Receiving An Engine From Abroad

[mssabai]

Apologies for my complete newbie-ness about all these matters...please be patient with me!

My boyfriend has an 1100cc 1985 Honda Magna V65. After much patient attention it now looks as if the engine is not going to go any further... We are looking to replace the engine and are looking at options. Due to the lack and cost of these kinds of engines here we are looking at the possibilty of getting one sent from abroad. We are able to do this through dealers in BKK, but the premiums they add are crippling so i am trying to see if there is anyway we can cut out the middle man - what with me being ENglish and him being Thai...figure we have a foot on both sides!

I would like to get any information possible on what this involves. I have seen the costs of import tax on another thread and wonder what of that applied to just an engine (and/or other parts). And what is the process that would have to happen on the senders side? How can I get shipping costs (assuming UPS isout of the picture!) for this kind of size item?

The bike has it's own book but what if we were to get a higher cc engine? (we are looking at rebuilding the bike if we can't find the engine we need) how does that change matters?

Thanks for any help you can give!

[LivinLOS]

Find the parts and rebuild the engine with the same engine numbers.. Much easier..

Importing an engine whole incurrs not only parts import costs but a whole bunch of 'invoice' issues and needing to change the engine numbers in the book.

[mssabai]

Thanks. The problem is this bike is really rare here and the parts are very hard to get hold of. If we were getting parts from abroad, what would this entail in terms of import costs? If we buy through agents in Bangkok they will import from Japan and deal with all of this, but for a cost...

[Travelmate]

One option is to send engine overseas and have it rebuilt there. Taxes can be avoided if you apply for a temporary export permit for the engine. Thus when it return to Thai shores you will be exempt from import duty.

I myself have imported engines myself. But always the original unit for the bike. Last engine I brought in was for a piece of crap Yamaha R1. It had a top end rebuild by a tuner in the UK. Anyhooter tax was zero. Since it was a returning import. Only have to cover costs.

Good luck.

[surfaxxis]

Thanks. The problem is this bike is really rare here and the parts are very hard to get hold of. If we were getting parts from abroad, what would this entail in terms of import costs? If we buy through agents in Bangkok they will import from Japan and deal with all of this, but for a cost...

Hi , the bike may be rare in Thailand, but is not worth much more than 120,000, with book, why go to the expense?

Take your time and look for a secondhand engine in Thailand, Have you tried to put a request in the classified? of Thaivisa or others

[mssabai]

yeah I think I agree with you surfaxxis....just too much hassle and expense. Will look to try and replace the engine in the country.

[submaniac]

MsSabai?!?! Here, in the motorcycle forum?!?!?!

Well welcome!!!!

We have alot of people in this forum knowledgeable about motorcycle repair/mechanical stuff. But what I think we will need to start off with is exactly what is wrong with the engine. With that we can figure out whether it is cheaper/better to rebuild the engine or buy a new/used one. I know you aren't a mechanic, but 'it's about to fail' isn't enough info to assess what to do. (Sorry.) Can you ask your boyfriend what is wrong with the engine? Is it losing compression? Is it making a knocking sound? Is it leaking oil? Is there coolant mixing in with the oil (looks like a milkshake when you remove the oil cap.) There's a whole bunch of things that can go wrong. It may not even need a full engine rebuild. Having the pistons or crankshaft go bad is unusual. It could just need a simple cylinder head rebuild, which would be alot cheaper and simpler than bringing in a new engine. From my (meager) experience, the vast majority of times an engine can be rebuilt so long as the engine block itself isn't cracked.

I do not know exactly what is wrong with the engine, but my gut reaction is I think it would be better to rebuild than replace the engine. There's gonna be alot of headaches shipping in a new engine to Thailand. And while you may have a foot in England, I gotta say from me looking at stuff from Europe, it is much more expensive than in the states. If you need, I will be willing and able to help you procure parts in the states and have them shipped to you in Thailand.

If you ship another engine to Thailand there are going to be problems. First off, it's gonna be expensive just for the shipping. The engine on a Magna does weigh quite a bit, and you will have to have it crated and shipped. If you just bring in the necessary parts, you could put it in a small box, and pay less on shipping and import customs. A set of pistons, a new crankshaft, all that stuff can fit in a relatively small box that can be mailed from the post office. I don't know what they would do if I tried to bring in a crated engine in. Even if you get the engine shipping taken care of, the engine number must match the registration, and you will have to take it to the land transport bureau to have the new engine numbers match the book. And let's not forget the import duty on a large cc motorcycle engine.

