Did LR fit a new engine or did you go elsewhere to get the car fixed in the end?

Still not made up my mind what I'm happy with! JLR are gonna do nothing so Im just gonna make their lives hell anyway!

Ive had several quotes in ranging from 6K to 10K some have a long lead time others are quicker most only warrant for 1 year!

I am not sure about he cheapest ones but then again is it perception that if I paid 10K that Im just paying another 5K for the same! ITs hard work and then if im paying 10K I might as well pay 13.6 and get LR to do it and get 2yrs and it there is an issue then maybe there is good will but judging b their attitude so far im not sure ont that!

Soem of the garages say they are refurb units block only but might need new turbos and others quote for the enign including turbos but dont say how many miles they have done (not that I guess if its been refurbed then its technically as new!

The main issue here is trust as I dont know any of the garages or the quality of work. But most have reviews on Trust pilot that appear ok but who knows if they are legit or not.

The other thing Im thinking is the reality is who ever I use I will never really know what gets put in my car in all fairness unless I actually watch them do it! So is going the more expensive route getting me anything.

There is one option is find a local garage to take out the enging and then send it to Ivor Searle who with then basically re furbish my own engine and then send it back liek new unless it needs a new crankshaft or turbos where the price also goes up that cost is abot 6.5K but then there is the time anf the garage labour on top 15-20 days for th engine plus removal and refitting

The cheaper ones really only do the engine re-fits they adont do really any other business so can do it much quicker but at the same time should have it almost down to and art seeing as this is all they do compared to a garage that has only done a few them.

also most of them dont take credit cards so no section 75 protection as most a bank trasnfers again this seems to the same across the nearly all of them.

The other part of me say can these businesses really be that bad and if so how are they still in business, Im always sceptical of things so if they take the car (any garage that is ) and the turbos are ok and just need a clean etc... but they could all do the whole rubbing chin technique and say the need replacing and I would be none the wiser!

There is alwyas an element of risk of picking a garage for anything as we all have heard about the cowboys but are main dealer really any better? Let face if there is an issue try legal action is useless against a main dealer as they will be backed by JLR who have whole team where as a small garage is not set up like that so should be more inclined to keep their customers happy to a degree!

Also at the end of the day if there is possibly a problem in a years time is it better having spent more money and then having to pay more for a fix or to have spent less money and the outcome possibly similar!

I also factor in does any of the workmanship really matter in the grand scheme of things considering the actual factory unit clearly wasnt that good in the first place so cant really be the benchmark

I think i probably gonna go down the route of one of the cheaper units so I can at least get the car back running as it now been 3 weeks and soem of the quotes would mean I wouldnt have the car for another 2 months or so! If a jobs worth doing, get a someone who knows what they are doing to do it!

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There’s a few trusted indys on here and the Facebook groups, if not going main dealer then I would go with one of them rather than someone on eBay etc.. Joined the X5 45e club
1994 Defender 90 300 tdi

If your really not sure have the LR offer 2 years warranty but at twice the price it no different to any of the indys prices. Take one of the refferals here, LR prices are so high as there labour rate is twice as much as indy labour rates also paying for a free coffee or juice and a comfy chair while they reach deeper into your pockets.

There are a good few indys on here that do a lot of rebuilds get in touch with them ask for costs but they wont give the chin rubbing, just good honset advice and prices.

At the end of the day its what you feel is the right deal for you, hope which ever you choose it turns out to be the right decission for you.

Did you get a quote from George Harvey at Adrian Harvey Landrover Specialists in the New Forest? I wouldn’t use anyone else and trust him above anyone else I’ve previously used for any car. Let me know if you want his mobile number as I previously offered.

Waiting on a quote from Adrian Harvey, Also spoke wth Oval who is just really busy so will be another month or so.

I would go for the ebay ones as I get the impression that it might be a good price at first but there could well be alot of things that also need to be replaeced that it would be hard to argue they didnt so the price could then end up at the same.

My Local Indy said he thinks around £10K and then if thats the ex vat figure then we are getting really close to the dealer price anyway.

Spoke with another guy on here who had the same and he used his local indy at around £7500 which is more what I had in mind.

