Preventing bottom end failure
#1
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Preventing bottom end failure
It seems that the bottom end bearings in the boxer engines are made of cheese on some cars
I know that on the old Mi16 engines, oil starvation was the achillies heel and a baffled sump, longer oil pick up etc helped this problem significantly (short of dry sumping).
So, are there any real prevention techniques that can be adopted, and has anyone really figured out why the bottom ends go so regularly. I'm aware that knock will seriously damage them, but what about on an otherwise 'good' engine?
Fingers crossed mine hasn't yet (kiss of death there ), and if it did, I'd be keeping the standard post of 'welcome to a 2.5k rebuild cost' in my pocket and doing it myself.
Any suggestions?
I know that on the old Mi16 engines, oil starvation was the achillies heel and a baffled sump, longer oil pick up etc helped this problem significantly (short of dry sumping).
So, are there any real prevention techniques that can be adopted, and has anyone really figured out why the bottom ends go so regularly. I'm aware that knock will seriously damage them, but what about on an otherwise 'good' engine?
Fingers crossed mine hasn't yet (kiss of death there ), and if it did, I'd be keeping the standard post of 'welcome to a 2.5k rebuild cost' in my pocket and doing it myself.
Any suggestions?
#2
-use the correct fuel
-dont up the boost with bleed valves - get it mapped properly.
-pre-fill the oil filter when changing the oil
-dont over rev it
-warm it up - cool it down properly
-jump up and down on the spot twice, turn around and pat your head before you get in the car every morning.
-dont up the boost with bleed valves - get it mapped properly.
-pre-fill the oil filter when changing the oil
-dont over rev it
-warm it up - cool it down properly
-jump up and down on the spot twice, turn around and pat your head before you get in the car every morning.
It seems that the bottom end bearings in the boxer engines are made of cheese on some cars
I know that on the old Mi16 engines, oil starvation was the achillies heel and a baffled sump, longer oil pick up etc helped this problem significantly (short of dry sumping).
So, are there any real prevention techniques that can be adopted, and has anyone really figured out why the bottom ends go so regularly. I'm aware that knock will seriously damage them, but what about on an otherwise 'good' engine?
Fingers crossed mine hasn't yet (kiss of death there ), and if it did, I'd be keeping the standard post of 'welcome to a 2.5k rebuild cost' in my pocket and doing it myself.
Any suggestions?
I know that on the old Mi16 engines, oil starvation was the achillies heel and a baffled sump, longer oil pick up etc helped this problem significantly (short of dry sumping).
So, are there any real prevention techniques that can be adopted, and has anyone really figured out why the bottom ends go so regularly. I'm aware that knock will seriously damage them, but what about on an otherwise 'good' engine?
Fingers crossed mine hasn't yet (kiss of death there ), and if it did, I'd be keeping the standard post of 'welcome to a 2.5k rebuild cost' in my pocket and doing it myself.
Any suggestions?
#3
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-jump up and down on the spot twice, turn around and pat your head before you get in the car every morning.
I have had 3 engine builds in 12 months (mainly due to chimps building my engine ) and from my experiance all the above and also the fitting of usefull gauges Like, knock link, Airfuel, oil pressure and temp ect...
Use 10w 50 or 15w 50 oil and dont over rev, had Andy F map my latest engine yesterday and we set rev limit at 7500(STi V3), he said not to go past 7.
I have had 3 engine builds in 12 months (mainly due to chimps building my engine ) and from my experiance all the above and also the fitting of usefull gauges Like, knock link, Airfuel, oil pressure and temp ect...
Use 10w 50 or 15w 50 oil and dont over rev, had Andy F map my latest engine yesterday and we set rev limit at 7500(STi V3), he said not to go past 7.
#4
my wrx red lines at 7. i dont take it past 6.5
Its hard to remeber sometimes as i also have a civic type r which you have to red line evey time if you want to use the v-tec
Its hard to remeber sometimes as i also have a civic type r which you have to red line evey time if you want to use the v-tec
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As above:
-Run it on the best fuel you can, especially if its mapped for a particular RON
-Ditto for consumables like Oil. Fully Synth all the way!
