2005 Widetrack 470bhp Big Spec
18 November 2015, 09:40 PM
#33
looks a great car and well cared for, must be a massive blow to lose an engine this way,any ideas what caused the low comp on cylinder 2? Totally unheard of on the bomb proof 2.0 motor but I guess when modified it only takes a drop in fuel pressure ect and the worst can happen.best of luck with getting it sorted mate.
19 November 2015, 06:28 AM
#34
When I was a newbie to scoobs I purchased a modified 2004 sti and it had a health check and was found to have low compression on one cylinder, the car had less than 30k miles at the time!
Was found to be worn valve seats in the end, the likely explanation (and certainly not suggesting in the ops case) was they suspect it had been run on poor quality fuel or had a bad map, this car being mapped by JGM wouldnt have that issue so could just be one of them unfortunate things associated with big power on a standard engine, it wont last forever unfortunately,
Good luck with the sale, you will get more money back breaking it.
Was found to be worn valve seats in the end, the likely explanation (and certainly not suggesting in the ops case) was they suspect it had been run on poor quality fuel or had a bad map, this car being mapped by JGM wouldnt have that issue so could just be one of them unfortunate things associated with big power on a standard engine, it wont last forever unfortunately,
Good luck with the sale, you will get more money back breaking it.
19 November 2015, 09:15 AM
#35
When I was a newbie to scoobs I purchased a modified 2004 sti and it had a health check and was found to have low compression on one cylinder, the car had less than 30k miles at the time!
Was found to be worn valve seats in the end, the likely explanation (and certainly not suggesting in the ops case) was they suspect it had been run on poor quality fuel or had a bad map, this car being mapped by JGM wouldnt have that issue so could just be one of them unfortunate things associated with big power on a standard engine, it wont last forever unfortunately,
Good luck with the sale, you will get more money back breaking it.
Was found to be worn valve seats in the end, the likely explanation (and certainly not suggesting in the ops case) was they suspect it had been run on poor quality fuel or had a bad map, this car being mapped by JGM wouldnt have that issue so could just be one of them unfortunate things associated with big power on a standard engine, it wont last forever unfortunately,
Good luck with the sale, you will get more money back breaking it.
.I'm thinking of going for a leakdown test to try and determine how extensive the issue is likely to be, then will just be a case of deciding whether to:
1. Sell the car in its current state as a project for someone else to fix
2. Break the car (I really don't want to do that so please don't all start sending me PM's asking for bits right away!
3. Fix the problem if it's just valve seats, and sell
4. Keep the car, forged internals and maybe even a 2.1
Right now, 1 and 3 are looking like the most obvious options to me as I simply don't have the facilities, time or inclination to strip and break the car myself.
A few have already PM'd me asking if I'd sell as is and the answer is yes, but all I'd ask is that you please don't insult me with any daft offers as the car is still in excellent condition and has a bunch of top quality bits on it, so I'm not about to cut the price in half just because the engine needs attention!
Thanks all for your kind comments, I was genuinely surprised, as were all my mates, the specialist who does much of the work on the car, and the dealer who also knew the car well and expected it to pass with flying colours...
Last edited by MrNoisy; 19 November 2015 at 09:17 AM.
21 November 2015, 10:18 AM
#36
So an update on this.
Having spoken to a few specialists it became apparent that the readings from the dealership seemed rather far fetched; cylinder 2 supposedly showing 80 psi and thus being over 30psi lower than the others seemed unlikely given that no audible difference or power difference was noticeable, and the ECU was not flashing up knock warnings.
With this in mind cylinders 2 and 4 were briefly re-tested yesterday at a local specialist. Cylinder two came back with a reading of 130psi compared to the 80psi the dealer found, and 20 minutes later, cylinder 4's test returned around 125psi compared to the 115 at the dealership.
Having spoken to the dealer this morning they are understandably concerned and are sourcing another compression tester to repeat the test on Tuesday with the new old and old tester to do a comparison.
