Rebuilding an AJP
Discussion
Some have to be rebuilt a lot less than 70000. A lot depends on the car and how its been looked after during warm up etc.... Theres not a lot of high mileage cars about, as the owners can sometimes have other cars for day to day use. However, Simonsparrow's cerbera has done about 105000.
I would guess about 4.5K for a rebuild...6.5k if you want the RR conversion, if its a 4.5.
I would guess about 4.5K for a rebuild...6.5k if you want the RR conversion, if its a 4.5.
Very rare to need a rebuild. In a decade of working on cerberas I've only had one engine rebuilt, and i inherited that poor running car from a TVR dealership which effed it up. The rebuild cost 2000 pounds plus vat.
I don't know why you hear of so many engines going bang .. my experience is completely the opposite, considering the amount of stick they get i think they're virtually bulletproof.
I don't know why you hear of so many engines going bang .. my experience is completely the opposite, considering the amount of stick they get i think they're virtually bulletproof.
trackcar said:
Very rare to need a rebuild. In a decade of working on cerberas I've only had one engine rebuilt, and i inherited that poor running car from a TVR dealership which effed it up. The rebuild cost 2000 pounds plus vat.
I don't know why you hear of so many engines going bang .. my experience is completely the opposite, considering the amount of stick they get i think they're virtually bulletproof.
I assume you mean rare for the whole engine Joo, and not just the top end lets say. As for the cost, i thought it was a lot more if you take everything into account.
As Kojak says, there are not a lot of cars that have high mileage on them yet, but there are a few around the 90k plus mark.
I once asked TVR power about a straight rebuild on the 4.2 AJP and they said about £2k plus vat too. That wouldn't include engine in/out though, which I guess would be about another £1k from what I've read.
As handbuilt cars, I think how they're looked after makes a much bigger difference than with volume produced cars.
I once asked TVR power about a straight rebuild on the 4.2 AJP and they said about £2k plus vat too. That wouldn't include engine in/out though, which I guess would be about another £1k from what I've read.
As handbuilt cars, I think how they're looked after makes a much bigger difference than with volume produced cars.
So has anyone on here attempted a rebuild on their own?
I know some parts are supposed to be TVR dealer bits only, but I somehow think thing like shells, timing chains and piston rings and seals will all be from something else.
when I own one of these I'll certainly be tackling it myself, just need some torque and cam timing figures both of which could be got from the original engine on strip.
When I see 4.5K for a rebuild I'm thinking bl##dy hell being as machining operations cost about the same regardless of the engine and like I said the bearings etc will be std parts from something else, the only costly parts will be pistons, providing the crank isn't snapped or something similar. Even at 200 quid/ piston it still doesn't add up to 4.5K
Or is everyone on here much more monied than I?
Matt
I know some parts are supposed to be TVR dealer bits only, but I somehow think thing like shells, timing chains and piston rings and seals will all be from something else.
when I own one of these I'll certainly be tackling it myself, just need some torque and cam timing figures both of which could be got from the original engine on strip.
When I see 4.5K for a rebuild I'm thinking bl##dy hell being as machining operations cost about the same regardless of the engine and like I said the bearings etc will be std parts from something else, the only costly parts will be pistons, providing the crank isn't snapped or something similar. Even at 200 quid/ piston it still doesn't add up to 4.5K
Or is everyone on here much more monied than I?
Matt
t depends on what rebuild is needed. Worn crank and mains is about £2500 for bits alone . Add to that a large amount of labour and a top end rebuild and replacing all the bits that broke when the engine was taken apart... and I can easily see how a 6 or 7K bill can arise. It is not a case of money, more of a case of more expencive components and a lot of labour. Yes it is not rocket science but it makes a Rover V8 look like a simple model aircraft engine.
This is why I decided to go the LS route.
This is why I decided to go the LS route.
I would guess a fair chunk of the rebuild cost would be labour? I wouldn't be surprised to see a day's worth of labour just to get the engine out and back in, plus all the work on the engine itself. I don't see why the components themselves should be particularly expensive, maybe a bit awkward to track down though.
