T1N Replacement Engine Costs

[bored]

So can you do the arithmetic estimate on a long block rebuild giving yourself some margin of profit to cover your time.
No freebies nor fairy godmothers allowed in this costing assumation, just plain business sense .
Got calculator at the ready?
Your starter for ten start NOW!
Dennis

Its not a financial decision. I think for many you should definitely take that into consideration.

Why take something apart and rebuild it? I would like to do it if I found a great donor engine for a good price. It will likely cost more and I may even regret it but....maybe its just because you want to.

 

[lindenengineering]

Well any repair is a financial decision, and equally buying a part whether new or used requires a financial decision to purchase it.
So we all take that into consideration no matter what it is .

That same salient consideration is pertinent again when making repair decisions, even the same applied with a used donor ..
What is the price, what is the projected useful life of this donor component and the cost ?
If you pay a great price today and it fails tomorrow then suddenly it's NOT a great price , best described as poor decision making and the sword of Damocles falls upon you.

Rebuilding a major unit boiled down, is again a financial decision, and you have to weight the cost to do so taking into account all of the elements involved.
I submit a so called rebuilt engine cannot be achieved for $4700 if you do the math .
Dennis

 

[3Play]

I wish I had bought a factory engine while they were still available, just the bolt on parts almost added up to the price tag..
So there ARE current factory T1N rebuilds available night now????
If so, I would like to buy one, BUT and this is a big BUT. I would really like the warranty to start from the time of installation, because I
would put the new engine on a stand and not use it until my original takes a dive......

 

[220629]

I hadn't even thought about the bolt on parts cost total. Good point.

...
If so, I would like to buy one, BUT and this is a big BUT. I would really like the warranty to start from the time of installation, because I
would put the new engine on a stand and not use it until my original takes a dive......

That might work for a dealership, but I doubt they would extend that to a private owner, or maybe not even to an independent shop. I'm certain one of the reasons they would cite is proper/controlled/monitored storage prior to installation.

I doubt that I'll ever need a replacement engine. The 2004 has rusted away. The 2006 is still in overall great condition, but for my purpose not worth installing an expensive part like an engine. A transmission might not even make the cut for what I'm willing to invest in a 15 year old truck. Most RV owners are in a different situation.

vic

 

[lindenengineering]

I wish I had bought a factory engine while they were still available, just the bolt on parts almost added up to the price tag..
So there ARE current factory T1N rebuilds available night now????
If so, I would like to buy one, BUT and this is a big BUT. I would really like the warranty to start from the time of installation, because I
would put the new engine on a stand and not use it until my original takes a dive......

The clock starts ticking at the point of purchase with a short time limit & verified install with date & odometer mileage.
Dennis

 

[bored]

Well any repair is a financial decision, and equally buying a part whether new or used requires a financial decision to purchase it.
So we all take that into consideration no matter what it is .

That is one way to see it. Car building isn't like that for me. When I consider my hourly rate vs building its always a loss.
I try not to run my life by profits and losses. Its all a loss in the end.

 

[lindenengineering]

Well if you are not careful you can end up with big financial losses
Need I mention the often used saying "A fool and his money are soon parted!!
That applies to anything in life, not just old Sprinter vans you know.
Dennis

 

[ECU]

just the bolt on parts almost added up to the price tag..

Someone asked me what was still left of my original van after 13 years, 400,000 miles...
Just the short block, tranny, driveshaft and differential.

 

[az7000']

The clock starts ticking at the point of purchase with a short time limit & verified install with date & odometer mileage.
Dennis

So is there a downside to buying and storing an engine for us motor home folks? Sounds cheaper then a nice mountain bike!

Just wondering, not in the plan…

 

[lindenengineering]

Not if you store it properly like the US Mil does,
Dennis

 

[bored]

So is there a downside to buying and storing an engine for us motor home folks? Sounds cheaper then a nice mountain bike!

Just wondering, not in the plan…

The only downside would be the warranty.

 

[az7000']

Thanks, going back I like to think I maintain my engines well, sold my last honda 450x at 680 hours and it still ran great, on the 3rd piston and one head rebuild...

And I then I saw THIS!

What a shame, the engine is quite capable of 1,000,000 miles IF you maintain it properly.

So at 70k ish on a 2007 I should get another 186 years or so at 5000k per year, but if I step it up to 15k/year that only leaves me 62 years, i'll be 117... Factor in the extra weight of the MH and I should still be running it at 100!!

 

[220629]

... Factor in the extra weight of the MH and I should still be running it at 100!!

The Covid factor has hit me.

Factoring in the less miles per year we now seem to be hitting since Covid-19 has affected our lives, I'm stockpiled for at least 6+ T1N oil changes. It was almost exactly 2 years for both the 2004 and the 2006 to hit the miles trigger.

Factor in the extra weight of the Covid inactivity and I will not still be running at 100.

In our race of vehicle miles vs owner years the good money might be on my Sprinter.

But back to topic.

vic

 

[Sword_of_the_Spirit]

No on the contrary
A drop in factory reman is the best repair option by far!
I have posted a such in the past several times.
The issue is price and price shoppers plus of course availability.

When I see posts lauding $4700 for an exchange long block it makes me wonder how much content is new & how much is re-used or "freshened up"!

The other aspect is profit doing such a job. Engine rebuilds are the worst profit drivers for any shop to undertake, so its a factory re-man every time.
If the customer can afford it!
Many can't.
Dennis

Thats what I just posted about. Mercedes is not producing any new ones. That’s a Factory Remanufactured long block.

It’s easy to be number 1, but read mate. You have a lot of great information, but you need to slow down a little bit. Read

 

[bored]

but if I step it up to 15k/year that only leaves me 62 years, i'll be 117...

Wow I put on 15k miles with two travel trips per year - preCovid - in two months. That was before I bought the sprinter.
My estimate is I will likely put on 30-50k per year depending on business.

 

[SneakyAnarchistVanCamper]

Spent $1000 on my 2004 engine, with 85K miles, and got a transmission for $500 out of the deal too. Had a destroyed timing case cover, and transmission has a busted rear mount. Had to pull the engine myself after taking a plane there. Plan was to drive it home after replacing the cooling pack, but it was a lot more smashed than the seller had described. Just a little fender bender, he said. He hadn't even pried open the hood! Filling up the fluids today, and crossing my fingers. Already heard it run, sounded good.

 

[ECU]

Restomod your van like this rig. Electric.

 

[220629]

March 31, 2022

A word of caution
You will NOT find a genuinely REMANUFACTURED engine for the budget you are seeking.
A somewhat freshened up specimen you might find for that figure, but the parts and labor of the real deal puts a reman long block in the order of $7700.
Dennis

Added in next reply:
The base LONG block is $7700 , then add injectors say $1500 plus sundries and you hit about $9000 .
Add 6 hours to dress the engine with loose parts , then 12 hours for engine removal and install of the donor.
You might need a new radiator or even a condenser to finish the job which might conceivably push the project price to about $12,000,.
Dennis

 

[lindenengineering]

Well we are installing a customer supplied cheapie re-man long block at the moment.
Without tearing it open I can see some glaring omissions that I wouldn't do, but its early days yet to ultimate fire up and road test .
Dennis

 

[someguy124]

just some recently acquired knowledge for the hive mind
https://sprinterdepo.com/mercedes-engines/
Jerry
Replacement engines and stripped Injector hold down bolt expert
$6750 for rebuilt engine with quite a warranty, though I've forgotten how long.
Also says only use MB original waterpump, thermostat, and fan clutch assemblies for long life. Their remans have these parts as well

Cheers, Adam