On Thu, 29 Sep 2005 17:37:05 +0100, SteveH wrote:

You can replace the big ends IIRC (but don't exchange the bearing caps as
they are matched) and it is also possible looking at it to feed the pistons
up the bores and swap them.

If the crank journals or mains go though it's scrap.

Well I have a 2001 Ford Puma Black - owned from new.

Anyone who has read the thread I started about how to cut costs on annual
servicing will see that I'm looking to change this car in the near future as
they are NOT family friendly and we just had twins!

With a disabled relative who is wheelchair bound - getting the wheelchair in
was a performance in itself. The rear seats do fold down but it's more
hassle than a conventional hatchback to do it.

The boot space is very small although quite deep. Your golf clubs would be
more comfortable across the back seat!

The car itself runs like a dream. I have never had any problems other than a
derailed electric window which had to be reset.You can throw this car round
corners etc and it holds the road beautifully. It has the required amount of
'oomph' to whizz past other vehicles quickly on overtaking.

To fill the tank up from empty will cost you about £35ish.

I'm not a techie so cannot talk technicalities but as a very satisfied owner
of one - which I will be very sad to part with - I can say it is a brilliant
little car.

chas

"AstraVanMan" <Peter (AT) Whataloadofforeskinbollocks (DOT) co.uk> wrote

That is what they would like you to believe. In fact cars all over the UK
and the USA have had the problem. Don't know about mainland Europe. Also
early Jaguar AJV8 4.0 engines had similar problems. At some point Jaguar
decided to fit steel liners and BMW switched to another coating.




and since
Nicasil coated bores do not generally have liners. The process is purely to
lower manufacturing cost by coating the parent metal [aluminium] bores with
a thin hard finish to provide a reasonable life at lowest possible
manufacturing cost. Same goes for the cheap Yamaha engines which are not
even designed for bottom end servicing.
These features are another step towards cars being disposable low
maintenance consumer products which have a finite life at lowest possible
manufacturing cost. Lowest possible cost means lower and more competitive
selling price while maintaining a reasonable profit margin on sales. It is
called 'progress' and realistically it is not all bad.

Huw

In article <dhh09b$ea$1 (AT) box-public-8 (DOT) jet.uk>, mlv <mike.safetycatchvince
nt (AT) jet (DOT) uk> writes

Chap at work has a late model Puma. I've noticed it's already going
rotten around the rear wheel arches. Can ask him what he thinks of the
car if you like.

Mike Tomlinson wrote:
OK, thanks.

Guess he might still like it, even if it is prematurely converting to
ferrous oxide.
--
Mike
-Please remove 'safetycatch' from e-mail address before firing off your
reply-

Mike Tomlinson <mike (AT) NOSPAM (DOT) jasper.org.uk> wrote in
news:hQZ7A9gxlOPDFwLF (AT) jasper (DOT) org.uk:

A lot of cars have a kind of lip inside the rear arch that collects dirt.
IME, relatively few car owners bother to clean this out or are even aware
that it exists (some cars, like my Volvo, don't have it because the plastic
liner covers it). I may be wrong, but I believe that this collection of
dirt is the main reason that some modern cars continue to develop rust
there. I always used to wash the dirt out with a hose and my fingers. Might
be worth doing as a preventative measure, if you do go for a Puma.

--
Stuart Sharp

AstraVanMan wrote:

[...]

No reason not to buy a BMW with a Nikasil M60 these days - any with a
problem would be long dead.

Problem fuel was largely restricted to NE England and the mid '90s.

New short motors for those that failed a leakdown test - once a block
starts failing it worsens rapidly - no change if not broken.

My 740i had its original Nikasil M60 and was still going strong at 185k
when I sold it. Was going well when I saw near Perth a few weeks ago
too...




A

In article <3q2v88FcnqucU1 (AT) individual (DOT) net>,
Huw <hedydd[nospam]@tiscali.co.uk> wrote:
Alusil. Although before that in the USA, they went back to cast iron
blocks for the sixes.

It was my understanding the high sulphur petrol was imported rather than
refined in the UK and only sold through some 'independant' garages and
some supermarkets in the north of England and Ireland

--
*Income tax service - We‘ve got what it takes to take what you've got.

Dave Plowman dave (AT) davenoise (DOT) co.uk London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Stu" <nobody (AT) home (DOT) com> wrote

Yep, my celica has quite a lip on the rear arches - and quite a lot of
accumulated mud.. rust doesn't seem to be an issue with those though....

My old saab 900 had lipless arches which were easy to clean and held off
rust well. Very few rust-traps on that car - quite good for an essentially
60's design.

"john" <jsmith1456 (AT) yahoo (DOT) com> wrote

Very true. I have a 1990 Celica GT4. About the only rust it has, is on the
exhaust pipe clamps and bolts. None on the wheel arches or bodywork.
Mike.