Thing is the price paid has to be relevant to the value of the car, but also the chance that it goes bang again once out of the 1 yr warranty no garage is gonna do it for free reagrdless of how good they are so where does the extra value go, The engine is the bit that is at fault and only one garage Ive spoken to Ivor Searle who supply the trade and only do owner rebuilds not on the shelf said that they do alter the configuration so the fault will not re-occur but will only grind polish to LR spec's

All the others its hard to tell where the engine comes from or how man miles it has done as I think they all probably get them from the same places.
The only difference is with the care they take removing and refitting all the parts etc... and it would be impossible to tell if any of them didnt do something they said they did!

So far Ive hard qutoes from

Guy Salmon £13600 inv vat including 2 turbos 2 yr parts and labour

Oval cant find the quote but about similar and Joe is a nice guy just comes down to timing as I kinda need it done as soon as possible really as will be needing a car soon!

NWS £10035 including turbos but might not need both so this could come down

Gordon Candy 4x4 £6925 +Vat for recon engine but he said it might not be required as mine coudl very well be repairable which would lessen the cost (hes semi loal too)

Royal Rebuilds £7745.80 inc vat price could come if again Turbos can be refurbed and my block is not holed

4x4 Engine Rebuilds £4300 + Vat this is based on rebuilding my engine

Global Engines and Gearboxes Ltd £4000 this is just for the engine and swap based my block nto being holed and my turbos being re-usable/refurb

Engine Centre
£10495 + Vat Gold seal (2 yrs 30K warranty)
£7495 + vat Silver 1yr 12K
£6295 6+ vat Bronze 6 month 6K RTB warranty

West 4x4 (just waiting on a price from him he said around 10K)


Still looking around anyone got any others that I could try?

Ta If a jobs worth doing, get a someone who knows what they are doing to do it!

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You could allways try this company as this is who rebuilds the JLR engines


Autocraft Machining Solutions Limited Wellingborough

"Ive spoken to Ivor Searle who supply the trade and only do owner rebuilds not on the shelf said that they do alter the configuration so the fault will not re-occur but will only grind polish to LR spec's"

We used an Ivor Searle replacement engine for a VW Van that broke a crank, the replacement engine did a further 100,000 miles without any trouble, I think they are a very impressive operation.

I spoke to a couple of others today and one said he has fitted and Ivor Searle one (V8 model) but when they did the inspection and run up test it had a few leaks, so he said they now fit second hand units that were complete and know to be running, they just give them a full service and belt change. He did say it could have just been the firday afternoon apprentices first job!

Nearly all of them have said that they thought LR would have offered something! one said his friend had a disco 3 with nearly 100K on it a few years back and he went direct to LR and and told them how much of a fanboy he was etc.. and they did the job for 80% on such and old thing! So maybe when the dealers ask LR reject as standard!

Anyone know if fitting a newer unit will work or will there be subtle differences? Also how does this work with the engine number if the block gets repalced or they just clean off my shell? Not really sure what one of these looks like stripped down, to be honest would never really need to if the dan things worked.

Also if fitting a second hand unit maybe from a later model how does that also work with the mileage etc... and if the problem hasnt actually been fixed on the later engines then there seems little point in getting one of those either! If a jobs worth doing, get a someone who knows what they are doing to do it!

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Did you try Tim McKnight at alltrack 4x4 Joined the X5 45e club
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Nope but will do tomorrow thanks mate If a jobs worth doing, get a someone who knows what they are doing to do it!

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Here we go:
New Forest Garage Services in Cadnam (ex chief tech from LR Christchurch. Roy(?). Top bloke
Glenrands in Bordon. Ex LR chief tech
AC Land Rover in Waterlooville. Ex LR chief tech
AJ Land Rover nr Alton. Ex LR chief tech
SLR in Haslemere. Ex LR chief tech
Rovertune in Reading. Ex LR chief tech
Need more? Visitor from fullfatrr.com
* GONE. 2012 RR Sport HSE SDV6 Orkney Grey. Now being piloted by RRSTDV8
* GONE: 2011 4.4 TDV8 Full Fat. Amazing piece of kit.
* Current. 1974 Lightweight 2.25L petrol. Old skool
* GONE. Freelander GS TD4 Manual MY2013. Orkney Grey with privacy, cold and clearview packs, armrests (a must!) and a spoiler.
* GONE. Range Rover Classic '93 200Tdi Factory fit
* 1949 80" in family since 1975

cheers buddy If a jobs worth doing, get a someone who knows what they are doing to do it!