My suspicion is that too long was left before starting the test (the car was left for around 90 minutes after driving before the test began) and for cylinder 2 the tester wasn't properly screwed into the block.
If all comes back looking good then the car will be back up for sale with a clean bill of health, fingers crossed.
Having spoken to a few specialists it became apparent that the readings from the dealership seemed rather far fetched; cylinder 2 supposedly showing 80 psi and thus being over 30psi lower than the others seemed unlikely given that no audible difference or power difference was noticeable, and the ECU was not flashing up knock warnings.
With this in mind cylinders 2 and 4 were briefly re-tested yesterday at a local specialist. Cylinder two came back with a reading of 130psi compared to the 80psi the dealer found, and 20 minutes later, cylinder 4's test returned around 125psi compared to the 115 at the dealership.
Having spoken to the dealer this morning they are understandably concerned and are sourcing another compression tester to repeat the test on Tuesday with the new old and old tester to do a comparison.
My suspicion is that too long was left before starting the test (the car was left for around 90 minutes after driving before the test began) and for cylinder 2 the tester wasn't properly screwed into the block.
If all comes back looking good then the car will be back up for sale with a clean bill of health, fingers crossed.
Last edited by MrNoisy; 21 November 2015 at 12:48 PM.
22 November 2015, 09:43 AM
#37
Quite often with comp checks is if the battery is a bit iffy or not fully charged it can start to run down, engine turns over slower so the results aren't accurate;
We have a Snap-On charger that gives out a constant 14volts (flash-program mode) which means that starter is always turning at the same speed every time. Something to bear in mind next time.
We have a Snap-On charger that gives out a constant 14volts (flash-program mode) which means that starter is always turning at the same speed every time. Something to bear in mind next time.
24 November 2015, 02:39 PM
#38
Alright, so have been back this morning to the dealership.
First it was apparent that there were issues in communication as I spoke with the mechanic who did the test (he's been there 10+ years and is a nice bloke) and he said the service manager told me the wrong cylinder - it was showing low on cylinder 3 not 2.
Secondly they had gotten in another new tester and a cheaper Halfords one to do alongside the original. All 3 were used to check the vehicle.
They did the test again, with Snap on charger connected, and the results came back as:
Cylinder 1: 120
Cylinder 2: 120
Cylinder 3: 110
Cylinder 4: 120
The original compression tester did suspiciously report 80 psi on cylinder 3 when the other 2 gauges both reported 110, so it looks like it needs re-calibrating (it hadn't been done since December 2014).
A small amount of oil was then squirted into cylinder 3 and the test re-performed to see if the problem was likely to be pistons or exhaust valves and as the pressure did not increase it looks like an exhaust valve is going to be the most likely cause, so the engine will eventually need work.
Having done a quick bit of math, then based on conservative prices and even without the engine, the car is likely worth £12k+ in parts.
If someone wants to make me a sensible offer on the car as it is and has an engine waiting to go in, drop me a PM, but please let's not waste each others' time with low offers because I know how much a drive in drive out build is from the big names for a 2.0 or a 2.1.
First it was apparent that there were issues in communication as I spoke with the mechanic who did the test (he's been there 10+ years and is a nice bloke) and he said the service manager told me the wrong cylinder - it was showing low on cylinder 3 not 2.
Secondly they had gotten in another new tester and a cheaper Halfords one to do alongside the original. All 3 were used to check the vehicle.
They did the test again, with Snap on charger connected, and the results came back as:
Cylinder 1: 120
Cylinder 2: 120
Cylinder 3: 110
Cylinder 4: 120
The original compression tester did suspiciously report 80 psi on cylinder 3 when the other 2 gauges both reported 110, so it looks like it needs re-calibrating (it hadn't been done since December 2014).
A small amount of oil was then squirted into cylinder 3 and the test re-performed to see if the problem was likely to be pistons or exhaust valves and as the pressure did not increase it looks like an exhaust valve is going to be the most likely cause, so the engine will eventually need work.
