The 2nd hand motor I bought for my S3 arrived today. I bought it off Gumtree for $500, but it was in Wagga Wagga NSW, aprox 2000 miles away, so it cost me another $600 to ship (ouch!). It was still in the car when I bought it, also another S3, which the guy bought to put the front end in his Chevy Pickup (sacrilege!). So I got to hear it run, & it sounded ok. The compressions were all good too. So,with some trepidation, I took the punt. & I was very glad to see a clean & tidy unit today, exceptionally well packed in a bespoke pallet, which I'm definitely keeping. & I'm hoping that I've jagged a good 'un. I took it to my Mechanic, a Jag/Range Rover specialist, who's in the same Jag Club I am, & is a member here too, though I've forgotten his handle already. & he liked the look of the engine too. He's a bit booked up with work right now, clearing his Xmas backlog. So he's going to give the motor a through inspection. in his spare moments, over the next couple of weeks. While picking a slot in his schedule to do the engine swap. I'll take the S3 over when he's ready. The plan for the original Mill from my car is to pull it down & see how much damage the overheating did. If it's not too bad (i.e. the block's ok) I'll get it rebuilt to stock specs & I'll probably drop it into the Cruiser then (64 S-Type), while I save up to do a really good job of restoring it's 3.8. Once that's done I'll save up again to rebuild the new 4.2 I've just got into a fire breathing race spec engine. My Mechanic's an ex-race team (HRT) Techie & has links to TWR, so the good bits may be available, at an affordable price even! Then my S3 really will be a Bruiser. Though that's a few years down the track, at the rate that Shelkels trickle into my bank acct.
Anyhoo. Here's the pics!

The Mule certainly earned it's keep today. My Mechanic lives high in the hills too, & he wanted me to load the engine towards the back of the tray to make it easier to unload, which it was. But it did nothing for the steering, & it was a slow & scary trip up the range. But we made it (obviously )



& here's Engine!



We thought the Sender had cleaned it when we first saw it. But as we ripped the plastic off we saw enough old gunk to convince us that she's just how she came out of her last engine bay, which gave us a lot of confidence.






It's got oil leaks from the rear of the cam covers, & the Seller said the main engine seal was gone, which will get seen to before it's installed.



But over all it looks to be money well spent, though I won't really know until it's installed in the car. But I'm happy with the progress, so far. We liked the way he capped off all the engine's orrifices, including the exhaust! We thought that showed dedication beyond the $500 he got for the engine, & gave us heart that the guy had a conscience & did a proper job. Hopefully it means he's honest enough to stand by his word. Time will tell.


Watch this thread!

 

I'd say that was very encouraging.


1. As nice looking as any used engine, I've ever seen. Although the LT1 I bought for my conversion came pressure washed. A nice touch. I prefer working on clean parts by far.
Although, I'm not afraid of grime. Plenty of that to deal with in the engine bay of my S3 to deal with in preparing for the install.


2. A great pallet. It sure is worth saving as it is. My LT1 came in the bed aka tray of a little Asian truck. Sitting on an old tire and secured by straps. I had a cherry picker ready and the unload went with no issues. The recycler tossed in a lot of ancillary stuff. But, at $2500, definitely not cheap. But, it has turned out to be in great shape.


3. Suggestion. A few pipes and a big bar can move big things nicely. Tail heavy loads are skittish.


Way back when, my son and I went to a nearby town to buy a 429 Ford and transmission. Best two car was my 69 Toyota FJ40. We rented a small two wheel trailer. On arrival, the promised help and loading gear was absent!!!!


But, fortunately the trailer was low and the load was on a slanted drive. So, bit by bit
we got it aboard. But, far astern, space limitations prevented the walking technique.
Off we went. A couple of times the trailer took over in a waggle. But, somewhere, I had learned a technique to get straight. A bit counter intuitive, but effective. Apply lots of power quick. Indeed, the jerk got things straight again.


Carl

 

New toys to amuse one are always welcome!!!


Carl

 

Yes, new toys are a great distraction.
1. Both my Mechanic & I prefer to see grime on a 2nd hand engine, as it's easier to see where the leaks are & what the problems might be. It's easy enough to get the pressure cleaner out once the inspection's over. Because like you, & me, my Mechanic likes what he works on to be spotless too
2. I'll have much use for that pallet. My 3.8's going down to specialist Jaguar engine restorers, Peninsular Jaguar, down in SE Qld, to get their full $10K treatment. & that pallet will keep it safe & sound on the journey down & back.
3. My right shoulder's stuffed, from a motorbike accident in 2013, & the 8 failed ops I've had since then trying to make it right again. My left Elbow dislocated in the same accident. But it's got six metal anchors holding it together, & is by far my best arm (about 70% recovered). Though I've already re-dislocated it once, while out swimming, which was the most painful thing I've ever endured (& I've endured a lot!). They put the extra anchors in after that. But I still don't like to test it. So the only useful muscle there was my Mechanic, & strong as he is, it would've needed to have been a bloody big bar to move that big lump!

 

It sounds like you have it all planned out well.

Good choice for an engine rebuild, My car has a Peninsula Jag Engine Centre rebuild in it. Couldn't be happier with the product or the service I received.

Murray Scoble is also a member of the forums, goes by the name of "Muz52".

We had a forum meet at the engine centre last year, very enjoyable day out.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/a...ursion-151117/

 

I'm having second thoughts about fitting the new engine to my S3, & I'm thinking of slipping into my 64 S Type, as that's the car I really want to be driving around in. Don't get me wrong. I love my S3, & it will be getting a new motor, most probably it's original Mill, after a full extensive rebuild. As I can save up, at my leisure, until I've got the disposable income to fund it's resurrection. I'll probably get the S Type's 3.8 professionally done first, & then drop it back in the S Type. So that will garner most of my disposables, for the foreseeable future. I'm hoping to have the old motor out of the S3 by then though. So I can evaluate which 4.2 block is the best to rebuild. I'm hoping both are, & that the new motor is in the best nick, which I suspect it may be. Because then I can get the original motor rebuilt to stock specs, to keep the car in top original condition. Though it may just sit on a shelf until needed. In which case I'll buy the parts needed for the rebuild (to beat inflation) & wait until I'm ready to return it to stock specs before rebuilding it. This will reduce the risk of the new engine suffering a sitting seizure, without turning a rev, which is a big risk here in the moist tropics. The best block, which will hopefully be the latest acquisition, I'll get done up to race specs, & drop that into the Bruiser! But that's a long way down the track. &, for now, I'll just be happy to get my 64 S Type back on the black top. & the S3 can just sit in my shed looking pretty until then.