PaulF

Thanks Nigel, it's got 83K on it.

In fact thanks to you all, you've lifted my spirits a bit.

I'm going to make sure that any work is covered by the warranty before they even think about starting, I'll try to get it in writing, but I doubt if that'll happen.

Rob, the look on the technicians face when the smoke came out was pure shock, he'd never seen an S smoke like that either.

m1bjr

Neither is it a race designed formula 1 engine.
Like the regulars on scoobynet who thought the little flat four was some Godlike incarnation of the great Lord Combustion.

Its just a mass produced production engine. Just like the K series.

Ultra_Nexus

Come on Steve, it may be mass production, but it surely cannot be compared to the Rover 'Have another headgasket' K Series

integra_man

By that yardstick we're implying there's absolutely no difference in brand build-quality, when clearly that ain't the case.

MB

Steve has a point...

Does seem that there are a *lot* of them blowing up in recent months

And we are just a sample of the population. Mate of mine has just had one go pop.

Ultra_Nexus

Lack of/incorrect maintenance or thrashing when cold.

These combined will almost certainly be the cause.

Remember, as the car gets cheaper, people who haven't got the money to spend on servicing, buy it anyway because 'It's a VTEC Honda and Honda have made 15 million VTECs and not one of them have blown up....'

Err, quite.

m1bjr

Yes, I am also always amazed by that statement.
Still wonder what the criteria is for meeting such a bold statement.
Maybe they mean out of all that are dealer maintained?

I still say it's just an engine, whilst some have taken the simile literally, it's not actually what I meant.

As Mark suggests, given the small percentage of engine out there that are F20C, and the number of blown engines reported just through this forum, I would suggest they are no more 'immune' to destruction than a K series.

Just like a few months ago whilst chatting to a local (and very experienced) RAC breakdown chap.
I asked "So, what's the most common make found at the side of the road then?"
"Ford" he replied.
"But only because there are more of them, and people keep them longer."

S.

MB

Yes I agree Ron - given that many engines go for over 100k miles (some with posotive pressure!) it would hint that some have been abused. But they do drink oil, and that can be a cause - and that's not the best design!

RE the VTEC failures - I think the statement is limited ot the VTEC system, which is basically the hydraulic lifters. Not much chance of failure there

Ultra_Nexus

The only thing is that the engines in these cars are nearly always driven hard, especially by people on here.

On the drift day just gone, I had an instructor jump in and show me a few moves.

I asked him if he'd had a go in an S before (He liked it by the way ) and he said no, but he was at the previous drift day. He then said he remembered that there was a 'Nutter' in one.

I said yeah, that was Puppy - he blew his engine up recently

The instructor replied - 'I'm not suprised...'

I still think the F20C deserves it's high praise though. Despite being 10 years old, its still pushes out in excess of 120bhp/litre from the factory with no turbo.

Not even the GT3 RS or F430 Scuderia can match that!


Mark - yeah that statement is the VTEC system, not the engine, but that was my point - People think it means the engine!

PaulF

Finally, I have a resolution to this. It's the rings on the No 4 piston as suspected. I won't know the full SP until they get the engine fully apart, I'll keep ypu all as up to date as I am.