Disappointing engine damage pics inside...

Jonny69 · 14-09-2010, 19:45

August 2009 I trashed the engine in my Anglia on the motorway just after a rebuild. Gutted wasn't the word and I couldn't face touching it for ages. June this year I picked up a 1200 Super engine to use as a quick fixer-upper. I pulled the 1700 out a few weeks ago and with it sat next to the little 1200 I was left with a quandry: do I just sling the 1200 in or rebuild the 1700...?

This evening I put my torch and camping lamp to the test and took the head off the 1700 in the dark to have a look and see what was up. Working in the dark is no fun and my eyes hurt now, but I got the head off and I'm partway into a diagnosis. S'cuse the lower than normal standard pics, these were taken holding the lamp overhead so I could see to focus the camera

First thing I noticed was the shape of the combustion chamber 'cleaned off' from the top of no.1 piston:

Not good news because that means contact had been made with the head. The head showed the same sort of story:

When I turned the flywheel I could feel that there was up and down play in cylinders 1 and 2 so that means it's killed two bearings. The odd thing was it wasn't knocking, it was making more of a piston-like scraping noise. The other odd thing was I didn't get any bits and bobs come out with the oil, so I'm hoping it is a big-end and not a little-end bearing which will be harder to fix.

Fingers crossed it hasn't trashed the piston. I'm hoping the contact hasn't compressed the top ring groove which will render the pistons useless and that's BIG expense on this engine. It's all free though and the bore has not been damaged, so it's looking good so far

14-09-2010, 19:45	#1
Jonny69 Noob Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Socialist Republik of Kent Posts: 5,032	Disappointing engine damage pics inside... August 2009 I trashed the engine in my Anglia on the motorway just after a rebuild. Gutted wasn't the word and I couldn't face touching it for ages. June this year I picked up a 1200 Super engine to use as a quick fixer-upper. I pulled the 1700 out a few weeks ago and with it sat next to the little 1200 I was left with a quandry: do I just sling the 1200 in or rebuild the 1700...? This evening I put my torch and camping lamp to the test and took the head off the 1700 in the dark to have a look and see what was up. Working in the dark is no fun and my eyes hurt now, but I got the head off and I'm partway into a diagnosis. S'cuse the lower than normal standard pics, these were taken holding the lamp overhead so I could see to focus the camera First thing I noticed was the shape of the combustion chamber 'cleaned off' from the top of no.1 piston: Not good news because that means contact had been made with the head. The head showed the same sort of story: When I turned the flywheel I could feel that there was up and down play in cylinders 1 and 2 so that means it's killed two bearings. The odd thing was it wasn't knocking, it was making more of a piston-like scraping noise. The other odd thing was I didn't get any bits and bobs come out with the oil, so I'm hoping it is a big-end and not a little-end bearing which will be harder to fix. Fingers crossed it hasn't trashed the piston. I'm hoping the contact hasn't compressed the top ring groove which will render the pistons useless and that's BIG expense on this engine. It's all free though and the bore has not been damaged, so it's looking good so far __________________ Last edited by Jonny69; 14-09-2010 at 19:48.