Apparently Minis don't like to be overheated... Engine carnage!

"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
03/27/2015 at 09:35 • Filed to: Engine carnage

Terrible pictures, I know. Bits of chain guide sitting in the valve cover. And if you look closely enough you can see where the valve cover itself is broken, deformed and melted from running way too hot. The whole thing reeks of badly burnt oil.

The tall thing over the top of the chain is supposed to be a guide, but the plastic part has decided to retire from service. The black blob under the bolt between the spark plug holes is a melted portion of the valve cover.

DISCUSSION (19)

crowmolly > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
03/27/2015 at 09:39

What's the story behind this carnage?

"18th century orphanage" levels of neglect?

Please sir, can you spare a drop of 10w30?

Mattbob > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
03/27/2015 at 09:49

is that a plastic valve cover? If it is, what a piece of shit. I get cost savings, but a valve cover shouldn't be plastic., that's just not right.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
03/27/2015 at 10:15

Tritec or Prince engine?

finn's arm > Mattbob
03/27/2015 at 10:39

BMW used to have magnesium valve covers... Oh the good 'ol days.

jariten1781 > Mattbob
03/27/2015 at 10:47

It is. Some modified ones have actually melted them at the track or on dynos, lots of threads on Mini forums about it (at least there were a few years ago when I was looking at picking one up). Can't wait until they get old/brittle enough they start cracking and spraying oil all over on stock ones.

Mattbob > finn's arm
03/27/2015 at 10:52

my sister used to work in superchargers, and she has mentioned magnesium superchargers igniting. Apparently it makes for quite a show. I don't see a problem with magnesium valve covers though.

twochevrons > finn's arm
03/27/2015 at 11:32

Peugeot-Citroën did, too, at least on their ridiculously lightweight XU9J4 engine in the '80s (1.9 litres, 160 hp and only 112kg!). Quite surprising when you lift it off for the first time.

finn's arm > Mattbob
03/27/2015 at 11:46

Oh man, that sounds crazy!

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > crowmolly
03/27/2015 at 21:03

Thermostat puked out its coolant, timing chain guides have up the ghost, keep on driving until it stopped. It's at our mini shop now. Heard back that it never triggered any warnings or lights of any kind and all the gauges read normally, according to their scan tool. So the customer had no idea until the end.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
03/27/2015 at 21:04

It's the turbo one if that helps. I don't know anything about minis and I'm not the poor soul who has to fix it, luckily.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Mattbob
03/27/2015 at 21:06

Lots of cars use plastic valve covers, and many of them never have problems with them. BMW has never been able to figure out how to make a plastic component last longer than a few minutes though.

Mattbob > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
03/28/2015 at 13:04

The germans tend to not like anything that isnt machined metal, preferably stainless steel, magnesium, or aluminum.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Mattbob
03/28/2015 at 13:10

Yes and no. It really depends on the component. Plastic is becoming increasingly common for a number of reasons.

Mattbob > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
03/28/2015 at 13:46

mostly cost reasons. I work for a german supplier. Most of the stuff that comes out of Germany is built like a tank before it gets cost reduced to a lot of plastic. At least in my experience.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Mattbob
03/28/2015 at 15:31

Oh I'm not disagreeing with you. But plastic valve covers, intake manifolds and transmission pans haven't exactly been uncommon over the past 5-10 years. Often they're parts that weren't plastic at the beginning of an assemblie's production run. So maybe they changed it for weight savings, or cost, or just because an engineer was bored. Who knows.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
03/29/2015 at 16:58

The Prince engines are known for having some issues. The DI system can lead to needing a walnut media blasting due to carbon buildup.

There have been issues with chain tensioners, but this is the first time I've heard of the guides shattering.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
03/29/2015 at 17:22

DI carbon build-up had been a problem for years, and not just for BMW.

I had heard about some chain related issues. But as far as minis go I've got way more experience with the R50/53's. We pushed this beautiful example over to our sister mini shop, so I no longer have to smell it.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
04/17/2015 at 17:08

Did I ever mention how much I loved my Hyundai Elantra? When I was driving that broke with a cracked radiator, I let it overheat for thousands of miles. No a hiccup.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/17/2015 at 17:12

Nice. would reply but KINJA!KINKINKIK OFFMEMEMGNISSIPISIS KIKKI