Thirsty Piston
#41
Piston broke due to improper installation of wrist pin snap ring, period. If it were a piston metallurgy problem, the piston would have broken both skirts. It broke only one, meaning the wrist pin had to have slid to one side ( the side that broke) and during the downward motion tore the skirt off. Again the snap ring was either not installed, or installed improperly.
You could tell the machine shop this all day long, but the fact is, he has the final word unless you persue this legally.
You could tell the machine shop this all day long, but the fact is, he has the final word unless you persue this legally.
#43
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Crap it all... pics later of all the fun chunks in the motor.
I'm not going to pursue it legally, either way it turns out, I will be in a deeper financial hole. I never found the snap ring. I asked him to disassemble and see if he could locate it, but he refused. I guess I'm on the hunt for a decent used motor. Oh.. and M-tuned record is slightly tarnished. The rod is bent. Not in a buckling way, the wrist pin and the big end aren't in plane anymore.
I'm not going to pursue it legally, either way it turns out, I will be in a deeper financial hole. I never found the snap ring. I asked him to disassemble and see if he could locate it, but he refused. I guess I'm on the hunt for a decent used motor. Oh.. and M-tuned record is slightly tarnished. The rod is bent. Not in a buckling way, the wrist pin and the big end aren't in plane anymore.
#44
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Crap it all... pics later of all the fun chunks in the motor.
I'm not going to pursue it legally, either way it turns out, I will be in a deeper financial hole. I never found the snap ring. I asked him to disassemble and see if he could locate it, but he refused. I guess I'm on the hunt for a decent used motor. Oh.. and M-tuned record is slightly tarnished. The rod is bent. Not in a buckling way, the wrist pin and the big end aren't in plane anymore.
I'm not going to pursue it legally, either way it turns out, I will be in a deeper financial hole. I never found the snap ring. I asked him to disassemble and see if he could locate it, but he refused. I guess I'm on the hunt for a decent used motor. Oh.. and M-tuned record is slightly tarnished. The rod is bent. Not in a buckling way, the wrist pin and the big end aren't in plane anymore.
#50
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After tearing the motor apart today and not finding that clip, I'm starting to think it may not be there at all. It wasn't in the pan, that's for sure. I now have to thoroughly flush out the water jacket just to be sure it isn't in there anywhere. On top of that, I called M-tuned, 949racing, and supertech. 949 said this is only the 3rd or 4th issue they have ever heard of out of supertech pistons, and this one is the only one that wasn't melted. M-tuned said they had seen one other case with similar damage and marks inside the bore and they came to the same conclusion that it was a missing ring clip. Supertech said they have had no complaints of others breaking out of that batch. After all of that evidence, I'm going to see what he says and possibly pursue court.
#54
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Well.. apparently the shop owner was in a better mood today. After telling him the ring clip was totally missing and that really nobody else had had any problems with the pistons, the owner beat around the bush and didn't exactly admit he did anything wrong, but he's going to help me out. I'm going to buy the replacement piston after he dye tests the others just to make sure they are ok. He said he should be able to straighten the rod too. He's going to do the labor free and sleeve the block for me. All I should have to shell out for is a single piston and a set of rings. Soo.. that solution works for me. We'll see how it turns out.
#56
Well.. apparently the shop owner was in a better mood today. After telling him the ring clip was totally missing and that really nobody else had had any problems with the pistons, the owner beat around the bush and didn't exactly admit he did anything wrong, but he's going to help me out. I'm going to buy the replacement piston after he dye tests the others just to make sure they are ok. He said he should be able to straighten the rod too. He's going to do the labor free and sleeve the block for me. All I should have to shell out for is a single piston and a set of rings. Soo.. that solution works for me. We'll see how it turns out.
#58
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Huh.
I'd at least give Marc a call and see if they can hook you up with one new rod & pin. Not real sure I'd trust a "straightened" rod, regardless how how good it was before the unpleasantness.
And yeah, blocks are not hard to come by and probably a good idea. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone sleeving a BP engine. Your engine guy does realize that this is a sleeveless iron block, right?
I'd at least give Marc a call and see if they can hook you up with one new rod & pin. Not real sure I'd trust a "straightened" rod, regardless how how good it was before the unpleasantness.
And yeah, blocks are not hard to come by and probably a good idea. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone sleeving a BP engine. Your engine guy does realize that this is a sleeveless iron block, right?
#60
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Hell.. I have no idea if any of it's actually possible or not. If he can sleeve it though, I'm not worried about that part at all. It's not surprising that you don't hear about it given the general cheapness of the miata community and the same sentiment that it's easier to replace a block than it is to sleeve one cylinder. But on top of that, how many times have you seen damage to only the water jacket and not all the way through the block? I called Marc, he said 1 rod is $150 + shipping while a whole set is only $330. The pistons aren't quite so ridiculous, they are just a little more than 1/4th the cost of a set. It's not the first time I've heard of straightening a rod, given that they are forged steel. As long as they aren't cracked, it isn't a problem, and that's what the dye tests are for. I'm going to look at the budget a little more closely and see if I can swing a new rod and piston just the same. But in the end, I don't think I can afford everything. It's 1 of 3 options:
1. Sleeve block, straighten rod, replace piston (cheapest)
2. Replace rod and piston, sleeve block. (arguably the safest)
3. Replace rod, new block, stock pistons and risk the cylinders being round enough to just brush it and use new rings. Problem with that is actually finding a decent motor. I found a protege motor locally with 93k on it, but it's a junkyard and no history on it.
I dunno.. maybe I will be able to afford all 3, but I doubt it.
1. Sleeve block, straighten rod, replace piston (cheapest)
2. Replace rod and piston, sleeve block. (arguably the safest)
3. Replace rod, new block, stock pistons and risk the cylinders being round enough to just brush it and use new rings. Problem with that is actually finding a decent motor. I found a protege motor locally with 93k on it, but it's a junkyard and no history on it.
I dunno.. maybe I will be able to afford all 3, but I doubt it.