Forums Forums Enthusiast Forums A - Z Autowirral Any ideas on price 4 piston/ring replacement?

Oil starvation yesterday meant my car needs a new bottom end. One conrod was dry, and it's knocking now, which means the ring has gone and probably scored the block. Car was ran for seconds before it happened.

Anyone know of a price on replacing this?

Engine would help?

It's one of those engines with the bottom end on the bottom!!!
C20XE.

If interested a VVOC.com owner has a Brand spanking new C20Xe forsale.

Other than that sterr clear of Ellesmere Port Engine Centre for the work.

you'd have to open it up and check the crankshaft for damage,

best just stripping it to find out.

Aw not the astra dave?

Yeah, the Astra! Lasted one week on the road!

Checked the crankshaft, half is completely dry, swarf in the sump, scratching and knocking. The pickup pipe came away from the block (two bolts unscrewed), and no oil was getting in. It took a couple of seconds to destroy the whole engine. Just looking for a price otherwise will have to swap engines. I'm giving up car maintenance, my body can't take it anymore!

It's not the crankshaft, it's one piston.

if its ran dry ill bet money on it that the shells have gone! strip it and see how you get on!

piston rings are £42.50 for a set of 4 or £12.50 a piston, big ends bearings are £17.50 and main bearings are £27.50

www.autovaux.co.uk

Gonna be cheaper to replace the motor with a 2nd hand jobbie I think.

If its knocking it will need a set of shells at the very least. If its only been for a few secs, then you might get away without damaging the crank, else it will need a regrind / polish and oversized shells (a reground crank is never as good as a virgin crank though, and is more susceptible to future failure again ).

You then have to meticulously clean everthing, especially check for any damage in the oil pump if there is a lot of swarf in the sump.

Pretty sure your piston rings wont really be effected - they are not something that requires oil pressure to keep them lube'd - just the oil splash from the sump.

...though, saying replace the motor is easy for a common engine, just realised its the C20XE which is the redtop?? and getting quite rare?

Drop the motor and give it to an engine shop the inpsect / rebuild - at least then you know its going to be like new. Id expect £3-500 depending on how far you want to go with new parts - id certainly consider new oil / water pump as a matter of course if the engine was out.

There wasn't really a lot of swarf to be honest, it doesn't knock from the crank, it's from the top end of the engine - it's more of a tappity thing. It's not really that bad, you could happily drive it, but it's burning a lot of oil through the exhaust.
I'm going to start dismantling this weekend and put my spare in, and probably sell bits of the old engine.