Best source for 4.6 long block or complete engine?
- Thread starter Drifter55
- Start date
If you want a good, used engine contact Will Tillery:
discoweb.org
Reman, there are several choices but you're spending $5000 minimum. You can rebuild one for half that. For around $3000 you can build a top-hat lined long block.
TWS Motors will build you whatever Rover V8 you want.
More Stock Daily Tons of Inventory
discoweb.org
Reman, there are several choices but you're spending $5000 minimum. You can rebuild one for half that. For around $3000 you can build a top-hat lined long block.
TWS Motors will build you whatever Rover V8 you want.
For a stock replacement Atlantic British is more affordable than TWS. TWS really doesn't want to sell a stock engine. Depending on how far you go with it, 3k isn't quite enough for DIY rebuild. Maybe there are cheaper shops but I ended up with about 4k in my rebuild the first time.... I say first time because the machine shop broke one of the liners and it didn't show up until about 3-4k miles of driving. So now I basically have to rebuild it again. After my experience I would have just bought a long block from AB. I would have had a warranty and at least here I really had a hard time finding a machine shop. The good ones are booked months out or have no interest in messing with a rover v8 and now I know why the one shop that would do it had availability to do so.
Land Rover Top Hat Engine - $2,500 (Durham, NC)
Land Rover Engine fresh from the machine shop! Pressure tested and new Top Hot Liners installed! This engine comes with new finished cam bearings installed! This is the bare block ready for the rotating assembly to be installed!!! Many options available contact me if you need a complete engine...
discoweb.org
9196023894
Larry
Go there
Call Larry that block he is selling (here in the classifieds) is top-hat'd and ready to go. And the shop that built is has a solid reputation in the research triangle area. I think he mentions he/they can fill it up with busybits as well.
discoweb.org
that block he is selling (here in the classifieds) is top-hat'd and ready to go. And the shop that built is has a solid reputation in the research triangle area. I think he mentions he/they can fill it up with busybits as well.Land Rover Top Hat Engine - $2,500 (Durham, NC)
Land Rover Engine fresh from the machine shop! Pressure tested and new Top Hot Liners installed! This engine comes with new finished cam bearings installed! This is the bare block ready for the rotating assembly to be installed!!! Many options available contact me if you need a complete engine...
discoweb.org
While Larry is a standup guy and made every effort to resolve my issues on the machined block I bought from him, the same cant be said for the shop that built it. I know mistakes happen but its how you respond to them that shows your character. I bought Larry's already completed block because I could tell when I got the quote on mine I didn't not want to deal with the local machine shop that does these engines. I ended up having to anyway and it went exactly how I imagined it would. I'm in no way suggesting someone not buy the block as I am sure mine was a fluke and not a systemic problem that shop has. Just know that if you do have an issue, you will have to battle it out with a egotistical brat that will throw a hissy fit if you in anyway suggest they did something wrong at the machine shop.Call Larry
Land Rover Top Hat Engine - $2,500 (Durham, NC)
Land Rover Engine fresh from the machine shop! Pressure tested and new Top Hot Liners installed! This engine comes with new finished cam bearings installed! This is the bare block ready for the rotating assembly to be installed!!! Many options available contact me if you need a complete engine...
Huh. What is the name of the actual machine shop?
I was referring to the rover shop: British 4x4 Automotive (4430 Hillsborough Rd, Durham, NC 27705). While they are closer to me, I visit them only after my normal shop (Flying Circus) is stacked up or unavailable.
I'd like to understand the dynamic and be thorough in my due diligence!
Walker Machine Shop off six forks road in Raleigh. That's who does Larry's machine work. I bought a freshly machined block from Larry last year. Honestly I had trouble from the start even getting quotes from that machine shop and could tell the shop manager was someone I wouldn't want to do business with. Larry only wanted 2-300 more for his already finished block so I went that route just to avoid dealing with Walker. After 2-3k miles the engine started to develop the typical 4.6 knocking. I spent thousands trying to diagnose the problem thinking it had to be valve train related since there was no way the liners could be moving. Even sent videos to Larry and discussed it with him and he agreed it must be valvetrain. Finally pulled the engine a third time and just decided to tear it all the way down and that's when I discovered one of the liners was broken free from the hat section.
I informed Larry and he agreed to be the mediator between my self and the shop that did the work for him. After all I paid almost 2k for this block and another 1.5-2k chasing the noise not to mention tons of time to only get 3k miles out of it. After a month and a half they agreed to "take care of it" which I assumed meant they would replace the broken liner for free. When I dropped the block off they hit me with a $300.00 quote but I had no better option. I asked if he had talked to Larry and he said "yea, I'll cover the cost of the $60.00 liner but you gotta pay the $300 for labor". The shit really hit the fan when I returned a week later to pick it up. I again voiced my displeasure that I was being charged to fix their mistake which had already cost me thousands of dollars, hours and hours of work, and another rebuild once I get the block back. He then went totally ballistic, balled up the invoice, made a scene in front of other customers in the store front, and told me I was a winey little ***** and to just take the block and leave. Then proceeded to blame me for it breaking because of course he could do no wrong. So yea I wouldn't have them work on my lawnmower engine.
