Buying a 300tdi engine

Hi all
I'm going to buy a 300tdi engine. Most the engines I can find have been removed out of the vehicle.

Is there anyway of checking the wear of them? Or checking for any obvious problems without hearing it running?

Any tips would be fantastic please. Thanks a lot

Personally, I'd try and get a rotten D1 ( plenty about !!), but running, and possibly even driveable - and take the engine out of it, and part the rest out - from what I see of prices, I expect you'd at least break even on the deal.

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:

Hi all
I'm going to buy a 300tdi engine. Most the engines I can find have been removed out of the vehicle.

Is there anyway of checking the wear of them? Or checking for any obvious problems without hearing it running?

Any tips would be fantastic please. Thanks a lot

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when I've bought an engine in the past I've

turned it over with a socket to ensure it wasn't seized

put a battery onto the starter motor and took compression readings from each cylinder , but of course making sure the oil level was ok before hand

removed the oil filler cap to see if there's any signs of water, also removed the rocker cover Incase someone has wiped the filler cap off beforehand

to see which vehicle it's come out of , in order u can get an accurate mileage , checking the engine number with the log book, but of course only if it's available

expect others who are more experianced than myself will be able to also give u some pointers

Disco1BFG said:

Personally, I'd try and get a rotten D1 ( plenty about !!), but running, and possibly even driveable - and take the engine out of it, and part the rest out - from what I see of prices, I expect you'd at least break even on the deal.

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+1, if you've got room to do it and can be bothered. Keep an eye on ebay and gumtree cos you can pick up a disco with a couple months mot for about the same price as an engine on a pallet and at least you can see how it runs and recoup some money from the bits you strip off it

I've never bought one I couldn't see and hear running. Bought as seen is the easiest cop out.

ONE LIFE LIVE IT. D90 said:

Hi all
I'm going to buy a 300tdi engine. Most the engines I can find have been removed out of the vehicle.

Is there anyway of checking the wear of them? Or checking for any obvious problems without hearing it running?

Any tips would be fantastic please. Thanks a lot

Click to expand...

In short nope.

You's pays yours monies and you's takes yours chances.

Although you can obviously use some common sense and judgement.

If you want to pay more money or are lucky you may be able to find an entire vehicle. Although you'll then have the work of removing it and doing something with the rest of the vehicle. And possible more effort in collecting it.

I would try and buy from places like ebay and pay via PayPal, as it gives you a degree of security should the engine turn out to not be how it was advertised.

PS - not everyone in the world is a scam merchant.

I fully and totally agree, but there are quite a few. And I've proof to show it. The one thing it's taught me is never to shaft anyone ever,

Which is why I'd advise paying by some means that gives you some form of payment protection. PayPal is good because it's easy. But there are other ways, and will depend on the value of the purchase.

Is it something your wanting to strip and rebuild, what's your plans for it and what you looking to pay.

Based on their other thread, they seem to have a knackered engine already. So I suspect just a straight swap.

There is risk, but I don't think it's insurmountable tbh.

Lets face it... if you buy with the want to maybe rebuild it'll cost you the rebuild amount + fitting.

If you buy it and fit it, it'll cost you the fitting. And if it's runs ok saves you the cost of the rebuild. If you still then rebuild it, it'll cost you fitting + rebuild. Which is the same total cost.

Thanks for the replies chaps.

Basically, if the engine is good enough and strong enough I probably won't rebuild it. I may just replace HG, cambelt and clutch.

I've found two options fairly close to me. I'm unsure what to make of them and I think i may need to increase my budget to get a better one. And a little more patience haha.

Option 1:
I've been offered a discovery 300tdi for £300, still in the vehicle and they are going to remove it. They lowered the price quite drastically which seems a little odd to me. Ive been offered to hear it running and drive it. But before hand I manage to have a quick look at the engine, it looked like it had been standing for a very long time. No fan belt on it. The most alarming thing to me was absolutely no oil showing on the dipstick....
Walk away and not even waste the guy's time? Or see how it drives, and see what it sounds like?

Option 2:
Engine already removed, no exact milage estimated between 100 and 180k but from quite a reputable company in the backcountry west midlands. 4 engines available to choose from, he's given me his word that they are all decent engines, he doesn't sell poor ones as it's not worth the repercussions. Wants £300

I haven't really got the space for a donor disco really, plus I can't seem to find one for the right money

Any thoughts guys?

Option two sounds better but as stated, if you can make just enough space for a car, buy a complete one. I didn't think I had the space but sometimes you just have to dive in. I've just broke one on the drive, cost me £520 all in, two months mot, drove it 170 miles home which was a good test. It currently owes me about £45 and I still have the engine, box, props, 5x boost alloys, front axle among other odds n sods. Why pay £300 when you can pay £45? Or less?

Option 2 is perhaps the easiest option, but the mileage estimate numbers are miles apart. Hence buying a full one and breaking it yourself - you can check the mileage is genuine on line - and you might get some service history with it too... all these things are a bonus - even if you got one, and took the engine out and scrapped the rest - you'd probably be better off that "just" buying an engine...

Discokids said:

Option two sounds better but as stated, if you can make just enough space for a car, buy a complete one. I didn't think I had the space but sometimes you just have to dive in. I've just broke one on the drive, cost me £520 all in, two months mot, drove it 170 miles home which was a good test. It currently owes me about £45 and I still have the engine, box, props, 5x boost alloys, front axle among other odds n sods. Why pay £300 when you can pay £45? Or less?

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depends how you value your time. If say you've spent 30 hrs stripping it and selling the bits. Even at minimum wage that's £216 of your own labour.

Plus you said you drove it 170 miles, so I assume that was also 170 miles to go get it. 340 miles at 25mpg isn't free. Plus what, 10 hrs round trip.

So maybe that's 50 hrs +

£520 all in. The car was £375, add in train, tube, 1 day insurance and a bit of fuel (it had quarter of a tank) and I bought a snorkel off the bloke while I was there = £520 and a few pence. As for value of time? Well, when 99% of this fine nation are, say, sat watching eastbenders etc I decide to make better use of my time by doing what I enjoy. My £475 that I've made so far is the net figure after all my ebay/PayPal/postage charges and I post everything on my way to/from work in a van that I don't pay the fuel bill for. No power tools were used and even the fuel in my car that I used to tow the shell to the scrapyard came out of the disco.

Discokids said:

£520 all in. The car was £375, add in train, tube, 1 day insurance and a bit of fuel (it had quarter of a tank) and I bought a snorkel off the bloke while I was there = £520 and a few pence. As for value of time? Well, when 99% of this fine nation are, say, sat watching eastbenders etc I decide to make better use of my time by doing what I enjoy. My £475 that I've made so far is the net figure after all my ebay/PayPal/postage charges and I post everything on my way to/from work in a van that I don't pay the fuel bill for. No power tools were used and even the fuel in my car that I used to tow the shell to the scrapyard came out of the disco.

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Cool! Is this the green one I saw in your drive ? ( or should that be "was"....!!)

I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than watch eastenders, or anything remotely similar. So I'm with you 100% that this is a far better use of your time.

Oh yeah, and mine too !

Yes, the same one. I really wanted to rescue it. I removed the complete interior to assess the rot and when I saw that both footwells resembled something that Fred Flintstone would have been proud of I gave up! A shame really but it really was an utter rotbox despite looking very very nice from the outside.

Not as nice as yours though! A credit to all its owners and proves that nice tidy and un-molested discos are still out there