I FINALLY BLEW UP MY B4. ( BIG END BEARING)

[B.C]

well i finally did it , after years of trying i'v finally joined the "b4 twin turbo big end bearing club". just wondering wot different directions other
big end club owners took and their experiances.
i'm leaning towards an 02 sti motor with single turbo set up. this is maybe the most expensive option but it's a start. i can only go down from here i guess.

[tangcla]

... I'm confused, should it be a 'congratulations' or 'I'm sorry to hear that'...?

[chadza]

Thats no good mate!

At least its an opportunity for a fresh start!

Out of interest what km's did the engine have and what mods had you done to it? Was it tuned?

[B.C]

bit of both, sad and, not so sad. what can i do cry about it. just have to work out options vrs cost to get her going again.
the car was 122k , ecutek'd , TBE, TMIC, fuel pump etc etc. must have filled up with some dodgy vortex up bush on my last fishing trip
coupled with hitting ### on private property pushed it over edge for good.

[adhar]

Get a Cosworth long block!

http://www.grdstore.com/cosworth-cs600x ... -2673.html

mmmm.... cosworth

[B.C]

and your banking details are ????

[tangcla]

I knew someone selling a JUN built EJ20 (stroked to 2.2L) a while back...

[B.C]

lets stick with now, for now.
just trying to figure out if i should just go a 2 or 2.5 bottom end or go for a long block and maybe even single turbo.lots of b4 owners have blown big ends
so was hoping to hear from them which way they went and if they're happy.

[chadza]

Dunno if this is allowed (linking to another forum)

But this guy has got a rebuilt engine set up for single turbo for a good price-

http://www.ozliberty.com/home/index.php ... c&id=13492

Personally as much as I love the TT B4, if I had a bearing go I would be looking at a single turbo to give maybe low to mid 200kw atw. It would still be pretty drivable in the low end then as well.

[B.C]

yeah i'm in contact with lance atm but still exploring all avenues. surprised he's still got it for sale which is why i'm slightly hesitant.a few potential buyers
for that motor in seem to have gone else where instead, not sure why, but we'll see what happens.cheers mate

also that's a long way off going single, still need ECU,full exhaust,turbo,tmic and fark knows what else.

[adhar]

and your banking details are ????

I spose it costs nothing to dream!!

I reckon the best option is to get a 2.5L STi shortblock and put your heads, turbos, intake, exhaust and everything else with it. You'd make more power and torque than you had. You'd need another ECU retune though.

If you do go down that path just be careful with the OEM STi pistons that come in the recent years shortblocks from Subaru, they are only heat-treated and not forged like they were years ago so can't cope with massive amounts of boost. My old man put a 2.5L shortblock in his WRX, and makes the same power on 16psi boost, compared to 22psi boost on the old 2.0L engine. But more torque though!

Keep us updated on your build, should be interesting

[B.C]

thats the sort of info i needed to hear your the second person to say that about the later model pistons. i'd like to go with the 2.0ltr ones but my mechanic is worried about the earlier model engines being lower compression and how the small twins will handle the extra boost needed. plus 02-04 low milage blocks are starting to get a bit old as well. still early days so i'll keep one open mind
cheers cris

[adhar]

You've got plenty of options, it all depends on your budget. If you go with the cheapest new engine option with a 2.5 you won't have any change from $5-$6k at least. If you find a second hand short motor you should be able to reduce price alot. A 2.0L short engine would also be good (probable more suitable for smaller turbos), but i don't have much experience with the b4 set up so i dont know how the turbos will cope. If your budget is a bit higher i'd go a single turbo set up, perhaps you can look into buying a front-cut WRX STi from Japan, or a car that has been wrecked in the rear. (this way you can use all the parts such as wiring loom, radiators, turbo, inlet manifold, ECU, gearbox etc etc

My dad has a 2.0L V5 STi shortblock sitting there he might part with, but dunno if you want it though as its been rebuilt a couple of times and and has plenty of race miles, but is still good.

My mechanic in Ringwood has done plenty of conversions and jobs such as yours so if you don't already have a mechanic you want to do the work i'd recommend speaking to this guy. He can also get you wrecks.

[Ric]

Is it out of the question to just replace the bearing?
I did a big end bearing in my MG engine two years ago, and we just stripped the engine down and replaced all the bearings.
I know a modern Subaru engine's very different to my 50 year old MG, but surely bearings can still be replaced.

[Sentinel]

I read the title of this thread and thought 'fark Cris is gonna be pissed!'... Then I start reading through and I get the idea that you're happy about it.

My thoughts surround what you now want the car to do. Pending performance, wouldn't that drive your choice (if you didn't balk at the $5K that Andrew mentioned above)?

Or, pardon my ignorance, as Ric suggested, can't you tear it down and rebuild? Gotta be the cheapest option??