My rebuild was more than 3K without doing tophat liners (but replacing the liners with stock). I did some research on the stock motors from AB and they send it out to a third party and like this post - the third party isn't great with warranty returns or taking any responsibility for anything that might go wrong. There are quite a few posts about this with AB. Pretty much a crap shoot any way that you go. I haven't installed mine yet - so I am just hoping all goes well. Of course they are shutting down all of the reputable machine shops these days so it is getting increasingly difficult to find anyone willing to even work on your project - at least here in CA for sure!
I've heard the same horror stories about Walker. And to be honest I haven't had the best experience at British 4x4. Honestly all the shops in the area aren't that great. That's why I do everything myself. The machine shop I spoke to wanted 3k for just liners. They didn't seem too thrilled about doing them either so I went another route for my rebuild
Are you saying it was a top-hat sleeve (Darton) and that separated at the shoulder?
There has to be a bunch of shops around Charlotte (Moonshine running NASCAR epicenter)... I haven't looked but I certainly will when the time comes. Darton referred me to their go-to shop in socal who does all their development work for new sleeve builds.. Seems like it might be worth the extra ~$500 for round-trip shipping. Speaking of which; I spoke with Darton about designing a modern tophat, they didn't say no but they didn't seem to want to piss off Turner either. It seems like a modern construction, triple-oring, compression oring (stainless ring at the top of the cylinder) sleeve would be a nice modernization.
Darton has a nice page talking about all this: https://dartonsleeves.com/tech-publications/tech-center/
Darton has a nice page talking about all this: https://dartonsleeves.com/tech-publications/tech-center/
They use Melling sleeves but yes the hat section was captured between the head and the block and the cylinder section broke free and was sliding back and forth in the bore.
Almost every other machine shop I called either said they had no interest in doing the sleeves or told me it would be 6-8 months before they could get to it. I found a local shop that "fit me in" to machine the heads flat, turn the crank, and install the new pistons onto my rods.
When I bought the disco I knew the engine was tired and the plan was to LS swap it. I didn't know Alternative Conversions was out of business until I tried contacting them to order the kit. So then my hands were kind of tied to rebuilding the 4.6.
When I bought the disco I knew the engine was tired and the plan was to LS swap it. I didn't know Alternative Conversions was out of business until I tried contacting them to order the kit. So then my hands were kind of tied to rebuilding the 4.6.
It’s worth shipping to a place that wants to do the work. if I needed machine work on a Rover V8 I’d send it to The Wedge Shop. As these engines age I think it’s kind of foolish to expect a mainstream machine shop to both want to do the work and know what they are doing. It’s like expecting a high volume auto body shop to want to do complete repaint on a classic car.
Ive been debating on what to do for my next cam, lifter, and timing gear/chain. Im just going to buy whatever TWS recommends.
Ive been debating on what to do for my next cam, lifter, and timing gear/chain. Im just going to buy whatever TWS recommends.
Start with how much power do you really want? Do you really want 400lb of torque twisting those little axles into pretzels? Better add that upgrade to the list.
Swaps are expensive, time consuming, and technical; not at all plug and play. Using that logic, buying a new LS powered SUV is even easier... That's not the point, imo.
For the same coin or less you can build a nice 4.6 with TA Performance heads and a roller hydraulic cam, slap some headers on there along with bigger injectors (and a highflow pump and adjustable regulator) and you should be solidly in the 300hp/300lbft range. Without completely wiping out the drivetrain.
Yeah I do.. Im running Ashcroft everything so that isn't a concern. My next project is 4 linking the rear. I've had my D2 20yrs. For me It's about keeping it going another 20 at least.Start with how much power do you really want? Do you really want 400lb of torque twisting those little axles into pretzels? Better add that upgrade to the list.
Swaps are expensive, time consuming, and technical; not at all plug and play. Using that logic, buying a new LS powered SUV is even easier... That's not the point, imo.
For the same coin or less you can build a nice 4.6 with TA Performance heads and a roller hydraulic cam, slap some headers on there along with bigger injectors (and a highflow pump and adjustable regulator) and you should be solidly in the 300hp/300lbft range. Without completely wiping out the drivetrain.
Again. Its the fact that anything Rover sucks. The quality is all over the place. Trying to sup a Rover engine is asking for trouble. I'd rather run a stock LS, which doubles the power without even trying. That's why I dont understand the kits that use Rover accessories.. My buddy has an LS from them. Guess what? His Rover alternator died at an event. No one had one anywhere local. He had to tow it home on a flat bed. If he had kept it all GM, he could of found 10 different alternators all in stock..
That said I'm currently rebuilding my 4.0. I need the truck back on the road sooner than later. But as soon as it's done. I'm going to start collecting everything to LS swap it.
I recently got a donor truck with a solid frame. I'm going to throw the body away. Keep the frame, 4 link the rear and drop the LS into it while I keep driving mine. Once it's done, I'll swap my body onto the new frame. None of this makes financial sense, but the truck has brought me and me wife so many memories, we both agree it's not going anywhere.
Oh and this will be the 3rd engine this truck will have had swapped into it. I love the looks of Rovers, but I'm tired of replacing engines that don't seem to last more than 100k before something else goes bad on them. The first one was my fault. I let it overheat. This time the lifters collapsed. When I tore it down i found bad cam bearings and a cylinder out of round..
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