Hi.  My wifes engine got flooded with water during the recent storm and the AA man thinks it has seized possibly due to the conrods.  We have put an insurance claim in but fear it might be written off.  I am exploring options for her and was wondering roughly how much it would cost to remove the old engine and fit a new one?  I am looking for used engines on ebay and they come in around £250-£400.

Thanks for any advice.

Which engine is it?  I'd expect the same again in labour costs tbh, it's not difficult but takes several hours, plus new belts and fluids etc.  It will almost certainly be written off, you can buy it back but it's unlikely to be worth fixing unless you can do it yourself.

Its the 1.6 zetec petrol.  She is quite attached to the car and its had a set of brand new tyres recently.  The trouble is we arent really in the position to buy a new car so are looking for the cheaper option.  The cost to replace the engine + £250 excess would still be cheaper than a similar model.  If the insurance say it will be written off can we say no and ask for the car back?

Could it have sehized for another reason e.g. cam shaft or pistons perhaps?

Now the claim has been put in it's up to the insurers, you can't choose to have it not written off.  But as I say you can buy it back, if it is a write off it'll only be Cat N (non structural) so easy to put back on the road in a legal sense. 

Time you've bought it back and spent a grand buying and fitting an engine (that might turn out to be no good!) it really would be better to just take the payout and buy another one.

Water is non compressible as I'm sure you know, the con rods bend when the pistons try to compress water that gets into the cylinders.  Whatever has caused it to seize will require major work to rectify though, replacement engine is the quickest and easiest solution.

Ok, thanks for the advice.  I'll leave it up to the insurance decide but will start looking for a new car.

Cheers.

The insurance company called and want to write it off without inspection.  They made a very generous offer which I didnt expect on an 05 plate focus. So we are taking it and can replace to the same model/year at least.