My Nightmare.... Advise needed...... absolutely gutted.......

[Adam P]

Right,

I have finally got my car to the state i want her in as some of you will know having read my threads and recently fitting my FMIC with Nick and Rob. On Tuesday evening we headed out to do some logging to check everything was in order. After a quick look at the data everything seemed fine and i was really chuffed. On my drive home the car misfired badly on boost so i let off and everything seemed fine. I then stopped at some traffic lights and pulled away slowly and into second gear where i applied quite a bit of throttle and i was greeted by a large explosion from the engine area. The car immediately started to slow and the interior started to fill with smoke.
I managed to pull in to a pc world car park quickly and open the bonnet where i was met by a fire which unfortunately started to really get going from behind the engine low down. I had nothing to put it out but was lucky enough that two electricians working a night shift spotted me and ran over with drinks and we managed to put it out. The car dumped all its oil up the road and where it was sat. The aa recovered me home and i dropped the car into my local garage wednesday for them to asses the damage. I popped in there today whilst the car was up on the ramps for them to show me a hole in my block. They have said a rods gone through, new engine job. IM GUTTED! They have also said that the clutch needs replacing and a cam belt change is due whilst the engine is out if thats a route i take.

Just wondering if anyone else has been through this? Luckily the fire hasn't damaged too many electrical cables and my turbo seems to be ok. Im finding it hard to invest a potential 2k in my car which when working would be valued between 3 and 3.5 K.

We think this could be down to a cheap horrible generic over boosting remap which has been on my car since owning it. The plan was to sort my brakes and head to badger 5 but its all to late now.

Devistated is the best word to describe it. What would you guys do? Any advice on decent second hand vag engine suppliers?

Thanks in advance
Adam P

 

[Broken Byzan]

used engine for £300 and transfer your bits on to it. Would take you and a mate a nice chilled weekend to swap, job done
In theory you probably should change the clutch while its out, same for the belt, to save you spending on labour twice

 

[superkarl]

What mark said.
If you're worried about plowing money into a car with little resale value that's the best option.

I've been in your position, **** happens, I wasn't ***** though as to me the car is a project and not sellable to me, for me it marked a new chapter. Maybe it could for you

 

[@udi A3]

As above, do the work yourself and get some extra satisfaction from it. I had a PAS pipe burst on my calibra turbo powered astramax van, hit the turbo and caught fire. I feel your pain there!

 

[Adam P]

Thanks for the replies guys. Im surfing the net now and trying to price up all the bits. The labour is the killer at the moment but as you've said might try this with a couple of mates. What should i be looking to pay 'if' it went to a garage for old engine out new engine in and plumed in roughly?

 

[s3dave]

Sad times mate, there have been a few instances where after fitting a FMIC it has thrown a rod...

More dense air coupled with the fact you will be experimenting/pushing your new hardware...
Like said there is a cheap way to do it but i would get a set of rods and put that equation to bed while it was all out...IMO
Been in a car fire myself, not nice, sheer horror,,,

 

[@udi A3]

I paid around 550 in labour and consumables to replace my tdi engine, including messing around with different turbos and a new timing belt kit.
Today when fitting my new box i found at least 4 reasons not to go back to that garage.

 

[Sam_]

Don't let the garage take the **** as is the standard for 90% of the gits.

As said, try and do it yourself. You'll get more enjoyment out of it and get a better understanding of how everything works etc.

 

[Adam P]

Just towed the car back onto the drive, going to start stripping the engine down and investigating the fire damage. Hopefully also sending the ecu off to Bill at badger 5 for him to get rid of this horrible spiky map and put something safe on to get me on the road again.

 

[badger5]

this is exactly what happened to wellys S3.. fitted "wellycooler" and road test Boom!

 

[morgan306]

Can't begin to imagine how you feel Adam, I'm gutted for you.

I was just searching all the parts needed to fit a FMIC, think I may sit on it and save for rods instead. I had no idea FMIC's & Rod damage were in any way related.

Hope you find a suitable donor!

 

[Adam P]

Right a plan is in place now. Just finalising bits and shopping for best prices. I am going to strip the engine down and remove the block and send the ecu to bill who is going to wipe the ****ty map off the car and replace with something to get me back on the road. I have found a low mileage block which will be delivered to a friends engineering company where it will be inspected, tested and uprated rods installed. (still researching rods) Once the old engine is out i can inspect the fire damage and replace any electrical cables and connections. Once the new engine is in i will drive the car upto bill on the safe map to get a proper custom stage 2 map. Let the fun start.

 

[daz-20vt]

If for any reason your plan changes and you want oem rods. (Maybe to repair and sell the car)
I have oem rods from when i uprated, yours for free seeing your bad luck.
Ill ebay them in a couple of weeks so keep me posted.
Good to see your in a better place with it. Really feel for ya,
Daz

 

[Adam P]

If for any reason your plan changes and you want oem rods. (Maybe to repair and sell the car)
I have oem rods from when i uprated, yours for free seeing your bad luck.
Ill ebay them in a couple of weeks so keep me posted.
Good to see your in a better place with it. Really feel for ya,
Daz

Thanks for the offer mate but i know i will worry about rods if i don't update them, plus if i decide i want to change the turbo in the near future it will come in handy.

On friday when i found out this ****ty news i nearly just gave up and thought about selling the car as spares or repair or breaking it.
Now I'm on a mission to rebuilt and upgrade her. Am enjoying doing the research and searching around to be honest and hopefully it should all be worth it when its all back together and bills worked his magic. I just wish i had bit the bullet and gone to badger 5 earlier.

 

[Lavis89]

Good man, rebuild and come back stronger

 

[Adam P]

Thanks for the positive comments guys. My new / second hand block should arrive on Wednesday. The guy seemed really helpfully and is tuning a mk4 golf up so it was definitely reassuring to speak to him on the phone before purchasing. The block has 82k on it. I will post up my pictures in my thread from now as i go. Thanks again.

 

[MIGGZ]

thats a crap one mate!!! same happened to me last year february all the best dude

 

[s3dave]

Good luck with the transplant, you have made the right decision..

 

[Adam P]

Good luck with the transplant, you have made the right decision..

I'm fairly confident on getting everything sorted and the way i am going to go about things, im just researching the best way to remove the engine. The front bumper is already off so i think im just going to remove my fmic setup, headlights, crash bar and radiator and take it out the front.

 

[s3dave]

yes take the complete front end off in one, sounds drastic but very easy..

 

[Jersey]

Just read this thread mate, what a shi**er

Glad ur saving the Ming Blue, I look forward to ur new build thread

J

 

[bree9482]

That's an absolute gutter mate....

Really mean it, feel for you so bad !!

It's amazing how attached you can become to a car !!

I'm just about to fit a fmic to my leon Cupra, then stg 2 revo. Should I be thinking rods ??
My car should only see 240bhp stg 2 tho, so rods should be ok, no??

Hope you get your car sorted soon mate, better than before aswel !! )

 

[Adam P]

It was a very hard pill to swallow that's for sure. The block is now in transit and due here tomorrow / Thursday.
On the plus side Nick has booked his car into badger 5 for a remap, so i saw this opportunity to take a day off work and go up with him so i can meet bill, pick up my new rods and drop off my ecu.

Bree9482 : I cannot really comment on if you need rods mate however i have learnt the hard way! im assuming as yours is a cupra and not a cupra r you have a slightly different engine to me and im unsure of the power capabilities. Best person to ask is bill @ badger5. From what iv read hes into his seats and the service iv had from him so far has been brilliant and i haven't even been there yet!
If your advised to do them, i would! simple as that.