Thread: OK so it's a cracked head

Originally Posted by Jamo

Oh, I stand corrected. Thanks captain!

So does that mean it's expensive because it was built by some obscure little company without economies of scale? Or because they know there's nowhere else you can go?

YES

Welding of alloy heads only works if you are selling the vehicle.The rest of the head is heat treated,the repaired section isnt so it corrodes again,sometimes very quickly.
Edd did your head corrode in the same place as the first time or a new section????
That 626 of my bros had corroded quite a bit in the weld that was done 6 months ago.
Andrew

Originally Posted by Jamo

It's hard to see the justification in a $4,500 price tag, isn't it? I suppose they don't move a lot of them, but it's still very high. Is that because it's a BMW motor or is that the going rate for these things?

(ps. IF you get Edds mate to weld it, make sure he ties it onto his truck properly! )

I agree its hard to see the justification, but I suspect you will find it is a typical price for a cylinder head for any similar modern engine that is not used in a mass market vehicle. Although not helped by Landrover Australia's push up market!

The price, as for most things, has only a tenuous link to the cost of making it, but is controlled by alternative suppliers (none), number sold (not many), and an estimate of what the market will bear (see cost of importing from UK).

And it is not a BMW engine - it was designed before BMW bought the company, and there was to be a set of four, five and six cylinder versions, but the only one that made it into production was the five, as it was the only one that BMW did not have an equivalent of their own, plus it had to go into production first as the Tdi was no longer compliant with EU emissions. But of course, this makes it somewhat of an orphan, compared to the 2.25 for example, that was in production for nearly thirty years, or the V8 that was in production for more than thirty years, so that even though they were never fitted to mass market cars, there are a lot of bits available, price for new bits being held down by availability of second hand bits.

John

How did the head crack?

A mechanic told me once that a customer of his (some years ago now) bought an ex-army FFR Land Rover, with the muffler under the front bumper. He apparently drowned the motor going through a puddle a couple of weeks after buying the vehicle. He made an insurance claim and they paid $5K or there abouts for a brand new motor.

Did the head crack as a result of an incident for which you are insured against?

My experience in being involved in the repair of a friend's damaged Tdi head was that a new one was about $4000, and, after searching for a good used one, came to the conclusion that any used head was going to cost as much as a new one by the time it was brought up to usable condition.

I dont know what the cost of a new head would be but I certainly would try somwhere like 'triumph Rover Spares' in Lonsdale, SA. Either for a second hand or new one. It might give you an idea as to what is a reasonable price.

Originally Posted by loanrangie

You wont have to pay VAT but you will be hit with import duty and gst.

Not for 250 pounds ya wont!

Limit is $1500.00 now

I don't think second hand is an option really, unless I decided to unload the vehicle quickly, nor welding, but thanks for the suggestions.

Prices in the UK vary from 990 to 1150 pounds. Air freight should be less than 100 pounds, so even if I had to pay gst it still works out a fair bit less. It's just a hassle to organise.

My warranty theoretically covers $1000 of the cost, provided "there is no evidence of overheating". I don't know how you can prove that one way or the other.

Mulling over the options I will have o get it fixed and then I'll have to keep it, but the big question is what's to stop it happening again?