Boom!! How unlucky can you get?

[Moylesey]

A lot of the work was done during the investigation bit to be fair and the lads have been able to leave the car in preparation for the engine arriving.

The're both ex MB lads and very reasonable and completely fair to deal with - which helps.

Is there an emoticon for a metal mug...?

 

[Leemc2008]

What did you blow up?

 

[mattc]

What did you blow up?

click on his name and view threads he started...you will see one beginning with Boom i think..explains it all

go on then;read here

 

[Leemc2008]

click on his name and view threads he started...you will see one beginning with Boom i think..explains it all

go on then;read here

Thanks..

 

[Moylesey]

Boom! - part three

Jesus...

Following my last post I was able to source an engine from a breakers for around £1,000 two weeks ago.

I took great care - giving the breakers the VIN number, the existing engine number and the car reg. number to make absolutely sure it was a match. The engine arrived two days later - in the meantime the chaps at my specialist had removed the engine and gear box and done around 5 hours worth of prep ready for the engine.

It did not fit - the engine was older, not by much, but old enough that it was missing a connection to the water tank that was required and there were various other issues. I have just shipped it back in order to get a refund and it looks like I'll have to stand around £100 quids worth of courier costs as they are saying it could be made to fit - with all that's gone on I don't really have the will left to fight them for it and my money will now been refunded minus the courier.

So I contacted 'Europe’s Number One Mercedes Parts Specialists' in Oldham last Saturday. Spoke to parts there and explained what had happened and they took the same details down. I said that they needed to be absolutely sure they have a match given my experience with the first engine. They called me back and said that they had an exact match - no problems. £1,100 quid plus my old engine as exchange.

I asked what the earliest delivery time they could manage was as my car was tying up a ramp at my specialist and was told it would be with the garage by Tuesday a.m. latest. Sorted. I paid by credit card and rang the garage to let them know.

Tuesday midday I called them to see if it had arrived - nothing.

Contacted them again and was told it would be there within the hour. It didn't come. Phoned back at least a dozen times and was promised a call back - nothing. Got through eventually at 5.30 pm and was told it hadn't gone on the wagon as they didn't have a pallet. They promised to call me back before 8.00 a.m. the following morning with a solution and didn't. I eventually called them at 9.15 a.m. and was told the earliest it could be delivered was Thursday.

The engine arrived on Thursday and I have just taken a call to say it doesn't fit - same problem. They are arranging to pick it up and are refunding me at no cost - to be honest I would have preferred that the engine fitted.

I really am at a loss as to what to do next. A brand new engine is £4k - I only paid £4.75k for the car. The lads at the garage have suggested doing more work on my original engine on the off chance it can be salvaged so I've given them permission to keep going. I'm hoping to be lucky but to be honest I'm expecting to be told that it still needs a replacement engine at some time in the next few hours. We didn't do this in the first place because of the economics of the cost of the work involved versus getting a replacement engine relatively cheaply, so we're essentially back at square one.

I sold a mint 2000 40k W208CLK for all this crap.

Depressed isn't the word.

 

[Dieselman]

Wouldn't it have been easier to use bits off the old engine to make the 'new' one fit.?

 

[Shude]

The second breaker sounds like Dronsfields, is it?

Mind if I merge your threads to make this one story?

 

[Moylesey]

Shude - Yes no problem.

Dieselman - absolutely not doabale by all acounts. The lads are time served MB technicians and they say it cant be made to work.

I have to take their word for it and no one wants the car sorted and away more than they do - they are being absolutely fair and honest which is all I can ask for.

 

[jaymanek]

Moylesey...

unfortunately Dronsfield are often like this... trouble is they often have the parts tha no one else has.

We had a similar problem with an A Class gearbox.. we thought it was different.. but we were so desperate we didnt send it back (to dronsfields).. they turned out to be right, you could swap the bits needed from the old box to make it fit... things were just in different places and connectors had to be swapped over...

Im sure your garage are just being overly cautious as of course once you start taking the new engine to bits you wont be able to send it back.

