Rebuild or rebuy?

[chips]

I have an M42 sitting in my garage. I can't verify the mileage on it but the car it came from had 165k on the clock. It runs fine, but it sounds a bit tappety and it smokes a bit until its warmed up properly.

I had originally intended on using this engine in my track car as it is, but considering the money I'm spending on the rest of the car it would be a shame to let it down with a rubbish engine.

I was planning on building a 2.1 litre M42, with throttle bodies and megasquirt. Would I be better starting with this engine or finding a younger, lower mileage unit?

[march109]

By the time you've rebuilt it properly, it will be as good as a lower milage unit anyway.

[chips]

Having never rebuilt an engine before, how much is it likely to cost for all the bits that normally get replaced for a standard M42? I'm assuming it's a fairly straightforward job as long as I'm careful and patient?

[march109]

Not sure myself tbh but have read recently the parts for a cambelt change can come to £300-£400.

[Ziggy]

Not sure myself tbh but have read recently the parts for a cambelt change can come to £300-£400.

Would that include converting it to take a belt instead of a chain?

[march109]

You know thats what I meant!

[chips]

whoa! An 80k mile engine would cost less than that!

[march109]

The price of the cam chain change came up in this thread:

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... +cam+chain

and another I can't find now.

[e21Jason]

I scrapped my 318is after going through 3 duff heads/engines cheaper to buy a complete engine than rebuild one, all the engines I stripped suffured wear to the timing gear and burn ex valves. Save the rebuild money for 2.1 but that will cost as much as an s14

Jason