-Service it according to Subaru's schedule, don't neglect the car.
- Drive with mechanical sympathy: warm up cool down, don't bounce it off the limiter everywhere etc
- If you're gonna mod the car, do it in consultation with the experts, don't just wind up the boost and hope it holds.
These are great engines if looked after and tuned by those who know what they're doing!
Ns04
-Run it on the best fuel you can, especially if its mapped for a particular RON
-Ditto for consumables like Oil. Fully Synth all the way!
-Service it according to Subaru's schedule, don't neglect the car.
- Drive with mechanical sympathy: warm up cool down, don't bounce it off the limiter everywhere etc
- If you're gonna mod the car, do it in consultation with the experts, don't just wind up the boost and hope it holds.
These are great engines if looked after and tuned by those who know what they're doing!
Ns04
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So it seems that perhaps they aren't all made of chocolate then, good news really.
I was afraid that someone was going to say there was an inherent design problem, but it appears that failure is mainly down to poor driving technique, poor servicing (not necasserally in some cases though )
Cheers
I was afraid that someone was going to say there was an inherent design problem, but it appears that failure is mainly down to poor driving technique, poor servicing (not necasserally in some cases though )
Cheers
#12
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Thanks for all the replies though
#14
be paranoid about your MAF sensor - that was the cause of my P1 engine going bang - cylinder 4 over-fuelled, fuel went down past the piston and the ensuing de-lubrication caused the problem. the shame was that a main dealer swapped the sensor for me - and performed a full service at the same time. engine went pop very soon after.....it's never going to that dealer again. have a local specialist who understands what he's doing looking after it now.
G
G
#16
be paranoid about your MAF sensor - that was the cause of my P1 engine going bang - cylinder 4 over-fuelled, fuel went down past the piston and the ensuing de-lubrication caused the problem. the shame was that a main dealer swapped the sensor for me - and performed a full service at the same time. engine went pop very soon after.....it's never going to that dealer again. have a local specialist who understands what he's doing looking after it now.
G
G
p1's are renowned for going bang i don't think you can blame the dealer for that one
#18
'fraid I can -
It went pop after they'd serviced it (i.e. 200 miles later - as soon as I put my foot down to overtake a truck). Hmmm. At the time I asked on here and the concensus was that they almost certainly hadn't dry cranked it post the oil change.
There are a small number of reasons P1 (and other Sti) engines go bang - and this was one of them.
Luckily I had the extended warranty which covered the re-build - but the main dealers won't be seeing it again.
G
It went pop after they'd serviced it (i.e. 200 miles later - as soon as I put my foot down to overtake a truck). Hmmm. At the time I asked on here and the concensus was that they almost certainly hadn't dry cranked it post the oil change.
There are a small number of reasons P1 (and other Sti) engines go bang - and this was one of them.
Luckily I had the extended warranty which covered the re-build - but the main dealers won't be seeing it again.
G
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As above:
-Run it on the best fuel you can, especially if its mapped for a particular RON
-Ditto for consumables like Oil. Fully Synth all the way!
-Service it according to Subaru's schedule, don't neglect the car.
- Drive with mechanical sympathy: warm up cool down, don't bounce it off the limiter everywhere etc
- If you're gonna mod the car, do it in consultation with the experts, don't just wind up the boost and hope it holds.
These are great engines if looked after and tuned by those who know what they're doing!
Ns04
-Run it on the best fuel you can, especially if its mapped for a particular RON
-Ditto for consumables like Oil. Fully Synth all the way!
-Service it according to Subaru's schedule, don't neglect the car.
- Drive with mechanical sympathy: warm up cool down, don't bounce it off the limiter everywhere etc
- If you're gonna mod the car, do it in consultation with the experts, don't just wind up the boost and hope it holds.
These are great engines if looked after and tuned by those who know what they're doing!
Ns04
Tony
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