Recommendations for replacement tuner engines?
 

Hi all!

I am not a regular here but I need some recos from the regs...

My R53 engine is toast - the short and pithy story is that I have apparently started to burn a goodly amount of oil after 88k hard miles, and my oil level sensor was not being honest and open with me about how it was really feeling, and I didn't want to make it think that I didn't trust it anymore by checking the dipstick (yes, I fully accept my role and responsibility in what's happened between us), and so it didn't give me any indication that something might be wrong until it was down 3.5 qts, and even then it only flickered the light in a turn... Ok, enough of the marriage counselling theme. Bottom line is I topped off the oil the day I saw the light, and while everything seemed to be fine, a few days later, the engine just cold SHUT OFF while going 80 on the highway, without so much as a CEL. Ouch. Towed it to my garage, all seemed fine (running smooth, no big fault codes) so I said lets just do the big service and see what happens. He didn't get any further than draining the oil when the call came in - LOTS of metal shavings in the oil & filter! I had him drop the pan so we could understand the cause of death - the crank is a little scratched but there was a chunk of plastic from an unknown part in the pan, the connecting rods are trashed, and of course all the bearings would need to be replaced, and who knows what else is hiding up in there.

Thank you in advance for the otherwise excellent suggestions of rebuilding this engine or installing a used engine from a salvaged car, or a rebuilt engine from anyone - but I have already decided NOT to take any of these routes.

I want to install a tuner engine, the more complete the better, with no other substantial mods required (exhaust, transmission, etc), giving me a nice bump in low- and mid-range torque (don't care about bumping top end power at all). It has to be durable since it is my DD and I had been planning to autoX the car this year - so I want to get a leg up over stock. This engine has to be readily available and on the shelf right now too - I have other vehicles to drive, but I need to get this car back on the road in the next 2-3 weeks.

So what I'm asking is - which companies should I look at to achieve that goal?

Thank you!!

Biggest question, what's the budget?

Purchase + install </= the value of a running and serviced R53 with 88k miles whose interior is serviceable, but has seen better days. :thumbsup: Call it $7500 max?

But practically speaking, I will weigh all options in terms of cost vs. benefits. A complete engine is an easier swap (and therefore cheaper install) than a stripped block & head.

I am looking for an engine that'll give me a solid torque upgrade without twisting my transmission into a pretzel. I really and truly don't want or need a screamer (already got one).

Way sells motors ready to go.

Way? was that supposed to be "we"? If you, then who are you?

"Way" is http://www.waymotorworks.com/

Told you I was a noob!

:-) Thanks - I'm looking at their site now

Been there, done that. 1L/1000km consumption rate is what I discovered mine had.

Had the dealer install a factory crate. Up here in Canada I didn't have the luxury of purchasing from Way.
Either way (see what I did there?) that's your best route. Rebuilding is best left to the experts and you're looking at $4000 to do it right (no rods or crank at that price) and that's just the rebuild.

Book time on engine swap is around 24h, the dealer did mine in 19.

I have a W11 for sale if you're in Canada.

@ jamez - sounds like you had a very similar experience. How big is our little club?

A good W11? I'm about a 6 hr drive from you, and I have a cousin in NotL that I haven't seen in a while, so a trip up to ON for your engine could work out well. Please email (or PM) me the details... if you leave your number I'll call.

Thank you so much for the recommendation folks! I checked out Way MW - looks promising! I left a message and hope to hear from them on Monday. I understand the "call for price" but I thought it odd that they don't provide any specs or dyno comparison graphs or anything like that for the engines they offer.

I talked to Jan at Revolution Motor Works late yesterday but it seems that will be a pricey and slow way to go since they don't have a ready engine (in a spec I want) and they are clear across the country.

Let's just say that the club is larger than it should be. And yes, I have been through it all. Learn from my $16,000 in mistakes...

The worst part of it is that Mini Canada says that 1L/1000km consumption is "within spec"

Here's the listing for my W11 on NAM. And yes - it's a good engine - but left stock.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post3887461

Jamez has opened my mind to the option of a rebuilt engine - priced below retail, anyway! His sounds great but its warranty is virtually useless to me due to the distance from the warrantor.

Where do you find these engines on the site?

http://www.waymotorworks.com/r53-coo...ck-engine.html :thumbsup: