Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

I might get something silly for the weekend- during the week it'll be a Versa/Note thing, AKA the most miserable shit-box the company travel agent can find.

It's way cheaper to hire said shit-box than to get Uber, so at least I have transport.

Reminds me of our receptionist a few jobs back. She used to book the cheapest Kia for a two hour stint on autobahn. Scary.

It is what it is - everyone in the company has the same travel policy, even the CEO travels economy and gets a tiny econo-box.

I'll likely hire a 22' V8 hemi powered something or other for $50/day at the weekend, just to fit in.

I booked a hire car last time i went to Boston - was meant to get aforementioned shit box and ended up with a 6cyl mustang

ended up with a 6cyl mustang

no V8 = economy car.

Can't you upgrade if you pay the extra yourself?

We mananged to get a free upgrade a few times by booking the cheapest car possible but with added gps coupled with arriving late. As the car didn't have a gps and they had run out of gps units we had to be upgraded. Best was a golf vr6, worst was a Volvo v50.

Yeah, it can also be worth signing up to some of the frequent renter schemes, as they will often let you pick your car as long as it's within the right category

In Detroit once it was Labour Day weekend and they were doing a quiz, pick a random question and a correct answer got an upgrade. My question was "What is the national anthem?", they seemed quite surprised that a Brit actually knew the answer. Wasn't much excting to upgrade to though sadly, I ended up with a massive Dodge SUV if I recall

Detroit .....?
Presumably the hire car came straight off the end of the production line?

It did seem a bit like that. Lots of brand new high spec stuff.

Welcome to the second monthly installment of "mashton has a hole in his engine".

I took the MG out for a spin in the lanes yesterday evening. Nothing extravagant, as I have been driving pretty conservatively after the piston blew.

Accelerating out of a roundabout on my way home, just entering West Wickham, and I heard a loud rattle of metal from under the car. Sounded exactly like I had gone over a small piece of metallic rubbish that I hadn't seen. But worse.

100m later and there is the suggested of smoke but no smell that I can detect. Pull over, bonnet up. Shitting myself.

As most of you know, my knowledge of cars is, shall we say, limited. I was telling around with a torch to find the oil dipstick when I saw a big, slightly ragged, circular hole in the side of the engine. Massive adrenaline shot and huge buyers remorse. Swear a lot and call the RAC.

But, the good (as in not catastrophic) news is that it was a blown core plug. Which I am told is no where near as bad as I thought it was. Put it on the back of a lorry and it is sitting outside the MG doctors, waiting for Monday morning.

What is interesting me now is why it blew and if there is any possibility of an underlying cause with the piston failure. The plug is the rear one, right next to cylinder 4, the one that blew. Is there any root cause that would lead to reduced cooling on that cylinder, or maybe the valves in particular, and subsequently to a blown core plug? I am well beyond my knowledge here, as usual, but it seems that it must have blown out by high pressure steam, which implies that coolant was reaching it. Temperature had been sitting pretty all through the drive.

Was the core plug replaced when you had or BRM rebuilt the engine?

If the core plug is poping before the rad cap opening there is something wrong with the fitting of the core plug. Lots of things will fail before the preasure removes a core plug.

Did you find the old care plug?

Just noticed a wobbly pulley on my GTi6 engine (XU10J4RS) - Just had the timing belt done and noticed this main crank pulley (or harmonic balancer?) not 100% sure of the component. This thing:

Wasn't wobbling before. Will go have a chat to the mechanic tomorrow but - should I drive it?
I redlined it several times on way home...

I'll try a video too.

1 Attachment

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3wmLsGhYrDjNUVhSmZfLW1IbGs

Is it an aftermarket pulley? Belt just goes to alternator and power steering pump.

Has pulley been installed properly? Is belt tensioned correctly and undamaged?

Mate, no idea! Left it with a good mechanic ( i've used him loads - always good) last week and he did the timing belt and all new tensioners/seals. He didn't mention replacing any of the main pulleys. Belt tension seems fine.

Core plugs are sealing the casting holes on the cooling system, they usually corrode and leak rather than pop out due to lack of antifreeze.
It could have been corroded and popped out but in light of what has happened I would be checking the thermostat opens and the cooling system for over pressurising

Yarp. I wondered about the thermostat as well.

I didn't manage to find the blown out cap.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-540i-4-4-V8-Touring-Only-39-000-Miles/202080440881?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

Yep.

Get that.

It’d be interesting to know the dates of the services.

ooohhh. surely, that's the one?

Lack of miles doesn't make up for many years. Pass.

But would look great next to the Porsche.
And probably the coolest BMW sedan. They are big inside!

That's not a Sedan.

This is a Coupe.