Having done a quick bit of math, then based on conservative prices and even without the engine, the car is likely worth £12k+ in parts.
If someone wants to make me a sensible offer on the car as it is and has an engine waiting to go in, drop me a PM, but please let's not waste each others' time with low offers because I know how much a drive in drive out build is from the big names for a 2.0 or a 2.1.
Last edited by MrNoisy; 24 November 2015 at 11:22 PM.
24 November 2015, 07:15 PM
#39
Alright, so have been back this morning to the dealership.
First it was apparent that there were issues in communication as I spoke with the mechanic who did the test (he's been there 10+ years and is a nice bloke) and he said the service manager told me the wrong cylinder - it was showing low on cylinder 3 not 2.
Secondly they had gotten in another new tester and a cheaper Halfords one to do alongside the original. All 3 were used to check the vehicle.
They did the test again, with Snap on charger connected, and the results came back as:
Cylinder 1: 120
Cylinder 2: 120
Cylinder 3: 110
Cylinder 4: 120
The original compression tester did suspiciously report 80 psi on cylinder 30 when the other 2 gauges both reported 110, so it looks like it needs re-calibrating (it hadn't been done since December 2014).
A small amount of oil was then squirted into cylinder 3 and the test re-performed to see if the problem was likely to be pistons or exhaust valves and as the pressure did not increase it looks like an exhaust valve is going to be the most likely cause, so the engine will eventually need work.
Having done a quick bit of math, then based on conservative prices and even without the engine, the car is likely worth £12k+ in parts.
If someone wants to make me a sensible offer on the car as it is and has an engine waiting to go in, drop me a PM, but please let's not waste each others' time with low offers because I know how much a drive in drive out build is from the big names for a 2.0 or a 2.1.
First it was apparent that there were issues in communication as I spoke with the mechanic who did the test (he's been there 10+ years and is a nice bloke) and he said the service manager told me the wrong cylinder - it was showing low on cylinder 3 not 2.
Secondly they had gotten in another new tester and a cheaper Halfords one to do alongside the original. All 3 were used to check the vehicle.
They did the test again, with Snap on charger connected, and the results came back as:
Cylinder 1: 120
Cylinder 2: 120
Cylinder 3: 110
Cylinder 4: 120
The original compression tester did suspiciously report 80 psi on cylinder 30 when the other 2 gauges both reported 110, so it looks like it needs re-calibrating (it hadn't been done since December 2014).
A small amount of oil was then squirted into cylinder 3 and the test re-performed to see if the problem was likely to be pistons or exhaust valves and as the pressure did not increase it looks like an exhaust valve is going to be the most likely cause, so the engine will eventually need work.
Having done a quick bit of math, then based on conservative prices and even without the engine, the car is likely worth £12k+ in parts.
If someone wants to make me a sensible offer on the car as it is and has an engine waiting to go in, drop me a PM, but please let's not waste each others' time with low offers because I know how much a drive in drive out build is from the big names for a 2.0 or a 2.1.
It really is a lovely car and will make a great project for someone to work on.
24 November 2015, 07:29 PM
#40
The engine does NOT shake for 2 minutes on startup.
It hunts idle wise very slightly for about 30 seconds after cold starting after which it goes into a steady normal idle (the engine does not and never has shaken) which you witnessed, and I've seen a few other Alcatek cars do it too, it's not unusual, and strangely enough nobody at a specialist or dealership ever once commented on it....
Your checking the car's engine oil when it was parked on an uphill slope and then posting on here that it had no oil when it did (I'd checked plus dealership confirmed all fluid levels were fine), together with links to my ad was also totally out of order.
If you're not intending to buy the car then do me a favour and don't comment, especially when it's offering untrue or misleading information that will discourage other potential buyers whilst you try and drive the price down.
Last edited by MrNoisy; 09 December 2015 at 05:24 PM.
