replacing my engine with a recon unit as I want to daily my car soon and need it ship shape.
....

Is there something specific that makes you think your engine needs reconditioning?

It started knocking then was losing power when I tried to accelerate. Turned round and put it back in the garage! That was a couple months ago

That knocking may be a broken crankshaft. If so, it will be a lot cheaper to replace this than get a recon engine. Were it me, I would be dropping the sump to take a look. I had exactly this many years ago and with the new crankshaft the engine has been running sweetly ever since.
Or it could be a failed head gasket, which again will be cheaper to fix than getting a replacement recon engine. Wouldn't take too long to lift the head and check.....

Or do a compression check, no dismantling required.

Ess, if you've got a compression tester........

Not expensive, £10 from eBay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182856816556 ... R5azy5PjYw

Very good! At that price I might get one myself!