My engine has failed :(

Muncher · 16 Nov 2009 at 14:10

Dogbreath said:
I reckon you need to design some kind of quick release mechanism for the clam and engine, will make changing it the next time much faster

I don't even want to think about doing that again at the moment! There's no way to make the rear clam truly easy to remove without severe modification I'm afraid

I've just stripped the old engine down and it was kind of as I suspected, half of number 2 cylinder's lower bearing has worn away to nothing as are a couple of others. Visually the crank looks ok but will need properly checking and regrinding. The main bearings seem pretty much ok.

MrKnifey · 16 Nov 2009 at 14:44

Main bearings ok but big ends done for

Damn dude, hows the crank looking?

Muncher · 17 Nov 2009 at 17:12

crankbro said:
Main bearings ok but big ends done for Damn dude, hows the crank looking?

Visually it is ok but will almost certainly need work on it.

Replacement engine is done apart from:

- Flywheel and clutch to go on
- Timing to Set
- Big end bolts to change when they come tomorrow
- Sump to be stuck on

Dr Who · 17 Nov 2009 at 18:33

Is it just me that lol's at Munchers clam access problem?

Muncher · 18 Nov 2009 at 19:32

Replacement engine is all built and in. Timing chain cover still to go in, then every other ancilliary, pipe, connecter, exhaust, supercharger etc needs to go on.

Then I can start it and see what happens!

GeX · 18 Nov 2009 at 20:27

fingers are crossed !

Simon · 19 Nov 2009 at 15:33

How hot did the oil get?

NathanE said:
Get a Honda S2000 if you want to pass those

Non car related difference

Matt82 · 19 Nov 2009 at 15:45

muncher... did you get to the bottom of what cuased it to die?

will be a shame to rebuild it only for it to die again

Biohazard · 19 Nov 2009 at 15:46

Muncher said:
Then I can start it and see what happens!

BANG!!!!

Only joking...

Trifid · 19 Nov 2009 at 15:58

Matt82 said:
muncher... did you get to the bottom of what cuased it to die?

will be a shame to rebuild it only for it to die again

Oil starvation.

Is the dipstick a design flaw in the engine. Is there a solution to ensure it doesn't get that low again?

Matt82 · 19 Nov 2009 at 16:23

oil starvation as in not enough, pump not pumping enough, getting too hot so too thin, g forces preventing the pick up from picking up, or the dodgy dip stick

Muncher · 19 Nov 2009 at 16:53

As it stands now, engine in but by no means connected. The engine needs to be dropped almost perfectly vertically to get it in which is quite tricky.

Simon - I don't know how hot the oil got, there isn't a temperature gauge as standard, but I will probably have one for the new engine.

It was simply the low oil level that I think caused insufficient lubrication of the the big end bearings causing excessive wear and maybe them to spin.

It didn't grenade the engine or anything but caused sufficent damage/metal bits to circulate that taking the engine out was the only option.

Here's an example of one of the big end bearings:

Biohazard · 19 Nov 2009 at 16:57

new crank I take it?

thats lovely looking

can you describe what happened to the oil feed hole? that looks odd

Batf1nk · 19 Nov 2009 at 17:01

Surprised there was no knocking before it went?

Biohazard · 19 Nov 2009 at 17:01

Batf1nk said:
Surprised there was no knocking before it went?

You are?

Muncher · 19 Nov 2009 at 17:06

Biohazard said:
new crank I take it?

thats lovely looking

can you describe what happened to the oil feed hole? that looks odd

It's just covered by half a bearing which has worn completely through!

The crank will just be sold to someone who wants to experiment or have it reground.

The first we felt was that it was down on power, but on track it's loud and you've got helmets on. I'm sure the knocking may have become apparent more early in normal use.

Biohazard · 19 Nov 2009 at 17:08

Muncher said:
It's just covered by half a bearing which has worn completely through!

The crank will just be sold to someone who wants to experiment or have it reground.

The first we felt was that it was down on power, but on track it's loud and you've got helmets on. I'm sure the knocking may have become apparent more early in normal use.

Ah that makes sense now, ouch. I'm rebuilding a conrod shell slip, and a little bit wear.. but that takes the buscuit. I can see how you ended up with fragments everywhere if it did actually wear all the way through. Don't let it happen again!

Batf1nk · 19 Nov 2009 at 17:14

Biohazard said:
You are?

The big ends went in my s13 and weren't anywhere near as worn as that. Yet there was a distinct knocking between 3-4krpm.

Similar with my old gt4, although I drove it for a couple of months before taking it of road and there was still more of the bearing left than that.

But as mucher said, on track with helmet etc it would be may have been harder to hear.

Biohazard · 19 Nov 2009 at 17:15

Batf1nk said:
But as mucher said, on track with helmet etc it would be may have been harder to hear.

Thats what I was getting at...

all good in the end

Distinct knocking lol you could hear me streets away before I pulled mine apart!

Muncher · 24 Nov 2009 at 14:09

I now need to remove the exhaust, 4 tricky bolts on the supercharger to do up, SC belt on, mount a bracket underneath the inlet manifold and fix what I hope is an oil leak from where the dipstick enters the sump, then I can turn it over for the first time.

Just been to the breakers to finally collect the 182k engine I bought from a breakers which I am going to sell off.

Helpfully they decided to deliver it to me for free as they live just around the corner. Unhelpfully I think it's going to arrive with pretty much half a Vectra front end attached to it!!!