Since our last update, we've completely removed the cylinder heads, coolant crossover pipe and all the other accessories on our boxer engine's block. We were itching to see what had actually happened to the bearings that we saw lots of pieces of inside the oil pan.
We found three spun rod bearings …
Wow. That's not just a little detonation hammering, either. I hope the crank is salvageable. I'd also suspect some oil starvation.
There was oil starvation for sure.
Holy carp. Before I read the detonation hammering explanation, I thought that was a very badly worn thrust surface...
Here's what I learned today: 1. These engines look really interesting to build and I'd love to try one. 2. Do not buy cheap car from fellow board member. :)
Alan, be careful. If you grind the crank down a size it may not have the original nitriding anymore and won't be as durable. Replacement factory cranks are better the originals and not that expensive.
The WRX crank is not nitrided, so that's not a concern.
Are you sure they're not nitrided? I'm seeing forum threads saying they are but can't find anything definitive. I recently had my EJ22 shortblock freshened by Outfront Motorsports. They chose to replace my crank, which had already been ground once, rather than polishing it again for this reason. Maybe the EJ22 crank is different (besides thrust brg).
Definitely some serious oil starvation happened here. I would advise that you also install a baffle plate and a set of oil pressure/temperature gauges if you would like to keep this car running on the track :)
We just confirmed with Mach V Motorsports: They were only nitrided from 2008 through 2010 or 2011. It's not a concern with our EJ205.
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