I think the best bet is just to rebuild, and rebuild in Thailand. I don't think shipping to England for repair is a great idea, because you got to pay shipping twice (going to and back) plus the labor in England is very expensive. The biggest advantage Thailand has is that labor is so cheap. Might as well take advantage. The biggest problem that you have is finding the parts. But I will find them here for you in the U.S. and ship it to you if you would like. Really, this will be much much cheaper. I found a couple of replacement engines off of Ebay Ebay v65 magna engine another v65 magna engine

But just think how much the entire thing weighs, and how much it would cost to ship. For comparison, a crankshaft is like $45 Magna crankshaft here's a link for places that have specific parts Magna owners of Texas

Really don't you think it would be easier to ship in a few pistons, or gaskets, or whatnot over an entire engine? I really do not like the idea of replacing the engine because you will not know how much longer it will last. You buy a used engine, it could fail in 2 weeks. If you have someone properly rebuild the engine, it will run another 24 years without a problem. It's a Honda. They do that.

Anyways, talk to your boyfriend. Ask him what's wrong. If he can, take it to a mechanic, and ask the mechanic what specific parts he will need, and we can go from there. Take care, darlin'.

[submaniac]

btw MSSABAI, this motorcycle is cool, and worthy of being repaired. The magna was designed to compete with the Yamaha V-max, where they shoved big v4 engines in the frame of a cruiser bike. In it's prime your boyfriend's bike makes 116 hp, and can do the quarter mile in 10 seconds.

[Travelmate]

can do the quarter mile in 10 seconds.

Really!

Please show proof, gotta see a standard 10 second Magna!

[mssabai]

Awww Submaniac to to rescue! How nice to see a familiar avatar! Now who else, don't tell me sbk is gonna pop up as a secret fat boy owner??

So my knowledge is as I say very limited. My boyfriend is a big bike obsessive though so I am gradually getting dragged in. Yes the magna seems to get some good press (though I would say it is not the most beautiful of bikes...some body work is also in the plans). In terms of the mechanics, my bf has been working with his friend, who specialises in fixing big bikes, on it (for what seems like ever I might add!). The engine as far as I know has been taken apart and put back together quite a few times, though no new parts have been bought for it, I am assuming because no actual problem could be detected. It was though that the clutch was the main problem, so that was replaced. The bike then seemed to be running fine but the first long distance journey it made - it conked out after about 70km. I will get some more info about how the conk out actually happened when I speak to him later. His mechanic hasn't had a chance to have a look at it yet either.

We have been looking on ebay for parts recently, but I just have no idea about import duty on any parts that we do order from the US. Is it all just based on the value of the item? How complicated is it to send parts and at what weight does it become more of an issue. The states does look like our best bet, but the buying the parts seems the easy bit to be honest....the crating and shipping is the bit that is freaking me out! I can understand that shipping is cheaper in crates, but what if we are procurring parts from multiple dealers, can you get them put all in the same crate? The time is not an issue so much as the us not being there to organise it all. But cost wise it does seem to make much more sense, even with shipping costs included (well my guesstimated shipping costs anyway).

[LivinLOS]

Awww Submaniac to to rescue! How nice to see a familiar avatar! Now who else, don't tell me sbk is gonna pop up as a secret fat boy owner??

So my knowledge is as I say very limited. My boyfriend is a big bike obsessive though so I am gradually getting dragged in. Yes the magna seems to get some good press (though I would say it is not the most beautiful of bikes...some body work is also in the plans). In terms of the mechanics, my bf has been working with his friend, who specialises in fixing big bikes, on it (for what seems like ever I might add!). The engine as far as I know has been taken apart and put back together quite a few times, though no new parts have been bought for it, I am assuming because no actual problem could be detected. It was though that the clutch was the main problem, so that was replaced. The bike then seemed to be running fine but the first long distance journey it made - it conked out after about 70km. I will get some more info about how the conk out actually happened when I speak to him later. His mechanic hasn't had a chance to have a look at it yet either.

This is usually the part of the problem, engines being taken apart, for a poke around, by clueless mechanics, who put em back together with a few bits left over as spares.. Never a new gasket, never new seals or bearings.. Anything thats been in the average Thai big bike mechanic hands (maybe different in Bangkok) is often dire..

