Turbo's with High mileage whats the scoop?/concern

[masterbateson]

Touched on this a little on another thread, but was just wondering if the voices of experience hopefully from previously owning these cars.

But whats the scoop with these cars and high mileage? obviously all these mk2s are all over 20 years old now, so the majority if not all of them should be well over 100k.

Normally with a car I would never but one with over 100k and definately not owt with 150k or more on and even if it was a diesel.

So whats the general consensus about this?

Also has anyone any experience of certain things that are likely to go wrong at certain miles?

Of course we know that certain things like cambelts want doing at 60k or so many years.

But is there a general trend or experience that at anything above 100k the big end bearings start to wear/need replacing or the piston rings get worn and need replacing? how about say head gaskets/head oin general as in (new valves or valve seats/lifters NOT SURE IF THATS RIGHT WORD) or anything else.

Also rather than doing a seperate thread on the MK2 engines are the liners wetliners? or presumably alternative is dry liners? and how about them for wear.

Oh and p.p.s.
How does the cam shafts go on for wear/lifetime.

Cheers Oh wise ones.

[Draven]

Mine is over 100k.

Things that need doing if they haven't


hoses from hell.
cambelt.
cut out and replace sills if they are rusted.

To be honest though the 3SGTE is a stonker of an engine when properly maintained. Even the CT26 and CT20B turbos are still going strong after 20 years.

I'd happily buy a MR2 with over 100k miles.

[2mad]

My st205 (rev3 engine) well looked after .. on 100k miles .. runs mint and mean mint ... very happy.

If its been looked after and not boosted to with in an inch of its life , I don't see a problem.

[ikarl]

Always strange to hear someone say they wouldn't buy over 100k, but 90k would be fine..... Regardless of condition. Very strange

[Hez]

Another factor is if it has 100k and its a 2nd car then you won't be putting many miles on it, running a 100k car as a daily and you might run into some maintenance issues.
I run mine as a 2nd car with 90k on it, and i put 3k a year on it so i dont worry about it.

[ashley]

Just sayin...

[C35Rob]

Image Replaced With URL For Quote [url]http://i354.photobucket.com/albums/r420/fomoashman333/Tubby_zpsmxi7yizr.jpg[/URL]

Just sayin...

beat me to it!

"tubby" makes my skin crawl.

[2mad]

Tubby ........................

[craig]

Image Replaced With URL For Quote [url]http://i354.photobucket.com/albums/r420/fomoashman333/Tubby_zpsmxi7yizr.jpg[/URL]

Just sayin...

beat me to it!

"tubby" makes my skin crawl.

[masterbateson]

I must admit I am only using the expression, as i have picked it up on here and mr2oc

When i first heard it, i thought thats a bit odd as i would never have thought of or described an MR2 as T*#*y!

Whats that all about? wonder where it comes from?

[craig]

Whats that all about? wonder where it comes from?

Some weird, slang word for a turbo that has the same syllables as turbo, and it sounds daft in that context.

Wish it would go back to where it came from.

[masterbateson]

Always strange to hear someone say they wouldn't buy over 100k, but 90k would be fine..... Regardless of condition. Very strange

Always gets me when someone says the above? are we somehow suggesting higher mileage is more desirable?

If we are talking about 2 cars, both in same condition and both same money, ones got 50k on it and the others a ton+ which one are most people going to pick.

Agree to a certain extent on condition and was going to mention it in my OP, but even then there is a BUT? in the back of my mind.

A car may well be well looked after and look great on the outside, and there lies the danger, allsorts of nastiness may be lurking engine wise just because of wear.

Thats why i was asking the question about wear on several bits.

I think its general understanding that toyota or should i say Yamaha engines go on forever, much like honda's.

But shirley something must get tired after a while?

[C35Rob]

no engine "goes on forever" it's a physical impossibility. rotating/reciprocating machinery wears, good servicing and correct operation (warm up, cool down etc) will prolong the life of it.

and realistically.. how many imports wear their "true" kms when they leave japan

[masterbateson]

no engine "goes on forever" it's a physical impossibility. rotating/reciprocating machinery wears, good servicing and correct operation (warm up, cool down etc) will prolong the life of it.

and realistically.. how many imports wear their "true" kms when they leave japan

This above is another thing that worries me.
I've often thought, i wonder if its entering the country with correct mileage.

