New Build Engine Dead 10,000 Miles

[Wayne-Clio-197]

Hi

So I'm after some advise on what to do here, I brought a Clio 197 this year with a rebuilt engine, the car was just going to be used as a track car only and had only done 10.000 miles, It has been well looked after, with an oil and filter change every track day, that also includes gearbox oil change. I have only had the car 5 months and only done 4 Track days in it, this week I did a track day at Brands Hatch and the engine just let go, looks like major top end damage and maybe bottom end too.

The car engine was built by a company called BeanieSport, I have no idea who they are as it was sold to me with the engine pre built. Is it common for these engine to let go under heavy driving on track, I was only doing 20min 30min stints so not to long if I am honest. I'm pretty gutted at the situation because the car cost me £9000 to buy, and I'm now looking at another couple of grand to get this fixed.

 

[burrellbloke]

No it is not common. F4R engines are pretty good at taking a beating provided that their belts are changed regularly enough.

The engines do let go, but not very often, there are cars on this forum that have been tracked hard for a few years and have done 100,000 miles plus.

 

[Wayne-Clio-197]

Well I'm not to sure why my engine let go then as the new build only had 10K on it, do they suffer with oil starvation on track as my car does not have a banfield oil sump?

 

[burrellbloke]

They do not come with a baffled sump but generally Clios do not really suffer with oil starvation. The bottom end tends to be pretty strong even for long periods of track time.

 

[Wayne-Clio-197]

Maybe some questioned need to be ask at BeanieSport then as I do not expect an engine to expire like this for no real reason?

 

[matt9566]

I know this isn’t what you probably want to hear (I wouldn’t after spending £9k on a car and having these issues) but this is just unfortunately part of tracking cars in my opinion, some people see 100k miles cars doing hundreds of laps a year, some people take them on track the first time and the engine lets go.

I don’t really see what Beaniesport could do in this situation, other than try diagnose the cause and give options moving forward, new engine, Meg swap, rebuild etc

Anything could have happened in those 10k miles prior to your ownership/after they completed the work

Custom Production seem to see quite a few of these with engine failures, I think part of them highlighting this helps them sell their services (Meg swaps etc) but it might be worth speaking to them

 

[Marsch]

They do not come with a baffled sump but generally Clios do not really suffer with oil starvation. The bottom end tends to be pretty strong even for long periods of track time.

But they can suffer from twisted crankshaft bearings which result in exactly that. Besides that here's a video of one blowing-up on the NOS.

Comment of the owner:

"I believe the oil pump couldn't supply enough oil at Eiskurve and maybe there was a short loss of oil pressure because of that. A friend of mine had a similar blow up a couple of years ago at the exact same spot."

 

[RSRowe]

But they can suffer from twisted crankshaft bearings which result in exactly that. Besides that here's a video of one blowing-up on the NOS.

and nothing to do with his constant use of the rev limiter right?

 

[funMACHINE]

But they can suffer from twisted crankshaft bearings which result in exactly that.

in a rebuilt engine , this problem should be solved i think ...

 

[Shocker]

It’s weird how some car engines go quick
I’ve had a few scoobys and some let go straight after a oil change even before you reach the end of the road
Nobody knows why they do this
But I had a old classic with 245,000 miles on it , original engine but with a few clutch changes may I add
Tracked it every month and it started to knock a little after many years of abuse
Done the £2000 pound scrapage thing for a new car that was going on at the time
Car was worth next to nothing but
Didn’t feel quilty as the government was scraping them anyway

 

[Wayne-Clio-197]

Does anyone know of any Renault Sport specialist garages in the Kent area who could put in a new replacement engine, I know Ktec are based in Bournemouth which is not to far?

 

[DS197]

Does anyone know of any Renault Sport specialist garages in the Kent area who could put in a new replacement engine, I know Ktec are based in Bournemouth which is not to far?

Two Techs in Dartford.

 

[EthanMenace]

Does anyone know of any Renault Sport specialist garages in the Kent area who could put in a new replacement engine, I know Ktec are based in Bournemouth which is not to far?

Bit of a trek but AW motoroworks in Great Dunmow is well known for renaultsports, highly recommended

 

[burrellbloke]

Bit of a trek but AW motoroworks in Great Dunmow is well known for renaultsports, highly recommended

I think Alex sorted out @littleg78 Meglio conversion that was done by another garage but wasn’t quite right.

 

[Wayne-Clio-197]

Yeah I heard about AW motoroworks and contacted Alex, but he seem to be on holiday at the moment.

 

[Wayne-Clio-197]

I will also check out Two Techs, thanks.

 

[jameswrx]

My feeling on this is a rebuilt engine is a negative point. I’d never knowingly buy a car like this with a rebuilt engine, just from my near 30 years of driving and owning performance cars and being on forums 20 years it’s not exactly unheard of for a rebuilt engine not to last.

Obviously it could be something you’ve caused and I’m not slating beaniesport at all but just my opinion that I’d sooner have a well looked after 90k mile car on track & service it with millers motorsport after every track day (yes I have & even my old Clio had 135k miles & I did this) than a ‘rebuilt’ 10k mile car. I’d just be waiting for it to go wrong.

 

[Steve Murr]

PM

 

[Dm93]

Does anyone know of any Renault Sport specialist garages in the Kent area who could put in a new replacement engine, I know Ktec are based in Bournemouth which is not to far?

Ren7oaks in Sevenoaks are good too, recently sorted a NS front knock on mine. Seem really friendly and knowledgeable.

 

[Twingo200]

Sounds like the cranks knocked out on that/spun a shell......it's been pretty well covered already on here and the top and bottom of it is unfortunately any engine can go regardless of if it's been rebuilt recently or not, yes things can be done on track day engines to help like arp rod bolts and wosner valves, regular oil changes as you've done, but you bought an engine/car that had already had some track miles under its belt and you are totally unaware of what's happened to it when you didn't have it, Its an absolute sickner when you buy something and it breaks so soon but for track cars it's par for the course, just out of interest what actually got done on the rebuild that Beaniesport did ? Was it a full strip down and check and rebuild and what parts got fitted