Yep, old Gracies motor threw a timing chain last week.
I built this motor in 2014 and at that time the only new timing chain BMW offered was one with a link.
I didn't like that much but used it anyway.
6 years and 7000 miles later it decided to let go.
The mileage is correct but of those 6 years is sat for 4.5 or more while I rebuilt the body.
So roughly a 1000 miles after the rebuild was on the road it broke.
I was coming home at night from seeing a friends band play outside at a local bar.
It was 11PM and driving about 50 and whoa..... metallic sounds and no power.
As soon as I got off the road and tried to start I knew that sound. Sounds like no spark plugs are in the engine because it now has no compression.
Called Hagerty said it could be up to 90 minutes on a Saturday night.
2 hours later I called the wrecker and they said it could be another hour.
So it's 2AM and I am in a parking lot. Got off the road by putting car in second gear and using the starter motor to pull into the lot.
I'm falling asleep and yet just 2 miles from home.
I got pissed and called my own wrecker. 25 minutes later he was there and we went home. $140.00
I got in bed at 4AM.
Since that time I called Hagerty and told them about the lousy wrecker company they were contracting with and they agreed to reimburse me. Can't beat Hagerty.
A couple days later I got the head off and discovered 3 bent valves and a broken rocker arm on cyl 3 exhaust and the chain guide was broken as well.
Oh whoop, let's spend more money on needless repairs.
Rounding up parts now and cyl head should go to machine shop by Friday.
I also need to check that piston to make sure the rings are not broken.
The surface is ok on all 3 just a mark where the valves hit.
Also find parts in oil pan and fix an annoying oil leak.
So to pull the piston I need to remove the pan and to remove the pan I pull the engine or drop the subframe.
Either one of these scenarios is currently not possible because the Golf Tii I just bought is on my lift with it's whole rear subframe removed and will be a week or more before I get it back in the car.
I have all the Tii parts including a new/old diff which is what started that slippery slope.
Out of commision for a few weeks but at least it didn't break at 6000 ft on the Blue Ridge Parkway the week before.
Lesson learned- DON'T EVER USE A TIMING CHAIN WITH A LINK IN IT.
Now BMW makes a one piece timing chain like the one that came on these engines. Something tells me they had some warranty claims over the link chain.
Update to come.
Gary
I built this motor in 2014 and at that time the only new timing chain BMW offered was one with a link.
I didn't like that much but used it anyway.
6 years and 7000 miles later it decided to let go.
The mileage is correct but of those 6 years is sat for 4.5 or more while I rebuilt the body.
So roughly a 1000 miles after the rebuild was on the road it broke.
I was coming home at night from seeing a friends band play outside at a local bar.
It was 11PM and driving about 50 and whoa..... metallic sounds and no power.
As soon as I got off the road and tried to start I knew that sound. Sounds like no spark plugs are in the engine because it now has no compression.
Called Hagerty said it could be up to 90 minutes on a Saturday night.
2 hours later I called the wrecker and they said it could be another hour.
So it's 2AM and I am in a parking lot. Got off the road by putting car in second gear and using the starter motor to pull into the lot.
I'm falling asleep and yet just 2 miles from home.
I got pissed and called my own wrecker. 25 minutes later he was there and we went home. $140.00
I got in bed at 4AM.
Since that time I called Hagerty and told them about the lousy wrecker company they were contracting with and they agreed to reimburse me. Can't beat Hagerty.
A couple days later I got the head off and discovered 3 bent valves and a broken rocker arm on cyl 3 exhaust and the chain guide was broken as well.
Oh whoop, let's spend more money on needless repairs.
Rounding up parts now and cyl head should go to machine shop by Friday.
I also need to check that piston to make sure the rings are not broken.
The surface is ok on all 3 just a mark where the valves hit.
Also find parts in oil pan and fix an annoying oil leak.
So to pull the piston I need to remove the pan and to remove the pan I pull the engine or drop the subframe.
Either one of these scenarios is currently not possible because the Golf Tii I just bought is on my lift with it's whole rear subframe removed and will be a week or more before I get it back in the car.
I have all the Tii parts including a new/old diff which is what started that slippery slope.
Out of commision for a few weeks but at least it didn't break at 6000 ft on the Blue Ridge Parkway the week before.
Lesson learned- DON'T EVER USE A TIMING CHAIN WITH A LINK IN IT.
Now BMW makes a one piece timing chain like the one that came on these engines. Something tells me they had some warranty claims over the link chain.
Update to come.
Gary
