We fit replacement engines and rebuild selected engine types at Llandow. Send the engine code and details of the failure or proposed build so we can check availability.
We can source replacement engines or assemble supported engines in-house. External machine shops carry out work such as boring, honing, crank grinding, balancing and cylinder-head machining. We confirm the parts and machining needed before agreeing the build.
Planning a different engine or drivetrain? Explore our engine swap and conversion service.
The right route depends on what has failed, the condition of the original engine, the availability of a suitable replacement and your plans for the vehicle. A rebuild can also involve external machining, while a replacement needs the correct specification and compatible supporting components.
If the cause of the problem is still uncertain, start with engine diagnostics or a fault assessment. A warning light or loss of performance alone does not establish that a full rebuild is needed.
Send the registration, engine code, mileage, symptoms and any diagnostic or strip-down reports. For a performance project, include the current hardware, intended use and power target. Tell us whether you are supplying an engine or parts and whether the car is already dismantled.
Access, the extent of damage, parts and machining requirements affect both cost and timing. Some of these can only be established after inspection or dismantling, so discuss the initial assessment and subsequent work as separate stages.
Include your budget and deadline with the specification.
Discuss engine workEngine projects are charged for the work, parts and services the job requires. Choose the workshop priority that suits your timescale; the hourly rates below are for labour.
£145per hour
Scheduled ahead of routine jobs where possible. Parts and machining lead times still apply. We can arrange delivery to external machine shops where useful, at an additional charge.
£95per hour
Work follows our regular workshop schedule. If parts are delayed, work resumes when they arrive and current jobs allow.
£55per hour
Work fits around other projects as workshop time allows. Smaller jobs may take around six months; more major projects can take one to two years, depending on workload, parts and external machining.
Please discuss the scope, budget and payment arrangements with us before the project starts.
Engine rebuilds do not have a fixed price. You can tell us your budget, but it is not a cap or a promise that the work can be completed for that amount. The final cost depends on the work, parts and services the engine needs.
For example, if your budget is £3,000 and the job costs £6,000 to complete, the extra £3,000 is not free. The cost of the work remains payable.
Once the engine is inspected or dismantled, we may find further faults, damaged components or other work needed to complete the rebuild. We will explain what we find and the effect on the project and its cost. If you ask us to rebuild the engine, we will carry out the work needed to complete the agreed build unless you tell us to stop. The required work and parts add to the cost of the job.
You can tell us at any point that you do not want to spend more and ask us to stop, even if the project is part-finished. Work completed and costs incurred up to that point remain payable.
Costs incurred for your project are charged to the job. These can include replacement parts, external machining, supplier recharges, delivery, the cost of returning incorrect parts and necessary administration. We will explain and itemise applicable charges as the project progresses.
We may issue interim, partial or final invoices during the work. If an invoice is not paid in full, work will be paused until the outstanding amount is paid.
If any balance remains unpaid one week after the invoice date, vehicle storage is charged at £20 per day from then, regardless of how long we have worked on the vehicle or how much work remains.
Built around your goals
We can plan upgrades for performance, reliability or both. The right combination depends on the engine, its supporting parts and how you intend to use the vehicle.
Performance camshaft installation and timing setup.
Upgraded pistons, connecting rods, bearings and fasteners.
Valve upgrades, springs, guides and light porting.
Head gasket and head stud upgrades where suitable.
Measurement and preparation of the rotating assembly.
Oil-system and cooling-system improvements where appropriate.
Performance builds
We can discuss forged builds for supported engine types. They may be suitable for higher power targets, regular track use or longer-term performance projects.
A standard or lightly uprated engine with a sensible power target and a good custom tune can be a better fit for many road cars. We will discuss the specification, cost and timescale with you.
Forged pistons, stronger connecting rods, upgraded bearings, head studs or bolts and gaskets, often with additional machining and balancing. The final specification depends on your engine.
For a basic four-cylinder forged build. This is a guide, not a fixed price; larger or more complex engines and the parts or machining required can cost more.
