Engine troubles

Hi folks. Really need some advice on some quite expensive repairs. Recently
my head gasket went so had head engineered and new gasket fitted inc all
new belts i.e timing belt and balancing belts. Cost £1200! Ouch. Drove for
about 40 miles and new problem. Garage says big end bearing. Could they
have botched repair for this to happen. Can I repair from underneath
without disturbing head as just done. Considering new engine. Help
please!!!

lanky > wrote:

> Hi folks. Really need some advice on some quite expensive repairs. Recently
> my head gasket went so had head engineered and new gasket fitted inc all
> new belts i.e timing belt and balancing belts. Cost £1200! Ouch. Drove for
> about 40 miles and new problem. Garage says big end bearing. Could they
> have botched repair for this to happen. Can I repair from underneath
> without disturbing head as just done. Considering new engine. Help
> please!!!

So, not only have you allowed the car to overheat, you've also been too
lazy to check the oil.

Sorry, you're a numpty and should consider buying something more
suitable, like a Mondeo.
--
Steve H 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
http://www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800 - MZ ETZ300 - Alfa 75 TSpark
Alfa 156 2.0 TSpark Lusso - Fiat Marea 20v HLX - COSOC KOTL
BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

Thanks for the sympathic response. The oil level was fine when gasket went
and I was cruising at 75 mph on the motorway. After repair the oil was
topped back after gunk being flushed. Could my engine just have been raked
by previous owner? Only had it 5 months. Wish I had 6 month warantee!

Blame it on the former owner?? Come on, get real!!
5 Months "no problems" then a bearing failure 10 minutes after a "completed"
head gasket renewal?????
Sorry to say, but you/your garage messed up big time!!
Tried to do the job "cheap"!
Headgasket blown and no oil/oilfilter rewewal?????
Good chance, very good chance that the blown headgasket rsulted in coolant
in the oil; that doesn't lubricate too good to put it mildly.
"Automatic" bearing failure; you're lucky that's all (or isn't it?????)
Sorry!
--
Ciao from The Netherlands
alfistagj (aka Gert-Jan)
GT 2.0 JTS (2005)
Montreal 2.6V8 (1428700 - 1973/4)

"lanky" > schreef in bericht
lkaboutautos.com...
> Thanks for the sympathic response. The oil level was fine when gasket went
> and I was cruising at 75 mph on the motorway. After repair the oil was
> topped back after gunk being flushed. Could my engine just have been raked
> by previous owner? Only had it 5 months. Wish I had 6 month warantee!
>

Blame it on the former owner?? Come on, get real!!
5 Months "no problems" then a bearing failure 10 minutes after a "completed"
head gasket renewal?????
Sorry to say, but you/your garage messed up big time!!
Tried to do the job "cheap"!
Headgasket blown and no oil/oilfilter rewewal?????
Good chance, very good chance that the blown headgasket rsulted in coolant
in the oil; that doesn't lubricate too good to put it mildly.
"Automatic" bearing failure; you're lucky that's all (or isn't it?????)
Sorry!
--
Ciao from The Netherlands
alfistagj (aka Gert-Jan)
GT 2.0 JTS (2005)
Montreal 2.6V8 (1428700 - 1973/4)

"lanky" > schreef in bericht
lkaboutautos.com...
> Thanks for the sympathic response. The oil level was fine when gasket went
> and I was cruising at 75 mph on the motorway. After repair the oil was
> topped back after gunk being flushed. Could my engine just have been raked
> by previous owner? Only had it 5 months. Wish I had 6 month warantee!
>

Speaking to various other sources it sounds like you are spot on. If garage
did shoddy job don't know how i could prove it. For the price I paid they
should have taken sump off and done complete rebuild. Thanks for your
input.

But why would they disturb the bottom-end when it was a head job? Yes, they
should have changed the oil/filter and have you checked they didn't?

Did you overheat the engine when the gasket blew as that will be the prime
candidate for bearing failure as the oil thins.

And £1200 for a head rebuild is about the going rate ... full engine would
cost you in excess of £3000 from the garages I know.


"lanky" > wrote in message
lkaboutautos.com...
> Speaking to various other sources it sounds like you are spot on. If
garage
> did shoddy job don't know how i could prove it. For the price I paid they
> should have taken sump off and done complete rebuild. Thanks for your
> input.
>

Don't bank on it ... you can run the engine low on oil and not get any
failure for months ... possibly even years. I had a cambelt go and
mashed several valves. But the pistons looked fine ... it went on
starting and didn't really fire-up at any speed.

A year later, the bigend went and when it was checked it was put down
to the pressure from the impact on the piston compressing the oil-layer
and the bearing and crank rubbed. I'd have the car from new and NEVER
run low on oil ... ever ... I had a 75 TSpark before the 156 and was
only too aware of their habits of slurping up quantities of oil, so
this one gets checked and replaced more frequently than the book says.

When the bottom end was built it was also clear a couple of rings were
cracking. So these were all replaced and since the oil consumption is
remarkably low. In fact it's better now than when the car came out the
factory!!