Hi guys Noob here im afraid![8-|] and to make matters worse a 27 year old BMW noob!
Anyway having sold my 3.0 z4 I needed something cheap to tool around in until I find the right M3 (must be a CS!) and as I have been impressed by my wifes mk1 eunos roadster i decided to have a quick look in the local ads.
Cutting a long story short i have just bought a 1999 1.8 in BRG for £250 and its a right shed, full of horse manure (literally) roof is like a colinder and the engine sounds like a skeleton having a wank in a busicuit tin, oh and the alternator is siezed [Y] wicked!
As such I intend to patch the roof (the wife can fork out for a new one when I give the car to her) attempt to un-seize the alternator and replace the big end shells.
So:
Where is the best place to buy big end shells?
Do the rod bolts need to be changed or can they be re-used?
What is the torque setting for the rod bolts?
How many belts should there be on this engine? the siezed alternator has caused the belt to snap, however only one bolt was on the floor.
What are my odds on un-siezing the alternator?
Many thanks for all the help in advance!!
Hi
For £250 it does still sounds like you got quite a bargain there even if the engine is shot.
To be honest i wouldn’t try to replce the shells but replce the whole engine. If the big ends are knocking its likely to have been run with insufficient oil and the rings chould be shot to. Engines are pretty cheap to come by and a damn site easier to replce i would have thought.
However if you do go down that route i’m pretty sure Mazda dealers would be the only place to get new big end shellss
You could try MX5parts.co.uk also as they can get genuine mazda spares.
Or autolink (do a search on google) as they sell spare engines as well as
PH Sportscars
Porsche dismantlers used parts/panels
British Waterways Yard
Cavendish Bridge
Shardlow
Derbyshire
DE72 2HL
UK
Tel: 01332 799298
Fax: 01332 799298
They are a specialist MX5 and porshce breaker and are really good!!!
Good luck.
tony
Thanks for the info mate,
I rang Mazda direct:
Big End Shells £84.15 inc VAT Main Bearings £110 ish inc vat
MazdaParts.co.uk
Big End shells: £84.16 Main Bearings £54.70
The engine doesnt smoke and we dont have MOT’s on the Isle of Man so I am not too fussed about the rings, it shows no sign of ring wear.
I will strip the bearings from the engine first to see how bad they are and mic up the crank before fitting any new bearings. If it looks ok ish i will give it a shot as a decent lump will be 600-800 plus delivery to the island.
If anyone is interested I can take some pics of the job?