"Short" Engines

[Yoshi]

I am currently looking into replacement engines for the disco as it kind snapped a con rod!

Really i want to get a recon one, but not sure what the differences are between them!

There is a short one, a 3/4 one and obviously a full one!

Any help would be appreciated

**mods** I have put this in here as its not a specific disco query, its about recon engines in general!

[Range Rover Blues]

"short"=block, crank, rods and pistons.  Nowt else.

"long"=the above plus camshaft, followers and timing chain.  Possible the oil pump on some engine types and some anciliaries.

"3/4" I'm not entirely sure if that the same or includes heads?

"full" as the name suggests is a full-engine with only minor anciliaries like perhaps the front cover, rocker covers etc being carried over.  Most parts will have been inspected and where needed, replaced.  Valves should be new as should rocker shafts.  I've seen recons use the old camashafts but that's bad.  Any part that comes into contact with the old oil could be contaminated with metal filings form the dieing engine.

"turnkey"= just like they were found in the production line, fit and forget almost, a fully ready-to-run engine with probably most anciliaries fitted, the dizzy fitted as appropriate and all timed up.

[V8MoneyPit]

One companies short engine might be different to anothers. So check what you get with each supplier. But RRB's basic principal is spot on, of course.

[Yoshi]

Cheers RRB, thats basically what i wanted to know :D

So i would only really need a short engine as the con rod snapped?

[V8MoneyPit]

Is the head off yet? If not, take it off and inspect it before you commit to a short unit. If the rod let go on the exhaust stroke, the piston can continue up and impact the head. Unusual, but I have heard of it happening.

Incidentally, BL used to supply oil pumps and sumps on their Gold Seal A series 'short' engines. But they offered a Silver Seal that was more like RRB's description of the short unit.

[Yoshi]

Well swmbo has said that when we have some money i can have a full one :D yaaaaaaaaaaay lol

[Range Rover Blues]

A BL gold series unit would, in their cars at least, have all new moving parts, a silver seal would have had mostly new parts and all parts inspected.

It's true that on LR engines you don't get as many parts as I would have expected on, say my old Escort.  A "short" engine for a crossflow was everything below the head, back when I used to mess with things like that.

[V8MoneyPit]

A BL gold series unit would, in their cars at least, have all new moving parts, a silver seal would have had mostly new parts and all parts inspected.

That used to be my impression too. Except it wasn't true. I was always told that you got new crank, rods, etc. But the first time I found this wasn't true was with an MG Midget Gold Seal unit way back. It had -0.020" crank journals! Mind you, it did come with the stronger Innocenti rods which was a bonus.

Subsequently, I came across other cases of reground cranks in Gold Seal units.