hi
ive had a few jap cars but i have been put off scoobies cos of the ol big ends, i have tried to find an answer to what causes the failures but i cant find a definitive answer, some say crap oil pump, some the oil feed shrinks when hot, dodgy maf causing det(i didnt think det caused big end failures btw)
i like the p1s and type rs but they all seem to have had rebuilds or if they havent does that mean they are due one.

ive got a focus st the 2.5 one bluefinned to 285hp /440nm its pretty fast but i want something faster but i want reliability aswell, is there any hope having a p1, type r or sti running 350 ish that,s not going to do the bigends.

cheers steve

 

You could buy one that has been recently rebuilt by a reputable builder, that way you will know the bearings are new. My current philosophy for engine longevity is:

1. Remap. The Japanese maps are way too aggressive. The IAM on my car was always zero till I remapped it. With IAM at 0, the car can't reduce timing much and hence doesn't have much it can do to control det.
2. Keep revs below 7k. I read a long thread somewhere where it was agreed that at about 8000rpm, the standard crossdrilled crank cannot provide adequate oiling to the bearings. You could also install an oil pressure gauge, will let you know when your oil pump is getting old.
3. Avoid conditions that could cause oil starvation. I've had one engine failure directly attributable to very hard braking while the oil was at the low mark.

I don't think the engines are inherently bad. It's just that the cars are taken for (or driven like) trackdays without mapping or oil starvation taken into consideration.

 

thanx , a mate of mine said a similar thing , hes got a wagon, he said get one already blown but i`m not in the mood to get a rebuild done straight off, i will wait and see,i`m not going to rush into anything.