Understand the risks
Some projects go beyond what the engine manufacturer designed or supports. We will discuss the proposed work and its risks with you before it begins.
If the manufacturer says an engine should not be rebuilt and you still want us to proceed, we undertake the work on a best-effort basis, using suitable available parts and methods, including aftermarket options where appropriate.
The outcome and future service life cannot be guaranteed in advance. We do not provide a commercial engine-rebuild warranty for these engines.
Modified engines and engines built for fast-road, track or motorsport use are also undertaken on a best-effort basis. Increasing power or engine speed places extra stress on components, and even a carefully prepared engine with uprated parts can fail.
We cannot know exactly what power will prove too much for a particular engine or guarantee its reliability at a given figure. You choose the target and decide what risk you are prepared to accept. If you do not understand and accept those risks, do not embark on a performance build; keep the engine to its standard specification and power instead.
We do not provide a commercial engine warranty for modified or performance engines.
Before you book
Commercial warranty cover depends on who supplies the engine or parts, the build and how it will be used. We will explain the terms for your project before work begins.
3 or 6 months typically
The engine supplier's warranty applies. For road-going or non-performance vehicles, cover is typically three or six months, depending on the supplier and engine.
2 weeks start-up cover
For road or non-performance vehicles, our limited start-up warranty covers the engine starting, idling and running as expected on installation.
3 months workmanship
Our commercial warranty covers workmanship on road or non-performance rebuilds completed in-house. If a fault is found to be due to our assembly or workmanship, we will put it right under the applicable terms.
No engine warranty
Modified engines and engines built for fast-road, track or motorsport use are undertaken on a best-effort basis, without a commercial engine warranty. Examples include engines with uprated camshafts or a raised rev limit.
Performance use can place much greater stress on an engine. Please make sure you understand and accept the risks before commissioning the build.
Manufacturer says the engine cannot be rebuilt: If you ask us to rebuild an engine that the original vehicle or engine manufacturer states is not rebuildable or should not be rebuilt, we do so on a best-effort basis without a commercial engine-rebuild warranty. This also applies if aftermarket parts or rebuilding methods are available.
The commercial rebuild warranty does not cover damage or failure caused by the following:
Our parts warranty for parts we supply is separate and is explained below. Commercial warranty terms do not affect your statutory rights.
Parts and warranty
Tell us before work begins if you plan to supply an engine or any of the parts for your build.
Our parts warranty does not cover customer-supplied engines or components, including if a part fails after fitting and an installation issue is found. Check with your supplier for any manufacturer's or supplier's warranty.
If a customer-supplied component itself is faulty, you pay for investigation and the labour needed to strip and rebuild the engine. If the engine has been stripped, putting it back together is also chargeable; reassembly is not free.
Our responsibility for the quality of our installation and your statutory rights are separate. If an installation fault causes damage, your applicable rights and remedies remain unaffected.
We provide a parts warranty on the parts we source and supply. If a part we supply fails and the failure is covered by that warranty, we will strip and rebuild the engine at our expense.
Our parts warranty is separate from the engine warranty above. We will explain the terms for the part before work begins.
Discuss your engine projectScheduling and priority
You pay for the level of workshop priority you choose. The economy service offers a lower labour rate with a longer, flexible timescale; priority work is scheduled ahead of routine jobs where possible.
£55 per hour
If you choose the economy service, your vehicle remains on the economy schedule. We work on it during available workshop time, around higher-priority jobs.
Smaller jobs may take around six months, while more major projects can take one to two years. Timescales depend on workload, parts and external machining. This option is not suitable if you need the vehicle back urgently.
£95 / £145 per hour for standard / priority
If you are dissatisfied with the economy timescale, you can ask at any point to move your project to standard at £95 per hour or priority at £145 per hour. Standard follows the regular workshop schedule; priority is scheduled ahead of routine work where possible.
We will discuss availability, the likely schedule and any applicable deposit terms before agreeing the switch.
Once the switch is agreed, any further labour, including additional work needed to complete the project, is charged at your chosen higher-tier rate. Work already completed remains charged at the rate that applied when it was done.