Jeffers_S13
27-05-2001, 15:55
Had your big end bearings done recently ?
Mine started banging, badly, not long ago. So took car to SE. Got there real early following a 4 hour drive from Coventry at 40mph (another story in itself) to avoid doing much more damage. The owner Pete just arrived (in a nice 300) came and introduced himself and welcomed me etc. When it was my cars turn Pete had a chat with me and said my noise was probably the worst he had heard (gulp, sounds expensive me thinks). He then went on to describe what he would expect to find once the sump was taken off. He expected knackered shells and damaged crank would recommend regrind crank and new shells etc.
Then he gave me two options.
1)Do the standard shell change £300. Hope the crank isn't too bad and then I drive home same day. Hope they last for a while then maybe get option 2 done at a later date.
2)Remove engine, grind crank new shells for a max. of £700. Would take 3 weeks cos they are so busy.(tut).
Being the skint student and not wanting to be without my car for ages and also intending to sell it soon and change to a car big enough to tow my other car (an R5) I opted for option 1. BIG MISTAKE ! I also thought the new shells would at least last long enough to sell it to some other poor bugger.
Once Dave had got the sump off I had a look at the crank, it was very badly scored, shells on 4 were totally shot, 1 was bad aswell but 2 and 3 were OK. As I was now going to have to pay out £300 quid anyway I had the new shells put on anyway. I asked Dave how long they might last, he said could be months, weeks or hours...
So I start to drive home at 45 mph, 25 miles from SE the sodding bearings start knocking again ! I was, annoyed, to say the least...
So now I'm looking at another £700 bill. I'm (still) waiting for Pete to get back to me to get it booked in for option 2. Looks like I'll probably sell the R5 now and keep the 200 for a while longer and maybe get it modded more and use it for track days instead. Also prob get cambelt done, I don't want any more expensive surprises.
The morale of this story ?
Listen to Pete, he really knows his stuff and if you get shells done have crank reground.
Just for the record my car has done 88,000 miles, has a (5 month old, rusty) Janspeed and K&N air filter. Since buying it 18 months ago, I have had NO problems at all and it ran like a dream showing no signs of big end bearing probs.
Be warned ! and prey you never hear any bad knocking noises from yours...
By the way SE is top place, my first visit, a lot bigger than ND. They got about 20 300's waiting for work. One is awaiting a 1000 BHP (?) upgrade ! its already got over 700 apparently, sounded awesome.
Mine started banging, badly, not long ago. So took car to SE. Got there real early following a 4 hour drive from Coventry at 40mph (another story in itself) to avoid doing much more damage. The owner Pete just arrived (in a nice 300) came and introduced himself and welcomed me etc. When it was my cars turn Pete had a chat with me and said my noise was probably the worst he had heard (gulp, sounds expensive me thinks). He then went on to describe what he would expect to find once the sump was taken off. He expected knackered shells and damaged crank would recommend regrind crank and new shells etc.
Then he gave me two options.
1)Do the standard shell change £300. Hope the crank isn't too bad and then I drive home same day. Hope they last for a while then maybe get option 2 done at a later date.
2)Remove engine, grind crank new shells for a max. of £700. Would take 3 weeks cos they are so busy.(tut).
Being the skint student and not wanting to be without my car for ages and also intending to sell it soon and change to a car big enough to tow my other car (an R5) I opted for option 1. BIG MISTAKE ! I also thought the new shells would at least last long enough to sell it to some other poor bugger.
Once Dave had got the sump off I had a look at the crank, it was very badly scored, shells on 4 were totally shot, 1 was bad aswell but 2 and 3 were OK. As I was now going to have to pay out £300 quid anyway I had the new shells put on anyway. I asked Dave how long they might last, he said could be months, weeks or hours...
So I start to drive home at 45 mph, 25 miles from SE the sodding bearings start knocking again ! I was, annoyed, to say the least...
So now I'm looking at another £700 bill. I'm (still) waiting for Pete to get back to me to get it booked in for option 2. Looks like I'll probably sell the R5 now and keep the 200 for a while longer and maybe get it modded more and use it for track days instead. Also prob get cambelt done, I don't want any more expensive surprises.
The morale of this story ?
Listen to Pete, he really knows his stuff and if you get shells done have crank reground.
Just for the record my car has done 88,000 miles, has a (5 month old, rusty) Janspeed and K&N air filter. Since buying it 18 months ago, I have had NO problems at all and it ran like a dream showing no signs of big end bearing probs.
Be warned ! and prey you never hear any bad knocking noises from yours...
By the way SE is top place, my first visit, a lot bigger than ND. They got about 20 300's waiting for work. One is awaiting a 1000 BHP (?) upgrade ! its already got over 700 apparently, sounded awesome.