Scott78

I've got a 1998 Impreza Turbo 2000 and it's got piston slap.
Sparshatts of Botley have recommended a short block replacement for £3500!!!!

I simply don't have that much money to spend in one go at the moment so does anyone know any good Subaru guys near Southampton?

Seen quotes on these boards for about 2 grand which I could just about manage.

Feeling pretty crappy as I only bought the impreza about 3 months ago for it's performance and RENOWNED RELIABILTY and stupidly didn't notice the knocking on the test drive. Everything else on the car is perfect.

Cheers.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

If it goes away within 30mins of starting from cold and doesn't do when hot, I wouldn't bother in getting it fixed.

Just keep an eye on your oil consumption. It shouldn't use very much if not any at all, but later on in its life it may start using a bit


I've also noticed it seems more prominent on cars ran with 15w oil...especially at this time of year. By right it shouldn't make a difference, but I've seen cases which seem to contradict this.

marklemac

Scott,

Give Triton Motorsport a call (they are in Bournemouth).

They are **** hot.

Also, pop over to www.hampshiresubaru.co.uk and you can talk to some of the local people

GC8

Id suggest API. £3,500 seems very expensive when you consider that a Subaru short engine costs about £1,500 and you dont need to clean the re-used parts like you do after a failure..........

ben1413

iTrader: (5)

I'd suggest Len at Subaru4U in Newbury (it's worth the drive!) Contact him on 01635 35355.

Failing that you could give William Street Services a call, they're Shamrock Quay area in Southampton. Not sure of the number but have used them a few times and are very good.

Good luck with it all!

Ben

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

My advice is leave it until it gets intolerable, or starts using oil. After all said, piston slap is just a noise and a temporary [ till it warms up ] one at that. It'll cost the same now to fix piston slap as it will to do a rebuild after the big ends have gone. Why bother until you have to?

I have this conversation at least once a month and the advice is always the same. Leave it until it develops into a problem because just now it isn't.

Call me to talk it through without any obligation if you wish.

Good Luck

David APi Engines / APi Impreza
www.apiengines.com

Scott78

Cheers for all the advice guys, you've been really helpful.

By the way David, excuse my ignorance, but how can I tell when the big ends are failing or if this problem is worse than just slap?

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

Scott78, you'll know when the big ends go believe me - it's an unmistakeable sound even if you've never heard it before. They rarely give any warning and just let go one day.

Don't run it low on fuel, that helps create a weak mixture which causes detonation [ pinking ] which will wreck the big ends very quickly, keep it at 1/4 tank as your empty, is my advice.

Always run it on Shell Optimax, definitely not TESCO Super. Esso Super is OK so is Total Super. After that be careful.

And be careful above 100 mph as the intercooler scoop is unreliable above that speed and the intercooler ceases to function correctly, the mixture weakens and here coms Mr Det again.

UK cars are better behaved than imports if you neglect the above, probably because the extra power of the import marginalises the safety factor.

Piston slap is a sort of light 'clocking' sound that goes away after a few minutes. In fact to a trained ear it can always be picked out from among the other noises inside the engine.

Keep an eye on oil consumption, check that there isn't excess pressure within the crankcase by holding your open hand over the oil filler cap pipe [ about 2 inches above it ] a light breathing is healthy but distinct ' chuffing ' is not so.

Also, look occasionally at any excess oil in the intercooler by taking it off and wiping your finger around the inside of the hole that goes to the engine. There will always be some but it shouldn't be much. wipe it clean as best you can and check it again in say, 500 miles, for a fair test.

Most of all stop worrying and get on enjoying the car.

Good Luck David APi Engines / APi Impreza
www.apiengines.com

GC8

David; are you referring to the new Tesco 99RON fuel? The reason that I ask is that all of the people who Ive seen comment have indicated that their KnockLinks show similar or lower levels of activity than with Optimax.


Simon

Mark_S

I was thinking exactly the same thing Simon!

RON

Fuel... big story eh!!

My car went on the roller on Sunday, with a full tank of tesco 99ron stuff, the guy asked what fuel i use, i told him, he said............. use optimax, it's better for not detting?? so, will use it from now on, it's roughly the same price, and is dare i say it.... more wodely available at the moment....

Turbotits

iTrader: (2)

And me,Is there something David knows that we dont?