The chances of you finding the exact same engine are slim as A class's had hundreds of revisions...

I would bet that it could be made to fit but its up to you where you go from here.

I personally, would have the current engine refurbished. It wont cost any more than what you are paying for a second hand one.

 

[grober]

I would second JAYMANEK'S advice. Make sure you go to reputable engine rebuilder who will offer a good warranty for at least 6 months.
The early A class cars are not a good second hand proposition due to the fact their powertrain repairs are so time consuming.

 

[Moylesey]

I'm in Carlisle - any suggestions would be appreciated.

My specialists concern is that because the car overreved there could be damage done to the cylinders by the pistons due to the speed the engine was working at - if this has happened is it still possible to refurbish/repair the engine?

I have no mechanical knowledge whatsoever so plain English would be appreciated!

 

[nick mercedes]

I'm in Carlisle - any suggestions would be appreciated.

My specialists concern is that because the car overreved there could be damage done to the cylinders by the pistons due to the speed the engine was working at - if this has happened is it still possible to refurbish/repair the engine?

I have no mechanical knowledge whatsoever so plain English would be appreciated!

Take the head off and have a look.

What's actually wrong with it?

 

[Moylesey]

"The lads at the garage have suggested doing more work on my original engine on the off chance it can be salvaged so I've given them permission to keep going. I'm hoping to be lucky but to be honest I'm expecting to be told that it still needs a replacement engine at some time in the next few hours."

That's what they're currently doing...

 

[nick mercedes]

That's what they're currently doing...

If it's not too terminal Crewe engines might be worth ringing.

 

[nick mercedes]

"The lads at the garage have suggested doing more work on my original engine on the off chance it can be salvaged so I've given them permission to keep going. I'm hoping to be lucky but to be honest I'm expecting to be told that it still needs a replacement engine at some time in the next few hours."

That's what they're currently doing...

In fact £1000 may get you a complete damaged car to get an engine from.

A bit over not that badly damaged and ended, but you get the idea:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MERCEDES-A170...Z9855QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

 

[jaymanek]

Havent heard too many good things about Crewe recently on the other side..

There will be engineering companies where you are... any company that skims heads for example will rebuild usually.

 

[Moylesey]

Update

Quick update.

We couldn't find a suitable and cheap engine so we took deep breath and dismantled the whole lot fearing the worse given the blown out injectors.

We were pleasantly surprised given that the fuel injectors had blown out and after very careful dismantling and inspection the bores and other crucial bits have survived.

The upshot is a re-machined block for the injectors to go into, new clamps and a complete rebuild which is taking time but is a hell of a lot cheaper than the other options available.

Can't say enough about the specialist Autotech in Carlisle who have held my hand all the way through and have taken a great deal of care and proffered well though out advice all along the way - despite the fact that my car had been tying up ramp space for the last 5 weeks whilst various breakers yards fannied us around with broken promises and duff engines. They are fitting in my car with all of their programmed jobs so it's taking time but the job is getting done properly and not being rushed.

With luck I'll be able to drive the car for the second time within the week - I've budgeted for around 30 hours all told plus machining, oil, some parts (head gasket, clamps) and vat.

Lesson learned and bizarrely I kind of feel like I've got way with it - how strange is that?

I'll report back when the bill needs to be paid...

 

[Dieselman]

No too bad then.
Are the piston tops, con-rods and big ends definately alright.?

 

[Moylesey]

Yep. All okay. They're a very careful bunch and if they need sorting they would sort them. They're as surprised as I am to be honest.

Obviously I haven't driven the thing yet but the lads have said that they want it right before it comes back as they are responsible for the work and repairs and there's no benefit in having the thing come straight back to them.

 

[Vlad]

Quick question...more for my own interest than anything else...why would all four injectors blow out. I could understand one blowing out, but all four.....I can only assume that there must have been a massive increase in pressure for all four to blow. Would a sticking wastegate/over boost cause this?