Quote for 4.6l "recraft" £2,796 inc vat at Reconditioned Engines. Rebuilt Engines. Remanufactured Engines.. Inc all labour, gaskets, oil, oil filter.........car is a 1998 HSE Limited Edition (i.e. Colour coded bumpers!!) 126k so really is borderline on value for money repair. But having to suffer a Honda CRV since then I still hanker after fixing the RR. having previously overhauled air suspension, new bags, new discs and pads, new U/J's and more, so keep the Honda for daily S**t and just use RR for family and load lugging and maintaining ozone depletion for hotter summers!

Car been stood for 18 months after overheating and giving up on motorway, water all over engine compartment from oil breather, and in filter box, non in coolant tank. Definitely water in oil ( emulsion in cap, traces on dip stick), but did start up after a lot of coaxing about 3 months ago, put hose pipe into coolant tank and got a circulation of water, but loads of smoke/steam from exhaust, so shut down. Ticked over nicely and seemed to run well. Pumped itself up nice and quick and no faults came up on dash!! Presume head gasket knackered but not a liner problem???

I can wield a spanner or two but do not have depth of mechanical knowledge/time/facility to do the whole engine meself. Need moral support and kick up arse to get it back and running...IS IT A FAIR PRICE TO DO ENGINE IS THE MAJOR QUESTION?

if you can wield a spanner or 2 then you are more than capable of stripping the heads off and checking then and the gasket. find out whats actually wrong with yours before you start spending thousands on an engine.

and if you include your location in your profile some nice person might offer to give you a guiding hand (not me though, i'm busy that weekend)

Thanks for posts, I am between Swindon and Oxford ! if anybody thinks they could assist in any way..

Can I get cylinder heads off without removing engine????

getting heads off is not to bad, i had mine off 3 times last year. lust take your time and use good sockets not crap ones..

m80kmb said:

Quote for 4.6l "recraft" £2,796 inc vat at Reconditioned Engines. Rebuilt Engines. Remanufactured Engines.. Inc all labour, gaskets, oil, oil filter.........car is a 1998 HSE Limited Edition (i.e. Colour coded bumpers!!) 126k so really is borderline on value for money repair. But having to suffer a Honda CRV since then I still hanker after fixing the RR. having previously overhauled air suspension, new bags, new discs and pads, new U/J's and more, so keep the Honda for daily S**t and just use RR for family and load lugging and maintaining ozone depletion for hotter summers!

Car been stood for 18 months after overheating and giving up on motorway, water all over engine compartment from oil breather, and in filter box, non in coolant tank. Definitely water in oil ( emulsion in cap, traces on dip stick), but did start up after a lot of coaxing about 3 months ago, put hose pipe into coolant tank and got a circulation of water, but loads of smoke/steam from exhaust, so shut down. Ticked over nicely and seemed to run well. Pumped itself up nice and quick and no faults came up on dash!! Presume head gasket knackered but not a liner problem???

I can wield a spanner or two but do not have depth of mechanical knowledge/time/facility to do the whole engine meself. Need moral support and kick up arse to get it back and running...IS IT A FAIR PRICE TO DO ENGINE IS THE MAJOR QUESTION?

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You can do a lot of work on a engine for that sort of money IF you can do it yourself. If not price depends on depth of recon. Have lost touch with machining costs Etc, but cannot see all the parts and machining coming to a lot more than £700 to £800. If you can do it yourself or get someone who knows what they are about to do it for you. You will of course then have labour to pay. That is the killer these days.

Considering that you can get a brand new..not reconditioned short engine for £1800, add to that gaskets and parts for reconditioning the top end, rocker shafts etc. I think that price is high taking into account you are using your own block, crank etc.
If the heads are ok on yours, good chance that the rocker arms, shafts etc are worn (Cheap to replace), the total price will be still less than what you are showing.
I know which way I would opt for.

Thanks for the posts from everyone. Common theme is "cheaper the more you can DIY",obviously.

However taking into account costs of parts, post/shipping/collecting, no garage or pit access, hiring a hoist, no torque wrenches, would need bigger socket set, plus all those fiddly bits you break, lose, F**k up, etc etc. and whilst I can spanner a brake caliper/disc, change airbags, overhaul the suspension airblock (slowly and from written instruction) I do really stall at trying to mess with a complete engine.
Respect to those of you who have done engines on front drives with sticky tape and screwdrivers from crackers in the middle of winters, but my gut feel is that this project is a bridge too far for my ability and resources. (why own a RR then you may ask...but I am bitten and infected..)

Labour is always the killer cost, but accepting profit needs to be made by any business, I thought the price looked kind of OK as breakdown is £1895 to restore engine

(go to this link,www.reconditioned-engines.co.uk/remanufacture-engine-process.shtml to see what they claim to do.)

£400 for labour ( removal and refitting engine, local independant wanted £1000 just to strip engine to find problem!!) £85 for gaskets and oil...if I got back a running rangie with a "new" engine which they will warranty for 60k (providing they service it!!!??) it seemed an OK sort of situation and not a complete rip-off

I've seen other engines for sale well in excess of the above that justify themselves with all sorts of technical superiority (top Hat liners, "accurately cast" cooling channels) with no removal/fitting included and nothing covering work to existing heads or gaskets & sundries..like wise a "garanteed" second hand engine supply from a breaker for £800 + Vat...

I know you only get what you pay for at the end of the day, and its the balance between paying hard earned money and getting a result that works to satisfy all involved that is the key factor..

Again, thanks for inputs I'll post progress or lack, of it as it happens.