Given the negligeable tech support from the factory I think a DIY rebuild would be rather ambitous for most people. Ideally you would want to find someone who has come through the ranks at an engine specialist, with the skills and resources to do the whole job and able to take the time to do the job carefully and thoroughly. People like that don't grow on trees though, so if you find one you'd better keep it to yourself otherwise I suspect there's be no end of people pestering them to do engine rebuilds.
Given the negligeable tech support from the factory I think a DIY rebuild would be rather ambitous for most people. Ideally you would want to find someone who has come through the ranks at an engine specialist, with the skills and resources to do the whole job and able to take the time to do the job carefully and thoroughly. People like that don't grow on trees though, so if you find one you'd better keep it to yourself otherwise I suspect there's be no end of people pestering them to do engine rebuilds.
shpub said:
t depends on what rebuild is needed. Worn crank and mains is about £2500 for bits alone
2.5 K ? regrinding a crank costs about 12 quid a journal so 5 mains + 4 big ends = 108 quid Plus bearings at 80-100 quid? unless you're talking about replacing the crank in its entirety
even if the block needs line boring that'll only add another 100 quid or so to the machining cost providing you can find the bearings of course.
Matt
350matt said:
t depends on what rebuild is needed. Worn crank and mains is about £2500 for bits alone
2.5 K ? regrinding a crank costs about 12 quid a journal so 5 mains + 4 big ends = 108 quid Plus bearings at 80-100 quid? unless you're talking about replacing the crank in its entirety
even if the block needs line boring that'll only add another 100 quid or so to the machining cost providing you can find the bearings of course.
Matt
TVR Power's website quotes £1k+vat for a crank as part of its 4.2 to 4.5 conversion for the AJP. I think the liners for the cylinders are only about £12 each.
Maybe the problem is undersize bearings if they're required, but I wouldn't have thought it too hard to find ones that fit.
Matt :
lots of people on here have rebuilt their own engines .. plasticman and stickshaker4185 are two i can think of off the top of my head, erm john goodwin also did his but i don't know if he's on PH or not.
i've got one in bits if you wanna come and take a look at the internal parts ..
Joo
lots of people on here have rebuilt their own engines .. plasticman and stickshaker4185 are two i can think of off the top of my head, erm john goodwin also did his but i don't know if he's on PH or not.
i've got one in bits if you wanna come and take a look at the internal parts ..
Joo
350matt said:
t depends on what rebuild is needed. Worn crank and mains is about £2500 for bits alone
2.5 K ? regrinding a crank costs about 12 quid a journal so 5 mains + 4 big ends = 108 quid Plus bearings at 80-100 quid? unless you're talking about replacing the crank in its entirety
even if the block needs line boring that'll only add another 100 quid or so to the machining cost providing you can find the bearings of course.
Matt
I think you are assuming a lot here. Most bottom ends tend to need a crank replacement and not a simple regrind. If it had been a simple regrind I would have rebuilt the AJP. Unfortunately it wasn't. In my case, the crank could not be reground as the wear was too much, In turn this had taken out the main bearings which meant a line bore which in turn meant a new crank to match the over bore. Lots of dosh.
Hanf on a minute there Steve, I'm talking about rebuilding an engine which hasn't lunched itself, I've rebuilt many engines most of which I had the crank reground, if the crank is so heavily worn its past a 60 thou regrind then yes, it may be time for a new crank.
Also when you line bore you don't fit a larger diameter crank you simply have shells which are thicker in section.
Admittedly these can be difficult to source but usually not impossible
the point I'm trying to make is that its only an engine at the end of the day and not a very sophisicated one at that.
Matt
PS best of luck with the LS1 conversion
Also when you line bore you don't fit a larger diameter crank you simply have shells which are thicker in section.
Admittedly these can be difficult to source but usually not impossible
the point I'm trying to make is that its only an engine at the end of the day and not a very sophisicated one at that.
Matt
PS best of luck with the LS1 conversion
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