MR2 Only Mag Editor Steves Turbo engine rebuild

[Steve@mr2only.com]

Finally found time to update the build story / diary of my 95 Rev 3 Turbo since its demise back in July last year...

DISASTER

It all started in July last year when I had a few running problems after getting the engine wet before a dyno day, coupled with the fact there was an intermittent ignition fault somewhere, and a re-occurring over boosting problem, having tried to clear the mis-fire by flooring it, I noticed the first sign of oil burning, one the dyno day the car reached 270bhp on the rollers before breaking its dipstick housing and showering oil everywhere.

During the following week, I was noticing some serious oil smoke from the engine lid out of the BOV/exhaust and understandably noticeable excessive oil consumption, together with a lumby Scooby like running, after dragging the car along to our MR2 Only stand at JAE the biggest Jap Show on the UK calendar, three independent experts diagnosed heavy crankcase pressure, and with that the car returned from JAE courtesy of RAC breakdown recovery.

DECISIONS.... DECISIONS...

The following couple of months left me in a quandery as to what to do with my pride and joy that Id only owned for 3 months, do I break it and sell the nice bits and cut my losses? do I take it into a garage and get just whats broken repaired, or source another engine? so what did I choose? none of the above, instead after a lot of sole searching, advice, and the good timing of a company car, I decided to turn the car into an on-going long term project, and Nick Bourne - Bourne Performance set some spare time, well quite a lot of spare time to re-build the engine that would be strong, reliable and form the basis of future modifications, for either a track/strip build, or just a strong road car.

OUT IT COMES

With this me and my brother Andy set about removing the engine, no stranger to removing engines, but never a mid engine, and after much blood, sweat and tears and the best investment we ever made by way of a breaker bar, the body was lifted and the poorly engine was pulled out from underneath.

VERDICT...

Not long after the engine took a trip to Aylesbury where for the next couple of months I eagerly awaited the verdict and it was pretty much as we suspected...

Having been fully stripped down now, head is off, pistons removed etc and the damage is to piston no 1, the ring has broken into 3, piston landing has snapped and the piston itself is damaged, luckily its all remained intact but there is very slight scoring to the cylinder wall, the block was sent away for boring, honing and measuring ready for the new pistons. There was also some wear found an exhaust valve around cylinder 1. Also the clutch had been replaced at some point but the flywheel hadnt, and showed some wear, so a good excuse to replace with a nice lightened Billet one, and a new clutch.

THE REBUILD...

And so during the next few months, the bottom end was meticulously rebuilt to the following spec:-

Carbonetic Clutch and flywheel
Hyper SR down pipe (used)
Wiseco forged Pistons 86.5mm
Eagle H Pattern double forged steel Connecting Rods
ARP Racing Head Stud Kit
ARP Racing Main Stud kit
ARP Racing Flywheel Bolts
Cometic Steel Head Gasket
Genuine Toyota Engine Gasket Kit
ACL Race Series Main Bearings
ACL Race Series Big End Bearings
ACL Thrust Washers
Genuine Toyota Oil Pump
Genuine Toyota Oil Pressure Switch
Water Pump
Cylinder Block re-bore and hone
Cylinder block re-face, Cylinder Head re-face
Cylinder block and cylinder head pressure testing
Crankshaft polish 1.00
Crankshaft balance with flywheel,sproket and pulley (and head repair)
Genuine Toyota Exhaust manifold studs x6
Cam Belt
Cam Cover sand blasting treatment
Genuine Toyota Exhaust manifold end studs x2
Genuine Toyota Exhaust manifold nuts x8
Genuine Toyota Valve shim (2.95mm)
Genuine Toyota Valve shim (3.0mm)
Cam Cover specialist painting
Distributer Rotor Arm
Distributer Cap
Distributer oil seal
Magnecor Competition HT Lead set

The rebuilt engine was collected back in December 07, and there it sat in the garage under cover until now...

SHE LIVES AGAIN...

Last weekend some 10 months after the car died a sorry death, Nick kindly gave up his weekend and with military like precision, assembled the clutch, flywheel, gearbox, engine was once again mounted to the car, plumbed and wired up and later that day, first turn of the key, she purred away (unfortunately due to me knurling the thread on a captive nut inside the subframe we were not able to test drive last weekend, just waiting for a tap to recut the thread, and bolt it all up again, all thats left to do is put back on the Nurspec, bolt the hubs up, engine lid and side panels on, and a few wires into the boot for the boost controller.

THE FUTURE...

Immediate plan is to run the engine and clutch in gently, and change the oil again in 500 miles.

Not sure on long term future yet, but hopefully what I have now is a solid basis for future modifications, possibly a turbo capable of more boost, better fuelling, cooling (for the interim I have an ST205 charge cooler to go on) and engine management, but for now Im well broke!!

Hopefully I will get some photos posted up and will report in once Ive driven her again!

Steve B - Editor - MR2 Only Magazine - MR2 Only Home Page