Big end knock

[Pulsar_stu]

Just fired up the sr for the first time after fitting the engine I bought for it.

Not good! :(

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/pulsar_stu/FF6E1D7B-EF58-48F1-A3BD-145F36351340-555-0000009A0BE33206_zps42692969.mp4

I have been sold a knackered engine :(

Can I swap the shells while the engine is in if the crank is ok?

I was hoping to mot the car this week and get it in for its paint next week :(

[conza123]

gutted for you :-(

[mk1nova_rich]

I doubt it...you could do the conrod bearings with the engine in situ but no chance of doing the big ends

[Pulsar_stu]

Just my luck :(
Engine back out then :(

I have spent £500 on it so far this last week already.

Where is best to get the rebuild parts from?

Thanks.

[Andy]

Its not as simple as that.
The crank journals need measuring,end float etc.You need to identify why its knocking before throwing parts at it.
Where was the engine from?

[Pulsar_stu]

I bought the engine off a lad in Rotherham.
It was advertised on gumtree.
It had the full service history book with it and he said he had only taken it out because he had fit an xe.

From listening to the engine it's noises closest to the pulley side of the engine.
Starts knocking at about 1.5k revs.
I will remove the engine and strip it all down and take the crank to get measured.
After all the work I have put into it this week I'm loosing heart!
It owes me £1300 upto now :(

[bazzap8389]

Gutted mate, be worth having a word with the bloke who sold you it and see if you can get your money back?

[mowgli]

it might be worth looking for a 1.4 spi bottom end from a corsa 8v in a scrapper.. it should be cheap & fit.. i'm not sure about breathers though...

[Pulsar_stu]

I have looked into it and the bearings are being sold for between £15 and £40 from what I can see. A regrind if I need one on the crank will be about £75.
Headgasket £20.
So I'm thinking at the most it will cost me £150 to sort it out as I will be doing the work...???

I will drop the engine out either later or tomorrow.
Then strip it down and see what the damage is.

Thanks for the replies :)

[mowgli]

i'm assuming you've checked & eliminated a worn tappet or a broken rocker before ripping the engine apart??

you can check the crank by removing the sump. have you got an oil gauge to check the pump pressure?

[Pulsar_stu]

I haven't checked anything yet mate.
Just heard the noise and suspected the worse :(
It does sound like something rattling around than bottom end sometimes.

http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/pulsar_stu/?action=view&current=FF6E1D7B-EF58-48F1-A3BD-145F36351340-555-0000009A0BE33206_zps42692969.mp4

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/pulsar_stu/FF6E1D7B-EF58-48F1-A3BD-145F36351340-555-0000009A0BE33206_zps42692969.mp4

[jimbob-mcgrew]

doesn't sound happy does it...

I wish people would be honest about what they sell

[Pulsar_stu]

I have just stripped the sump off and undone all the big ends and he shells and crank are fine. No score make at all!

I did notice I hadn't put the bottom exhaust down pipe bracket onto the engine mount.
It was resting up against the engine mount.
The bracket has a rubber grommet.
Could this have been making the bloody noise do you think?
Here's the bracket. It's away now because I've undo e the manifold to get the sump off.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/pulsar_stu/36846227-1F45-4DB1-9B5A-9BD330305112-150-0000000B9959FE26_zps25b7079c.jpg
Is it worth me taking the conrod bearings out to check them if the main bearings are ok?

Anyone know what torque the mains are done up at please?

[Pulsar_stu]

Doh!
I was supposed to check the conrod bearings not the mains lol
Just wiggled the conrods and number 1, 2 and 4 have a lot of play in them :(
I will take them off to inspect tomorrow.

[kent14sr]

No, its not the exhaust bracket. You can see in your video it isn't touching.

I would check the hydraulic lifters. Often when an engine has been sat or had infrequent oil changes they get gummed up and don't take up the slack in the cam train as designed.

Is the oil fresh?

[Pulsar_stu]

The oil was ok.
I took the top off the cam cover and all looked fine, really clean in there and nothing looked out of place.

I will be removing the shells tomorrow on the little ends.
Like I say there's play in 3 of the 4 :(
I just hope the crank is ok!

[mowgli]

whilst you are in there, check the oil pump backplate.. my mum's y reg astra actually had the screws undo slightly, so the oil wasn't getting pushed thru the system

[Pulsar_stu]

Thanks for the tip. I will check that out.

Here's the damage I found :(
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/pulsar_stu/04C3E25F-1278-406A-9356-73126020A9BB-716-000001043C54793D_zpse76f0134.jpg

The crank looks fine tho :)
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c97/pulsar_stu/2FA2A76A-7F29-47C8-B869-874AC060EFB9-716-000001044C5E8A5E_zps40e483ab.jpg
Nice easy rebuild :)

[Iain]

Still needs to come out for a measure and check

[jimbob-mcgrew]

is that crank meat on the shells ?

[jimbob-mcgrew]

what causes that to happen ?

not regular oil changes ?

[mowgli]

i agree about having the crank out & checking it.

[Pulsar_stu]

Crank was measured and is ok and the engine is all back together and running sweet :)

[craig green]

Nice one.

Just to add some facts to this discussion, oil deposits & neglected oil services wouldnt necessarily be indicated by dirty oil in the sump/engine. Years of negelct can gunk up the innards of a working engine without you even seeing it. A fresh oil change would certainly mask it for a couple thousand miles.
Also you seem to have your big & small ends in a muddle. Crank runs on mains, big ends are the 'large' bearings on the con rods that run on the crank journals, small ends are within the piston.

[meritlover]

I doubt it...you could do the conrod bearings with the engine in situ but no chance of doing the big ends

??? O_o

[Pulsar_stu]

Thanks Craig. I always get that mixed up lol

I did notice the oil was over full when I installed the engine.
My guess is it was driven low on oil and then the knocking started so the owner put in oil hoping to stop what had already started. Then when he realised he was to late he ripped the engine out and did a conversion and sold the engine on to me.

Would of been nice to know before I installed it! But hey ho some people just don't care what they sell!

As I said, it's all good now! Just need to get it on the road so I can bed the new bearings in :)