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12 December 2002 |
I've
been having quite another chuckle lately at some stuff I've seen in print (and
heavily and heatedly discussed by internet) on the subject of 1380cc engines
and their professed unreliability. Although I know I have been at pains to
explain to folk you don't have to have a 1380cc with very sporty cam profile
and so on to have a decent, satisfyingly quick road car - but this reliability
problem is absolute hogwash.
Properly
built and maintained, these engines will last every bit as long and reliably as
any other A-series unit. Ask the likes of Swiftune Racing or MED - they've been
churning out 1380cc engines for the masses for years with precious few
problems. It's the 'properly built' and 'properly maintained' that are the
problems. But then these are the same problems that affect any engine's
longevity. Those and selecting an engine specification that
best suits your usage and temperament as far as maintenance goes. If you
don't want to be regularly involved in maintaining your engine, then go for a
spec that will demand less of it. A standard road engine is very, very
under-tuned to cope with a severe lack of regular maintenance. A full-bloodied
race engine demands near-constant maintenance to keep it alive. Also, don't
expect more from the engine than it was built to give - constantly thrashing it
to within an inch of its life will do it no good whatsoever if it wasn't built
to be able to cope with just that. It is this and the no-or-low maintenance
that causes engine builders like the aforementioned problems when punters turn
up with 'defective' or destroyed engines - generally the punters fault rather
than the engines.
Be
sensible about your engine build spec or be fully aware of the consequences of
lack of attention. Consider - tuning should always be a compromise between what
is possible and what is necessary.
Many
are contemplating their forthcoming 2003 racing season, and looking back on
their 2002 season. Whilst on the subject of engine reliability, a few words of
advice for those drivers who don't want to be forking out for engine re-builds
and the disappointment of yet another engine failure/DNF and the soul-
destroying loss of money that goes with it.
Generally,
a properly built engine will only break when it is forced into doing something
for which it was not designed. Components generally only break when forced to
endure stresses beyond that which they were designed for. The first scenario is
caused by using the engine for braking, the second a feature of engine braking
and missed or incorrectly selected gears.
The
engine absolutely will not slow the car down any faster than or as efficiently
as the brakes. The brakes are designed for slowing the car down; the engine is
designed to make it go. And in the act of attempting to use the engine to slow
the car, missed gears are easily achieved. Both situations cause a massive
increase in loads and stresses the engine components
have to deal with. It is this acceleration on the acceleration (acceleration
squared) that causes engine parts to go 'ping'. To avoid unnecessary expense,
don't get the two mixed up.
Oh - and whilst on the subject of engine
reliability when racing and 1380cc engine unreliability - I've just stripped
and checked my mate's 1380cc Sprite engine having done no more than a
strip/inspection a couple of years back.
Apart
from a cam change two years ago following a broken cam follower (defective
follower) along with a new set of crank bearings, a recently broken rocker
shaft (no real conclusion found) and a 'latest development' cylinder head at
the same time, the basic short block assembly has now done 5 years racing. And
I mean racing as in European racing where the engines do probably three to four
times the racing mileage of a
Testament
to a driver being mechanically sympathetic but still competitive, the
outstanding protection proffered by Torco oil, and a half-decent engine build
(a-hem) is the fact that all it really needs is a new timing chain and a set of
piston rings (number 4 cylinder runs a bit hot in these arse-about-face engined
cars so a change is prudent). Oh - and a set of new main cap dowels coz I'm not
happy with the fit of those in there now. Everything else is perfect and will
be re-fitted.
Just
goes to show how reliable a 1380cc engine with serious performance can be when
built to a specification suitable for it's intended
use and looked after properly.