Imagine an import car thats actually done 120k, gets wound back to say 80k is then run for another ten years taking it up to say 140k

Your engine is actual on 180k (and thats if your lucky, and someone in uk hasnt been winding back the clocks/swapping speed'os)

Here's another one for the engine bod experts,
I would assume that if there was going to be wear in the pistons and liners, presumbly the piston rings should wear rather than the liner to a larger extent.
So if you replace the Piston rings, would we be back to more or less factory compression/wellness?
And also i am curious, if your piston rings have worn and maybe the liners a wee bit, can you get piston rings with an extra Thou on? to compensate.
That would be V handy.

One reason I ampondering this is, I believe that if you get oil in your turbo where it shouldnt be, rather than it being the seals on the turbo, its a good chance its oil from the engine and poss a symptom of worn piston rings/liners? Allegedly.

[Pauln]

Condition is the starting point. Is it straight is it clean, is it actually what the owner claims it to be, has it been presented well and well looked after.

Never be afraid to check the VIN plate to try to make sure the car is what the owner claims it to be. How is it presented. If it looks clean and tidy, it more likely to have been looked after than one where the inside looks like an ashtray. Better still if there's a folder full of papers and MOTs etc you can really start to get an idea of the annual mileage, and whether it's been their pride and joy, and regularly maintained and problems sorted when they came up, rather than being put off until the very last minute.

You can also learn a lot by just talking to the owner. Do they come across as an MR2 enthusiast with a genuine reason for selling the car.

I'd personally go for the lower mileage if looking at two cars in similar condition (provided old mots were present to backup that mileage). With an import, whilst you can't know what happened in Japan prior to export, you may be lucky and find the import mileage declaration amongst the paperwork, which is a start. The other obvious thing with imports is the later the actual import date, the fewer UK winters and salted roads it's been through. The bodywork on an older model that has a later import date may be in better condition than a newer model that's been in the country longer.

But unless you're into projects, go for a clean. straight car with no obvious major problems, and ideally a long MOT with no or few advisories. If the MOT is short but the owner claims it will fly through, call their bluff and offer to pay for the cost of a new MOT.

Just my 2p worth.

Paul

[Ryan S]

mine was an indicated 100k miles when i stripped it, cylinder head was in amazing condition, bores were absolutely spotless, mileage really means nothing on these cars if they are maintained

Highwaystar on here's car has done 250k or some ridiculous amount, he's had it for years

[masterbateson]

Isnt it great!!!! !!!!!

If you can get 250k from an engine and it still be in good shape

Its still great if you know you can just maybe put new piston rings in or big end bearings and its good as new or at least in good nick to carry on strong.

[Nic]

I wouldn't have a problem with a 100k+ car that had been cherished, parts replaced when needed, regularly serviced, etc. with a folder of paperwork to back up the history. Compared to a cheap MR2 with no history and claiming some random combination of km and miles, I know which I would go for.

[Nic]

Its still great if you know you can just maybe put new piston rings in or big end bearings and its good as new or at least in good nick to carry on strong.

The 3S engine is generally reliable if properly maintained, but it's just like any other engine, if it needs new rings and big end bearings then it's an engine out full rebuild, which is going to cost you £k's.

[Peter Gidden]

if you replace the Piston rings, would we be back to more or less factory compression/wellness?

Not necessarily. Depends on condition of bores.

i am curious, if your piston rings have worn and maybe the liners a wee bit, can you get piston rings with an extra Thou on?

No.

If you fit new rings to an otherwise good bores, you would have them lightly honed by your local machine shop. Fitting new rings to old bore surfaces is bad practice.

I believe that if you get oil in your turbo where it shouldnt be, rather than it being the seals on the turbo, its a good chance its oil from the engine and poss a symptom of worn piston rings/liners?

Possibly.