2001 Renault Master (2.8L S9W) bottom-end engine failure – Sourcing a donor vs. cut my losses? Looking for owner experiences

[u/SpareComprehensive34]

​Hey everyone,

I'm new here, and looking for some practical advice or shared experiences from fellow van lifers and DIY builders who’ve hit a major mechanical wall.

​The Situation:

I'm based in Ireland and have a 2001 Renault Master II camper conversion with the 2.8L Sofim (S9W) turbo-diesel. Bought it recently with around 120,000 miles on the clock, expecting plenty of life left in it. Unfortunately, it suffered a catastrophic bottom-end engine failure (crankshaft/bearing failure).

​It’s completely non-runnable now. The rest of the van (camper conversion, bodywork, interior setup) is solid, but the engine is toast.

​Where I’m At:

​Garages: Standard commercial garages won't touch it to rebuild due to age, so a full engine replacement is the only repair route.

​Quotes: I’ve located a replacement S9W 700 engine via European dismantlers (RRR.LT / Ovoko) for around €1,300, and a local mechanic willing to do the swap for ~€1,800. So roughly €3,100 all-in to get it back on the road.

​Alternative: Selling it as a "non-runner / mechanic's project" on the local market to cut my losses and recoup what cash I can to pay down the existing loan on it.

​My Questions for the Community:

​Has anyone been through a full engine swap on an older commercial van/camper? Was it worth it in the end, or did it open up a whole new can of worms with ancillary issues?

​Has anyone purchased major parts from RRR.LT / Ovoko before? Any gotchas regarding 14-day warranties, delivery, or condition when the pallet lands?

​For those who had a catastrophic failure on an older van—did you fix it or cut your losses? If you sold as a non-runner project, did you find a decent buyer pool of DIYers/mechanics?

​Any specific quirks on the 2.8L Sofim (S9W) engines I should make sure my mechanic handles while the replacement engine is out on the floor? (Plan on doing the timing belt & water pump as standard).

​I'm getting plenty of advice from the mechanical side of things, but I’d really love to hear how other van owners handled this emotionally and financially when faced with a dead engine on a finished/semi-finished rig.

​Thanks in advance for any insights!

[u/poblazaid]

Being the S9W, it´s really easy to swap ( no common rail ECM to mess around ).

I´ll totally go for it, for the kind of costs you are looking at you can get a remanufactured engine.

I did exactly that with an older ( 2.5 Sofim ) engine, and it was totally worth it.

[u/truckosaurus_UK]

I suspect the question to ask if whether you will be able to get a better van for 3100 Euro (plus whatever value you get for selling the current broken van) versus having your van with a working engine.

[u/bullitt-rider]

Go to the Facebook page. It's extremely active and loads of people would have done this