My S1 has now done just over 18k, It’s not been treated harshly and only been on track once but I’ve heard that owners have had a top end rebuild between 15 and 20k. Is this normal practice and what does the term top end rebulid mean exactly. Any info on engine life expectations and service levels would be greatly appreciated
If you’re engine is still feeling good, why worry?
Obviously the ones needing rebuilds have had some sort of problem. After 18K miles thinking on a rebuild is just paranoid
Just keep on with the recommended services and take the thing more often to the track!
My standard VHPD did about 15,000 miles before the crank decided it had had enough and made a bid for freedom in several pieces through the side of my block!!!
The only thing that worries me is the fire. Mines on 14995, could be getting hot on the next trip to Tesco.
THE fire?
Is that happening exactly at 15K?
BTW, mine did 28K miles (and lots of them track miles) until I had a HGF and took the opportunity to get a KingK blueprint. But it was still going strong.
And in my case I pinpointed exactly the event that triggered my HGF, the radiator grill got plugged with leaves overheating the engine to 125 degC.
I noticed, but the damage was done.
Uldis, would you mind pm’ing me the cost for the engine work… just for my future reference.
Got to Tesco’s ok… now on 15004. The fire as in when a rod goes through the block and the oil goes over the manifold.
Uldis,
Your engine is not just a blueprinted K is it? Or have you had an upgrade subsequently?
If you’re engine is still feeling good, why worry?
Obviously the ones needing rebuilds have had some sort of problem. After 18K miles thinking on a rebuild is just paranoid
Just keep on with the recommended services and take the thing more often to the track!
It’s not paranoia, the little people that live under my bed and bring me custard in the night told me to be careful so I’m just following their advice
But actually, I spoke to someone (cant remember his name) at PTP some time ago who told me they recommend having the top end rebuilt at 14k due to the high loading on the K engines. Didn’t know if that was just to drum up some business or if it was a necessary thing but I know some engines have let go at low milage and didn’t know if there is a common problem. Being a novice I thought I’d ask you guys about the general longevity of the engines. I don’t want to spend large amounts needlessly but at the same time, I’d feel pretty stupid if my block went south while the head went north because I hadn’t paid heed to some good advice
As for getting it on the track more, I know they’re non competative but I was put off after my first time by how many people wanted to hunt down and kill other cars on the track which kinda tainted my opinion of track days as being fun.
Thommo, DaveP, my engine hasn’t been upgraded since the blueprint, it’s got all std pieces besides cams, light porting and +1mm intake valves.
At that time I had to replace my cams because when I initially had the HGF I chose a backstreet mechanic that did such a poor job the oil galleys to the cams were plugged. Seeing the horrible noise it started making I decided to stop and send the engine to someone that knew what he was doing, so instead of the std ones, I chose 1444.
Other than this, the engine is how it should have been. I reused even my same pistons, but changed the liners and rings (because they’re cheap and the engine was open anyway). My oil pump was shown to be worn out though, so that was changed at the time as well.
Cost? how long is a piece of string? It can be as expensive as you want or need. Ballpark could be between �1K to �5K, depending what you need.
PistonBroke, the K discussion has been the source of some sour battles over here, but read the KingK article and make up your mind, it explains very well why the tuned K’s fail.
That bloke at PTP must have got a scare or two. but basically there are many people happy with higher power than the 190 from your car.
Sean Bricknell got about 230-something horses out of his blueprinted K (also KingK) and is racing it.
Basically there is nothing to rebuild at 14K, maybe you mean inspect? like top liner tolerances, valve clearances, compression, etc.
But other than that you’d need balancing, and that means rebuilding the engine.
One very important thing to do is installing a remote thermostat. That alone can avoid you a HGF, and yes, you can do that now.
On another note, you must have chosen a badly organized trackday, I’ve seen some, and don’t dare go there again, but at the same time, there are some very good organizers out there, that would not allow any reckless behaviour. LOT is not bad, or nay of the ones communicated on here. Check out the trackdays section, we promise not to scare you
If you’re engine is still feeling good, why worry?
Obviously the ones needing rebuilds have had some sort of problem. After 18K miles thinking on a rebuild is just paranoid
Just keep on with the recommended services and take the thing more often to the track!