24 November 2015, 10:53 PM
#41
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The engine does NOT shake for 2 minutes on startup.
It hunts idle wise very slightly for about 30 seconds after cold starting after which it goes into a steady normal idle (the engine does not and never has shaken) which you witnessed, and I've seen a few other Alcatek cars do it too, it's not unusual.
Checking engine oil when the car was on an uphill slope and then posting it had no oil when it did, together with links to my ad was also out of order.
If you're not intending to buy the car then do me a favour and don't comment, especially when it's offering untrue or misleading information that will discourage other potential buyers to try and drive the price down.
It hunts idle wise very slightly for about 30 seconds after cold starting after which it goes into a steady normal idle (the engine does not and never has shaken) which you witnessed, and I've seen a few other Alcatek cars do it too, it's not unusual.
Checking engine oil when the car was on an uphill slope and then posting it had no oil when it did, together with links to my ad was also out of order.
If you're not intending to buy the car then do me a favour and don't comment, especially when it's offering untrue or misleading information that will discourage other potential buyers to try and drive the price down.
29 November 2015, 07:15 AM
#42
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Have you considered breaking it Giles? There a lot of good parts on it. This car was on my list of poss buys at one point but had to be jdm for me, got to say you have been more than totally honest about this car. Sadly I feel really sorry for you without a solid motor underneath the mods it's a broken uk car. Maybe put it back to standard and px it somewhere? Anyway I will refrain from trying to put dibs on parts lol.
good Luck either way.
Free bump...
good Luck either way.
Free bump...
Last edited by sy.; 29 November 2015 at 07:17 AM.
29 November 2015, 02:19 PM
#43
Most honest and regularly updated with facts advert currently on here for sale.
I'd personally delete the ad and start again with all info on post 1 and put a fixed price on it not offers.
Hope you find a buyer for it fella , as stated its worth a few quid in bits
I'd personally delete the ad and start again with all info on post 1 and put a fixed price on it not offers.
Hope you find a buyer for it fella , as stated its worth a few quid in bits
03 December 2015, 11:35 AM
#44
Have you considered breaking it Giles? There a lot of good parts on it. This car was on my list of poss buys at one point but had to be jdm for me, got to say you have been more than totally honest about this car. Sadly I feel really sorry for you without a solid motor underneath the mods it's a broken uk car. Maybe put it back to standard and px it somewhere? Anyway I will refrain from trying to put dibs on parts lol.
good Luck either way.
Free bump...
good Luck either way.
Free bump...
As nobody offered me a realistic price, and I don't have time to break the car I've decided to keep her and go with a forged 2.1.
She's done 82,000 miles anyway, so even though having spoken with multiple builders, the likely cause is exhaust valves on the widetrack 2.0 blocks (they're apparently prone to it), it doesn't make sense to have the engine out and only do the heads.
Going for a forged 2.1 with stronger one-piece Supertech valves so this shouldn't happen again; should keep me amused for another year at least
04 December 2015, 07:47 AM
#46
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I had a few offers on the whole car but tbh most were pissing in the wind.
As nobody offered me a realistic price, and I don't have time to break the car I've decided to keep her and go with a forged 2.1.
She's done 82,000 miles anyway, so even though having spoken with multiple builders, the likely cause is exhaust valves on the widetrack 2.0 blocks (they're apparently prone to it), it doesn't make sense to have the engine out and only do the heads.
Going for a forged 2.1 with stronger one-piece Supertech valves so this shouldn't happen again; should keep me amused for another year at least
As nobody offered me a realistic price, and I don't have time to break the car I've decided to keep her and go with a forged 2.1.
She's done 82,000 miles anyway, so even though having spoken with multiple builders, the likely cause is exhaust valves on the widetrack 2.0 blocks (they're apparently prone to it), it doesn't make sense to have the engine out and only do the heads.
Going for a forged 2.1 with stronger one-piece Supertech valves so this shouldn't happen again; should keep me amused for another year at least
