Bottom-end replacement. How hard can it be diy?

[smiley-sri]

My vectra has been off the road many many months now. I believe the engine has ceased as it over heated and now refuses to turn over and if you lift the clutch while rolling in gear it stops dead.

There are a few bottom ends on ebay for around 2-300 pounds which is much cheaper than £650-£900 for a replacement engine.

Whats involved with swapping a bottom end and what specialist tools would be needed?

[marktaylor]

Basically remove everything from engine bay and rebuild it all , be better off buying a recon engine seeings as you'll have the engine and box out anyway


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[omega63]

Depends which part of the bottom end as you call it as seized, if its been seriously overheated and seized solid it will the pistons . In which case the cylinder bores will be badly SCORED!!!! , and you will need to have it rebored and new oversized pistons + rings. I would find myself a good SHORT MOTOR , and use the cylinder head off the seized engine if its still servicable...

[Keif]

TBH to do a bottom end rebuild the engine has to come out. If you can source a known good engine, i'd get that and fit that.

As already said, if your current engine is solid, it's more likely the pistons that are the problem. As Vectra engines are quite easy to find, it'd be the quicker fix. Can always strip the old engine down and sell good bits on to offset the outlay.

Also saves you looking at things like this.

[tangoman]

As said go for a replacement engine.
If the engine overheated as bad as you say, then the head is probably warped, so may cost more in the long run. And if the top end is starved of oil then its probably F***** as well.

[Barlow]

I've done a bottom end on a Series Land Rover 2.25 engine and that's lego compared to a modern engine - it was not easy at all. In theory it is, in practice it isn't.

[Keif]

See my above pic, and the bottom "Drives" under my avatar!

[appy]

by the time you've paid for a new gasket set, head bolts, had your head skimmed etc etc and add in the extra labour its false economy to try and change a bottom end

[Bigtee]

It may be as simple as worn shell bearings on con rods and with fine wet and dry you "may" be able to clean up the crank and fit new shell bearings and get it going.

But if you don't have a clue what i said above then your best bet would be to get another engine fitted.

Repaired engines in the past when the problem was that, they ran ok but never as good as a re con unit so long as the recon unit has quality parts.