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  #1  
Old 10-29-2003, 08:25 PM
Ralph Gibbs Ralph Gibbs is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Winnipeg Manitoba
Posts: 64
Blew my Engine,Part 2

I want to thank-you all for your reply to my problem,I greatly appreciate the support at this time.
Sorry David(Earthworm)but I have not been able to get in touch with you. I sent you 3 e-mails since we met at the Garden City Auto-Show. I want to talk to you and your Dad about this problem. The detail of my last e-mail to you are included here.

I am wondering if my SVX engine is really that bad. The following are some details and questions I have about the SVX.
1. My SVX was in very good condition and I thought it would run for years as I have kept up and exceeded all the maintenance. with 193,000 Km. when the noise began.

2. I was driving to the dealer on the highway, on the road for only 10 min. when it shut down, I immediately turned it off.

3.The serviceman said the belt melted because the waterpump seized and the belt just spun around (slipping) causing a mess.

4.The rad. cracked in half and was replaced along w/ waterpump,themostat, timing belt, idler bearing etc.

5. After all that when the serviceman said "short Block" $3655.
I stopped the work and sent it home basically.

Questions: Would an aluminum engine not withstand 10 min. w/o
coolant ?
They did not test the engine but did say they would have to do a compression test, which sounds resonable.
What I wonder is would the computer shut down the SVX until it was reset? The SVX has a limp-home mode. Could the shut-down kicked something out ? The oil is clean and clear for example.

I asked the serviceman if they checked the codes and he said there were none flashing.

If the cylinders were scored could one not get them bored out and put new rings or pistons in an SVX. there are lots of good machine shops around.

Thank You in advance for any info. on this matter.
Bye for now...........Ralph

Thanks to "Strictly Subaru" for the engine offer, I hope that I don't need a compleate engine but yours would be an option.
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  #2  
Old 10-29-2003, 10:07 PM
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Trevor Trevor is offline
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Re: Blew my Engine,Part 2

Quote:
Originally posted by Ralph Gibbs


5. After all that when the serviceman said "short Block" $3655.
I stopped the work and sent it home basically.

I asked the serviceman if they checked the codes and he said there were none flashing.

Thank You in advance for any info. on this matter.
Bye for now...........Ralph

Please advise exactly what the serviceman said. How did he arrive at his diagnosis ?

The statement appears very sweeping and therefore rather suspect. Such a positive statement to be valid would surely require the engine to be at least partially stripped down and inspected.
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  #3  
Old 10-30-2003, 05:24 AM
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svx_commuter svx_commuter is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: North Jersey
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There is another thread about the adjuster for the T-belt sounding like a BAD rod bearing. Maybe that's the problem? Read this thread.

In regards to your other questions. Larger pistons are not available from Subaru and special tools are needed to take the block apart. The SVX has very tight tolerances between the cylinder and the piston. I think it is about .0005inch total clearance. To get this and I understand that it is very tight compared to other engines and why the engine is so quiet, pistons and cylinders are matched at assembly. I think there are 3 grades of psitons and cylinders. From the largest to he smallest I think there is only a .001inch change but I am not sure. The FSM has the infro and it's not here.

I think that running for 10 minutes without coolant is border line. May have damaged the engine and then might not. It's hard to say.
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  #4  
Old 10-30-2003, 08:13 PM
Ralph Gibbs Ralph Gibbs is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Winnipeg Manitoba
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What the serviceman said

Hello Trevor,
besides the Rad.Timing belt & Waterpump the serviceman said,
All bearings siezed & Melted. Engine severly overheated. Had to clean front of engine melted and shreaded to little peices.

Replaced 2 Idler bearings and tensionner toothed bearing noisy at start up (engine did not fire up, just cranked over).
on initial start up no tension / resistance from engine no compression-internal engine damage to pistons likely. likely will need new engine.

other remarks: Internal toothed idler bearing should also be replaced.
RAD INSTALLED bled-engine is work to be done as well as operational test compression test, w/ prices.

The above material was on the invoice from the subaru Dealer.
I hope this will help you help me in determainating a better understanding of the problem.

Thanks Trevor, Chemistry Eh, I'm now working as support staff at U-Manitoba in the Chemistry Dept.
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  #5  
Old 10-31-2003, 01:51 AM
gl1674 gl1674 is offline
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Location: Bay Area
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Quote:
Questions: Would an aluminum engine not withstand 10 min. w/o coolant
Head warpage likely. The same with coolant but without running water pump. Blown radiator is a consequence of a significant overheating and/or blown head gaskets.

Quote:
no tension / resistance from engine no compression-internal engine damage to pistons likely
No tension/resistance is likely if camshafts are not aligned properly. Main crankshaft bearings should not have melted - they are oil lubricated and some distance away from combustion chambers.
Since lubrication was still there I do not see how pistons could have been damaged. The engine most likely quit when timing belt broke - not seized.

Anyway the short block diagnosis is a bit suspicious - if the block is damaged, the heads are likely damaged too.
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  #6  
Old 10-31-2003, 01:52 AM
gl1674 gl1674 is offline
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Quote:
No tension/resistance is likely if camshafts are not aligned properly.
I mean there is always a possibility that the guy who installed a new timing belt did not have a clue and did it wrong.
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