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QP Online have also built up a great reputation in quality rebuilds.

Having gone through the same exercise as you in early 2019, there are some in your list that I wouldn't touch with a bargepole!

You may wish to have a search over on the disco forum also. Kev

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Yeah there were some in the list I wouldnt touch either but as several garages have said if you are not keeping it use one of those and from there drive straight to a we buy any car site and take the hit!

So after speaking with now quite a few of the garages about most only offer 1 year warranty on them an thats parts some were unclear about the labour side but labour would be covered if it was a fit error and or the palce they got that engine from covered it which most will but after inspection.

Only a couple offer a full 2 year parts and labour and their pricing was pretty close to Guy Salmons price where the car is currently gathering dust and bird crap!

LR offer 5K interest free (so might as well make use of it and will aslo take soem of the payment on a credit card so hopefully section 75 can help out and the rest is by transfer!

Total is £13599 inc vat and the engine is around £10K which is similar to others offering full engine including both turbos the difference is the labour charge which is £155 per hour and they charge it as 17.5 hours but the guy has done it at 15hrs at £110 per hour which is the best they can do as they think it was pretty off that LR wont offer anything towards it. The HQ wont go any lower than that (unless I had bought from them new or used so I have no history with them which is fair).

They can turn the car around in 5-7 days providing there is stock of the engine (he also said that if there is no reman units then its substitued with brand new and said if he can push for a new one by saying its a rush then he will, new is another £1900).

Whilst I dont really want to give LR anymore cash now than i have to my local indy has suggested that the LR deal isnt as bad as he has heard in the past and seeing as the car is low mileage its probably hassle free 2 yrs of motoring ahead with a high goodwill after the 2yrs is up. The other thing is that the LR unit is normal servicing routines where a lot of the others require more regular services thant normal (not all)

A coupel of garages only put in second hand engines which does keep the cost down but they are accident damaged cars so its hard to tell the type of accident it had some are 2019 or 2020 engines with about 10 or 20 K on them but its just a straight swap not sure if it even has a service before if the oil is clean.

If LR do the work then there is also the possibility of some refund from them if I continue to pester but also any issues that occur with it is treated in the same way as a new car 3yr warranty just not on other parts!

My quandary is risk it with something cheaper with only 6 months or a year and save the cash and risk spending it again shoudl there be any issues or leaks etc....

Save a few grand and go with an indy or just go all in with LR and be done with it!

The indies have said that whilst the engines they have fitted in the past have all been good they were all honest enough to say they dont know where they come from.

My local ended up checking the oil in a customers replacement engine that was a refurb unit and had not long been fitted and the oil was black, and he reckoned it wasnt a refurb or recon it was just a crash damage engine and knowing we cant really check the oil at home got away with it, the garage were then questioned and they said is was fully serviced but as it had new parts there would be wear and blackening in the first 1000 miles which is why it need oil and filter every 500-1000

If I had a spare set of deep pockets id perhaps take the risk with a cheap swap out and see how it goes but even the 8K ones dont fill me with much confidence after speaking with a couple of the remanufacturers who said that the engines they supply are around that price just to buy if using genuine parts so they cant understand how anyone can fit a good reman unit for under 10K, which is why they offer the proper warranties.

ITs all a load of hassle.

Maybe I could crowd fund court fees if I tried taking them to court to cover their fees it it was a loss!

I did have an idea the other day that would be fun! what if I bought another one approved used from an LR dealer and take it straight to a garage do the swap and then inside the 14 day cooling off period say its broken down and I dont want it now!

I know it wouldnt be that easy but would be great fun! If a jobs worth doing, get a someone who knows what they are doing to do it!

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