So he inspected the internals of the heads and block when before they were fitted?
Same goes with the turbo.
Each of those items could have been subject to abuse, which too be honest, is what they were built for in the first place.

I really don't think the OP has any idea what can happen when pushing 500bhp on a 2litre engine. Things will break, more often than you would like.

 

That's fair enough, but he says that the bottom end was API built, and the heads were rebuilt before fitting. By the end of his ordeal, both the bottom end and heads had been rebuilt and IMO the OP should have been advised at this point if anything was out of spec.
I agree that the kind of power output that he's aimed for is a risky proposition, but it doesn't sound like the work that's been completed is fit for purpose.

 

The problem I foresee; is which heads was the APi 2.35 built for? . there are various combustion chamber sizes on different model year heads Then take account of and piston protrusion or depth down the bore and then head gasket thickness - all of which combine when building the engine to set the actual required compression..

Maybe someone has fitted an adaptor for the oil pressure feed to the turbo with a diameter greater than 1mm. that will cause serious oil burning issues.

If the engine 'builder ' is just a bloke who can put them together, that is a different matter. Building an engine is not quite as easy as it seems. As many amateurs on here have found out.

David APi

 

Now, can everyone please listen to what David has to say. I know some won't agree and that's fine.
But one of the most well respected engine builders/tuners has had his input on this thread. Chose to ignore his advise and you have nobody to blame but yourself.

 

Well put indeed , but the answer in the OP's build is anything but a guess , as we haven't got the spec , wich components & ancillary have been used .
You can over build a engine .... It's like a fine watch when your goin for big numbers .
I'd be interested to see the full spec

 

name and shame to save any other poor sods the hassle you have had, hope you get it sorted OP

 

plus 1

 

And so it continues...........

To start off, my engine is colour coded (purple and green) all pipework etc - as you can imagine, to have it all powdercoated and painted etc - well it costs a lot of money.

So imagine my utter annoyance today when I was having a closer look under the bonet - all my intercooler pipes are marked - now need re-coating! Just before the build I sent down a freshly paint cam cover - just to have a jubilee clip put on and rub the paint away. Also got chips on the top of my front wings - where presumably someone has worked on the engine without covering it first.

And to top it off, since picking it up there has been some noise coming from the front - I took it to the local garage, whilst up in the air it was suggested the noise could be coming from the front diff. Anyway, went to pick the wife up - with my 3 kids in the car and low and behold as we pulled up (luckily), I turned the wheel and the wheel fell off!!

Yep - terrific eh! the car chassis is now resting on the wheel - and on the floor, next to the wheel is two wheel nuts!!

So I would like to underline my utter annoyance, for this total arsehole (and trust me I could use FAR worse than that right now), who put not only MY life, but my families life in danger by not doing the wheels up properly.

In short - he has totally f***ed up my car, it was sent to him being a "specialist" to put it together and get it up and running - I even requested he do a final check-up on EVERYTHING (to which I paid for)..... Turns out he wasn't very thorough eh!

Now I just need to decide which action to take!

 

It's about time we all know what specialist this is as the tale is not complete without knowing,plus I would think that you would not want others to have to deal with the kind of mess that you are left to clear up.SJ.

 

+ 1

 

Shocking developments. To a degree I think 500+ builds will generally come with some long term problems but this lot doesn't sound good at all. The wheel falling off says it all.

Hope you get sorted gooner

 

**** me, loose wheel bolts is an apprentice mistake, this guy needs shooting (not literally but you get what I mean).
Not even kwik fit make that kind of mistake

 

the wheel fell off!! Jeez! Shocked that your builder missed this but shocked your local garage did too.

 

Is it possible someone may have had a go at your nuts?

I only ask as my brother went to work years ago in his cavalier and at about mid day my dad realised there was some wheel nuts lying in his parking space, turned out someone had tried to nick his alloys and he had driven to work with one wheel nut holding one of his wheels on.

Or on the other hand whoever you have had working on your car may have been having a really bad day/week/month/year by the sounds of it.

Mick

 

Hi mick
No mate for the nuts that are on the car you wld a tool to undo .
And the car is locked away
Gonna be talking to someone tomorrow to see where I go from here .

 

Sounds like an utterly rediculous situation to be in fella, hope you get something sorted and somewhere near a satisfactory outcome.

Mick

 

This is the craziest scenario I've ever heard .

I'm lost for words / as I'm sure you are

 

If the 'specialist' is that w@nk don't you think you should be posting up what everybody keeps asking for......the name of said company.
It's not a witch hunt , he's hurt your pocket.....hurt his by warning people he isn't up to the job he claims he can do.

 

What he said.

 

i once had a wheels fly off after picking it up from a mechanic - sat and watched in horror as it wa bouncing 8 feet in the air straight at a busy traffic junction, how it never hit or hurt anyone i'll never know - AA came out and took a wheel nut off each corner to get me going again after i fagged it from a bush.

glad you and the family were ok

now name and shame the idiots !!!

 

yet another "I know the name of a place doing **** work but i'm not going to name them" thread.

Is this a post looking for sympathy or for the benefit of other members? if its the latter then NAME THEM!

 

WHO IS IT ?

 

 

Name and shame !!!!

 

They are based in surrey

 

You know my thoughts .......

 

Camberley?

 

Look guys, "name and shame" is a regular cry and the OP has said until he gets further down the road he's not going to say. I don't doubt for one minute, having spoken to the OP, that there is a problem with quality and so on. BUT trial by internet is never going to help.

Let it run through and if, IF, the repairer has an explanation, let him come on and give it. Behaving like the News of the World reporters fishing about trying to guess out who it was, is probably going to get an innocent party a whole lot of bad press unnecessarily.

David

 

+1

 

I think i know the culprit is.... Tbh I think he has a pretty **** rep now anyway so don't worry about naming and shaming him! Good luck with getting it sorted mate