What you want really is a tight working not worn out engine. Forget the carbs for now. I think really, it would have been wise to strip and assess what you already have. What if it's spun a bearing and wrecked the case - then you'll have 2x knackered bottom ends and be no further forward, but £750 lighter. It ALWAYS pays to get as much information as possible before you spend money, this could end up being an expensive experiment based on guesswork.
That's the gamble I guess! I already have a carb rebuild kit, new coil, leads, plugs, distributor, pulley and belt, and I know my alternator, pump etc work - I am hoping this long block is solid enough to get me back on the road so I can get to work and save some pennies for the next bit that blows up/falls off!
Garage is gonna drop the engine and have a poke around at the end of this week - if this all goes well I will end up with some spares I can sell to recoup some money, if not then I am in no worse a position than I am now. At least this way I am trying to get ahead so there is a chance of having the bits we need when the engine comes out. I don't know why more places don't have cheap pre built engines (and other parts for that matter) from 70's Germany readily available for next-day delivery...
Because such things don't exist any more Original crankcases that aren't completely shot are getting hard to find. Any engine worth having won't be cheap.
The advert says it has end float and is selling as a possible rebuild. I say possible because it's already been rebuilt at least once (metal tag over the engine number) and you only get two goes at cutting the thrust which is the number one reason these engines get rebuilt. If it has more than a mm of end float that case will be scrap. Did you even ask the seller how much end float it has? Sorry to be so negative, at worst you can plonk it in your bus as is and it will run... probably.
So... you can afford a garage, but only a beat up knackered unknown engine? Time to buy some spanners and take control, get something tangible for your money. A few hefty garage bills down the road you will anyway so might as well start now!
If I wasn't paying a garage I could probably spend more, but with no off-road parking and no space to put the engine I don't have a lot of choice. The boss mechanic man seems nice, he used to work for Volkswagen so I hope he knows his stuff?!?
I didn't ask, guess that's a rookie mistake! It may well be scrap, im sure ill find out in a week or so :-/ is the engine number not always on a metal tag? my current one is
Yes metal tags are not original, your current engine has also been rebuilt by a mass rebuilder, the smaller ones don't bother. And yes, you could have got the seller to at least estimate under/over 1mm end float to judge if it was worth a gamble. You live and learn.
You will find that the £2700 engine is the cheap option once you are paying garage time. Best bet may be if the eBay one runs, use it. Then investigate the siezed one - strip down and using a digital caliper you can measure a few points to work out if it has been reworked too many times or not, and proceed from there.
I hear ya that you can't easily work on it yourself, so your options there are limited. And that you'd like to get a replacement engine for as little as possible (as we all do!). I'd ask the question are you wanting something that will tide you over for a few months or something that's going to give you longevity? I would really encourage you to at least read the Tom Wilson engine rebuild book, as it explains thoroughly everything you'll need to know to assess if your eBay engine is any good. Sadly I haven't had great experiences with many mechanics out there, even on modern cars. It pays to know your stuff, even when taking it to a mechanic for work as you can specifically ask them to measure and take note of certain parts which will help you to determine if your seized, and eBay engine are salvageable. It also helps you to recognise the things they do know, and don't know, which helps with your expectations and avoiding disappointment. They're simple enough engines and I'm sure you have the skills to understand them. I've got a spare copy of the book I mentioned if you'd like a read!