GC8

I disregard remarks along the lines of: 'Ultimate is smoother' or 'Esso SUL gave me more mpg' because theyre totally subjective, but when people compare their KL activity under usual driving conditions its certainly seems to make a convincing argument.....

Simon

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

I have canvassed customers and phone callers who have tried Tesco Super 99 Ronand they universally have all said ' never again! '

They cite rough running, similar fuel consumption, more knock activity and a general feeling of not beiong ' right ' any more.

Ir will of course depend upon how your car is mapped and the suitability of the map to the Tesco fuel.

I would agree however that if you map a car to run on Tesco it will probably be OK.

Optimax is proven to be the best, certainly for imported cars which is where 99% of APi's experience and customers come from.

Take a chance with Tesco Super 99 if you must, but in my opinion it is a big risk.

David API Engines / APi Impreza
www.apiengines.com

kwakman

How does running it low on fuel raise the AFR? I've had the car cut out when cornering hard on low fuel but I was guessing thats because the pickup had become exposed.

Dont understand how it leans out if the intercooler becomes less efficient. I'd have thought det in that instance would have been due to an increase in charge temp?

Where am I going wrong re. the above David?

Pilgrimage

Have the same car and had the same problem a few years back when i bought it.
Managed to strike a deal with main dealer as they never picked up on it even though had carried out every service.
They paid labour - I paid parts.
Also had clutch and other bits done at same time, but understand that they replaced the number 4 piston as that was the one that was "knocking".
Touch wood, no further problems until this week (clicking noise in reverse from brakes on full lock) and she goes in to be looked at 2mo.

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

Not wrong mate.

The cutting out is because the fuel pump is picking up air rather than fuel, thus at that point the fuel air ratio goes up the creek because there is no fuel, just fuel smelling air. It's no coincidence that 80 % of cars that come here with big end failure have NO fuel in them, the light is on.

All air and no fuel will create det instantly.

Ditto the overheated intercooler, The idea is to get the fuel air ratio as cold as possible. Once the temps go up the fuel air mixture/ratio changes again and here comes MR Det. Perhaps I explained wrongly in a clumsy fashion. You have it more correctly put. The charge temp does cause a change in mixture ratio. Thus Det.

David APi Engines / APi Impreza
www.apiengines.com

kwakman

Eeeek! I was hoping when the car cut out during hard cornering det wouldnt have been an issue as there was no fuel to create unstable combustion. How does det happen when theres only air in the cylinder?

Scary to think that the vast majority of cars you get have low fuel when the engine breaks, there is clearly something going on there.

Unfortunately I couldnt steal a glimpse at the knocklink as I can only get it to happen on track and Im too busy being hurled at the windscreen by the fuel cut!

I thought the AF sensor was a mass sensor? Wouldnt that take into account any density changes due to a hot ic? I'd have thought the AFR be as per map (usually v rich on one of these motors to take advanatge of the latent heat of evap of the fuel to aid cooling, i.e. why we get 7mpg on track) but det occurred due to flamefronts developing away from hotspots in the chamber before the spark fired?

Theres alot I don't understand about these cars!!!!!

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

Me too !

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Dave, I think you need to differentiate if your customers were on about Tesco super 97ron and tesco super 99ron

Otherwise we could end up with a 10page+ thread

I presume it's the 97ron as the 99ron is only available at very few selected stores.

kwakman

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

I've edited to my original post to read Tesco Super 99. I mistakenly persumed that all would know that to be the case. But, l agree it wssn't clear.

In any case I wouldn't put Tesco regular in my lawn mower............ let a alone a high performance car.

David APi Engines / APi Impreza
www.apiengines.com

John1uk

hi mate.......

i bought my 98 wagon about 10 weeks ago and it has piston slap.......but my 98-00 is renowned for piston slap.

My piston slap lasts for approx 1 to 1min.30secs i got worried and went straight to Xtreme scoobis in chelmsford who did a compression test on my pistons...........its was expected to be 120 to 146......... a little while they came back and said you compression shows 150 on all 4 chambers and after doing 127k there is defently no need to worry........they said piston slap is very comon on my 98-00 scoobs............so give them a call.


Xtreme Scoobies Ltd
Unit 7
Drakes Lane Industrial Estate
Boreham
Essex
CM3 3BE

Telephone: 01245 363623

Fax: 01245 363624

E Mail: info@xtremescoobies.co.uk

Web: www.xtremescoobies.co.uk


hope this helps, and they will be more than happy to give you some advice