by cass3958 » Mon Nov 07, 2022 2:11 pm
The XK engine should be good for 100k miles but it all depends on how hard it has been driven but also how little it has been used.
A well used engine with a good service history will be good for many miles. Well lubricated and not stood around.
A low mileage engine which has been stood around for a long time with no oil being circulated and then started once every month and turned off before it is heated up can have more damage than a well used engine. Water can seep into the oil, rust can cause sediment in the radiator and the water ways in the block. Old oil can congeal in the oil ways and oil pump.
Even a rebuilt engine is no guarantee that the engine is good or has been done correctly. You can't strip it down to look inside so you have to go on your instincts.
My engine had 75k miles on the clock after 45 years but had been sat for last ten years and used sparingly for the previous ten years to that so when I bought it it needed to be rebuilt. Re bored, new pistons, valves, valve guides, big end bearings, main bearings and so on. Total cost for the machine work was £750. Parts were another £1000 and I stripped the engine and assembled it myself. Total cost for the rebuild was in the region of £2000 when you add on gaskets and fluids.
If you let someone else do the work for you you might be looking at £5000 for an engine rebuild as labour costs are a killer.
Only you can tell if the engine is good and strong during a test drive. In comparison to welding, repairing and painting bodywork the engine is very easy and cheap to repair. I would be looking for the best body work and paint work I could find. If the body has been well looked after generally the engine has also been well looked after.
The XK engine should be good for 100k miles but it all depends on how hard it has been driven but also how little it has been used.
A well used engine with a good service history will be good for many miles. Well lubricated and not stood around.
A low mileage engine which has been stood around for a long time with no oil being circulated and then started once every month and turned off before it is heated up can have more damage than a well used engine. Water can seep into the oil, rust can cause sediment in the radiator and the water ways in the block. Old oil can congeal in the oil ways and oil pump.
Even a rebuilt engine is no guarantee that the engine is good or has been done correctly. You can't strip it down to look inside so you have to go on your instincts.
My engine had 75k miles on the clock after 45 years but had been sat for last ten years and used sparingly for the previous ten years to that so when I bought it it needed to be rebuilt. Re bored, new pistons, valves, valve guides, big end bearings, main bearings and so on. Total cost for the machine work was £750. Parts were another £1000 and I stripped the engine and assembled it myself. Total cost for the rebuild was in the region of £2000 when you add on gaskets and fluids.
If you let someone else do the work for you you might be looking at £5000 for an engine rebuild as labour costs are a killer.
Only you can tell if the engine is good and strong during a test drive. In comparison to welding, repairing and painting bodywork the engine is very easy and cheap to repair. I would be looking for the best body work and paint work I could find. If the body has been well looked after generally the engine has also been well looked after.