Flood damage = new engine??

[leowjulen]

Right, I have a friend who drove into a flood with his E85, and the engine took in water and stalled.

I went to have a look and opened up the airbox, and there was indeed water in the airbox, soaking the air filter, and water in the hoses leading to the intake manifold. Bad news.

The good news is, all the electricals seemed fine, and the battery itself was nice and dry.

Towed the car to PML, and today he got even more bad news: PML claims the car needs a new engine ($30K, please) because the pistons are "seized".

I'm thinking that's a load of BS. If they'd said the conn. rods were bent or something, that would have been plausible, but seized pistons??

I asked him to ask if they actually took out the spark plugs before trying to crank the engine over, because water in the cylinders would have been incompressible, making the pistons appear seized, but of course they claim they did.

Even if the pistons are seized, they should be able to free them without replacing the engine.

What do you guys think?

 

[phil]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

The pistons may in fact be seized if the engine took in water. The engine hydrauliced, conrods bent, bam, seized engine.

How soon after the car was flooded did it go to PML? If it was same day, no chance in hell the pistons have seized to the bore. I've started engines in old cars, like 53 model chevs after sitting in a horse paddock for 20 years!!

30k for a new engine? Race engine is it?

Ive even seen boats go under and the engine running again the same day. Drain the water and oil, top up, up she fires

Please lah. Rebuild kit costs what? $2k for bearings, gaskets and rings. All the rest salvageable, except if rods are bent.

 

[centurion]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

The pistons may in fact be seized if the engine took in water. The engine hydrauliced, conrods bent, bam, seized engine.

How soon after the car was flooded did it go to PML? If it was same day, no chance in hell the pistons have seized to the bore. I've started engines in old cars, like 53 model chevs after sitting in a horse paddock for 20 years!!

30k for a new engine? Race engine is it?

Ive even seen boats go under and the engine running again the same day. Drain the water and oil, top up, up she fires

Please lah. Rebuild kit costs what? $2k for bearings, gaskets and rings. All the rest salvageable, except if rods are bent.

hydrolocked engine sometimes = bent conrods

Hydrolocked alone only needs drain.

even then with some Civic bros having their engine hydrolocked because CAI too low, engine rebuild always quite cheaply done, perhaps S$6K thereabouts. Never did anybody have to do an engine replacement.

 

[sszone]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

PayMoneyLiao...........

 

[Shaun]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

Some of the European make engines (even stock) are pretty expensive. Porsche 996 replacement engines were listed one time at 55K USD or something IIRC. Forgot where I saw it or which model exactly. But yah they really kill you on it.

 

[Mockngbrd]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

30k? insane $$$.... can buy some ///M Power...

 

[phil]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

new replacement i udnerstand 30k, not remanufactured though.

Even a 572 Chev crate motor is roughly that price. 700hp!!

 

[fasterthanferrari]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

Gentlemen....its a Z4 and PML is quoting the repair, plus it could be the total cost for the job, not just the engine alone. An engine swap anyplace else would be 1/3 the price easily.

 

[satines]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

Hydrolocked, pretty serious case. When such case happen, can insurance be claimed?

 

[fasterthanferrari]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

I think its pretty much the same as getting hit by a fallen tree...

 

[ferd]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

morale of the story, ... cannot drive through flood, see flood even not very high... either reverse all the way or stop there... don't cheong! heard of too many stories of bmws getting engine damaged while driving through floods...

 

[satines]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

Getting hit by fallen try can claim NEA

 

[fasterthanferrari]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

how bout one that's struck by lighting?

 

[louis]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

30k for an engine?? which E85 does your friend drive? i have a stockpile of M54 parts like pistons, con-rods, cylinder heads, cams etc that i'd be happy to sell cheap to free up storage space.

 

[R2D]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

IMO, $30K sound about right once you factor in a complete engine, labour and downtime. I believe that PML will not perform a strip down check for hydrostatic lock. They will prefer to change the entire engine to play safe. Afterall they are not paying..

Usually when there is hydrostatic lock, the conrods bend on the compression stroke. The valves and pistons are fine cos the pressure is very well spread out.

Chances are there are a couple (meaning 1 to 2) bent conrods and these can easily be replaced at a fraction of the cost.

Cheers

 

[leowjulen]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

hi everyone,

thanks for the comments and the reassurances. I, too, reckon there isn't enough going on with the car to warrant a new engine, but now the insurance company is involved so I don't want to stick my nose in.

thanks for the offer of parts anyway, louis.

 

[tlkchew]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

morale of the story, ... cannot drive through flood, see flood even not very high... either reverse all the way or stop there... don't cheong! heard of too many stories of bmws getting engine damaged while driving through floods...

yah i have seen this in BMW, slight flood at town golden shoe car park exit.
taxi go over no problem, old jap car go through no problem.
2 bmw got stuck in the pond... :screwedu:

 

[iScoupe]

Re: Flood damage = new engine??

usually those with CAI air intake piping right to the bottom, like a sucker for water...
if not exhaust pipe way too low.