We have been looking on ebay for parts recently, but I just have no idea about import duty on any parts that we do order from the US. Is it all just based on the value of the item? How complicated is it to send parts and at what weight does it become more of an issue. The states does look like our best bet, but the buying the parts seems the easy bit to be honest....the crating and shipping is the bit that is freaking me out! I can understand that shipping is cheaper in crates, but what if we are procurring parts from multiple dealers, can you get them put all in the same crate? The time is not an issue so much as the us not being there to organise it all. But cost wise it does seem to make much more sense, even with shipping costs included (well my guesstimated shipping costs anyway).

Yes its time and money expensive.. Customs dream up number so bits can come through tax free (unopened) one day and then they want 200% the next !! Its a crap shoot and you just have to live with it, or have someone carry bits back in for you.

[submaniac]

can do the quarter mile in 10 seconds.

Really!

Please show proof, gotta see a standard 10 second Magna!

Well here you go-->July 1983 Issue of Cycle Magazine

Awww Submaniac to to rescue! How nice to see a familiar avatar! Now who else, don't tell me sbk is gonna pop up as a secret fat boy owner??

So my knowledge is as I say very limited. My boyfriend is a big bike obsessive though so I am gradually getting dragged in. Yes the magna seems to get some good press (though I would say it is not the most beautiful of bikes...some body work is also in the plans). In terms of the mechanics, my bf has been working with his friend, who specialises in fixing big bikes, on it (for what seems like ever I might add!). The engine as far as I know has been taken apart and put back together quite a few times, though no new parts have been bought for it, I am assuming because no actual problem could be detected. It was though that the clutch was the main problem, so that was replaced. The bike then seemed to be running fine but the first long distance journey it made - it conked out after about 70km. I will get some more info about how the conk out actually happened when I speak to him later. His mechanic hasn't had a chance to have a look at it yet either.

This is usually the part of the problem, engines being taken apart, for a poke around, by clueless mechanics, who put em back together with a few bits left over as spares.. Never a new gasket, never new seals or bearings.. Anything thats been in the average Thai big bike mechanic hands (maybe different in Bangkok) is often dire..

Ding ding ding, I think that LivinLOS has hit the nail on the head. That's the biggest problems with Thai bikes, are Thai "shade tree mechanics".

Really MsSabai, I think you should take it to a REAL mechanic, not just one of your boyfriend's buddies to have it looked at. Maybe run a compression test just to see if there are any problems with the pistons and cylinders. I don't think you need a new engine. I think you need someone to tear it apart and put it back together right. That will cost money to find a good mechanic, but much less that shipping in another engine.

I myself will be shipping a bunch of motorcycle parts shortly. I am sending the parts necessary to make an FZR 400 look like a Yamaha R1. I will let you know how the thing works out.

[Kf6vci]

Wasn't it the ill-fated V-engine desaster with lots of blown engines triggering the R&D effort behind the VFR?

Look, not knowing the details, it might be best to sell the bike as spare parts and move on. Your bf can buy a new bike.

I once asked a garage to repair a much simpler bike, a Honda XL 650 single. At EUR 4000 it had become insanity.

IMHO, even 50,000 Baht might be more than the bike is worth, so move on.

Make a rational decision... Good Luck!

Chris

[PeaceBlondie]

In 1985, a 10.99999 quarter mile was a ten-second bike.

[mssabai]

After a weekend to think about it, I think everyone has come to the same conclusion - scrapping the bike is going to make more sense than spending the money necessary to fix it. If the engine was running fine, it still needs money spent on the body....but now the engine is kaput too...it seems pretty fruitless. In terms of real big bike mechanics...I only know of a company in Lad Phrao...and there is no way this bike is worth being shipped up to BKK. It will be a sad day though but I get the feeling that in this case and probably with lots of oldish bikes, you have to know when to cut your losses.

[LivinLOS]

Shipping a bike costs peanuts.. Far less in Thailand to do that than post an engine..

The post office will even send them round the country for you, its only a couple of 1000 baht from phuket to Chiang Mai.

But as yet we have no info on the state of the engine.. But if the bike has a legal book, that in itself is worth something.

[submaniac]

well, it may be worth it to dump it if it requires alot of work. But still, big displacement bikes were (at least until recently when Kawasaki jumped into the scene) very rare, and it would be worth the hassle if you wanted something more than 150cc's. I still think it would be worth it to rebuild the engine.