It’s not paranoia, the little people that live under my bed and bring me custard in the night told me to be careful so I’m just following their advice
But actually, I spoke to someone (cant remember his name) at PTP some time ago who told me they recommend having the top end rebuilt at 14k due to the high loading on the K engines. Didn’t know if that was just to drum up some business or if it was a necessary thing but I know some engines have let go at low milage and didn’t know if there is a common problem. Being a novice I thought I’d ask you guys about the general longevity of the engines. I don’t want to spend large amounts needlessly but at the same time, I’d feel pretty stupid if my block went south while the head went north because I hadn’t paid heed to some good advice
As for getting it on the track more, I know they’re non competative but I was put off after my first time by how many people wanted to hunt down and kill other cars on the track which kinda tainted my opinion of track days as being fun.
PTP have always made the statement that the VHPD is a ‘race engine’ so needs constant rebuilds.
My old one had done 24kmiles when I bought it, it had a top end rebuild at 28k miles as it was very tappetty, and when the head came off it needed exhaust valves. It then ran faultlessly (except alternator) until the clutch went at 40k miles (taking the gearbox casing with it) then the big ends went at 42k miles, although having the oil on minimum in the engine may have had a lot to do with that
Checking to make sure the oil levels are okay is one of the most important things on a K-series. With mine it used to use about a litre a trackday. At Zandvoort I hadn’t been on track that much compared to normal so didn’t check at Lunchtime as I always used to do and it ended up on minimum for the last session, only noticed the following morning as I left to head home that it was noisy and on minimum. So as it was already knackered just drove it back, with it getting louder. However on stripdown, after the Honda went in, the block was knackered (liners are anyway, it’s still in the garage), the bearings are totally shot (if your a seloc member THIS LINK will show a picture) but the crank looks (at a visual inspection) to be okay. So it probably could have been rebuilt cheaply, new liners, new pistons, new bearings, crank polish, but I would never do just the basics so the bill mounted. It’s like anything, if if want to spend a lot you will but by being sensible and going the budget route it is possible to do it for a couple of grand. (or just buy a good low mileage 2nd hand VHPD)
A well looked after K-series will last ages, I fully believe that if my hadn’t let go at Zandvoort it would still be in there now.
Thanks again Uldis I’m begining to see you as a bit of a guru while I’m still just a little fakir and thanks Mark as well. It’s a great help to the novice that there is a lot of good information on exiges. I have read some of KingK’s posts and will look for more, it seems he does know a vast amount about the K’s, I certainly don’t want to fuel the fires of discord that some members have with engines. My enquiry was for my own piece of mind regarding info I had been given and it did sound like overkill to do a top end rebuild at such low milage, even on a performance tuned engine.
As to tracking my Exige, I may do a couple of airfield track days to begin with. It seems there are a lot within Oxford/Glos/Wilts which makes it easy for me to get to and the lack of armco is appealing to me as a beginner, then who knows, I may decide to take a step up from the nursery tracks and meet some of you at a ‘proper’ venue later in the year
I had my VHPD “refreshed” at 25K miles by Gav Kershaw’ team. Bits that needed replacing were piston rings & clutch, but they replaced the big end shell bearings/oil pump shaft & a few other bits & bob’s with “Motorsport” spec items, & balanced the pistons.
If you’re doing anything with your’s, it’s worth having the throttle bodies/head machined so that they match up properly.
I sold the engine with 38K on it, & it made 196bhp at Emerald (with an Emerald ECU & verniers) for the new owner. I’ve no idea whether or not the engine is still going nearly 3 years later.
My car was regularly tracked with the VHPD (about 30 trackdays), & I always used top quality oil & changed it every 3K or so.
HTH a bit.
I had my VHPD “refreshed” at 25K miles by Gav Kershaw’ team. Bits that needed replacing were piston rings & clutch, but they replaced the big end shell bearings/oil pump shaft & a few other bits & bob’s with “Motorsport” spec items, & balanced the pistons.
If you’re doing anything with your’s, it’s worth having the throttle bodies/head machined so that they match up properly.
Thank you Mr Pesky, sounds like I have little to worry about then (from a rebuild aspect) for a while yet. I’ll bear in mind your tip on the TB’s though, I had planned on taking a look at them in the next few weeks after reading there was some issue with the throttle linkages.