The Garage 278

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FOCUS Engine Parts 32 IS THE WHOLE GREATER THAN THE SUM? Richard Barnett looks at the parts that gets your car going and makes that engine purr THERE’S no denying just how reliable today’s engines are. Whether they’re petrol- or diesel-fuelled, they are far more efficient than their forebears, thanks to better quality materials and better manufacturing processes. But a later engine can still fail, with the finger usually being pointed at the car owner for their neglect. And that means there is still a demand for replacement pistons, valves, camshafts, crankshafts and all those other engine internals that can fail. Gaskets have changed their status, and are no longer regarded almost as consumables when it comes to 32, 33, 34 Engine Parts.indd 1 22/06/2018 14:57
33 focus Engine Parts The great debate Remanufactured or reconditioned? Paula Huesca De Crean, Euro Car Parts’ chief commercial officer, says there is a big difference between remanufactured and reconditioned engines, the former being a lengthy, involved process requiring plenty of technical understanding and skill. ECP, working with Ivor Searle and Vege, offers a 12-months parts and labour warranty on its remanufactured engines. “To qualify as remanufactured, an engine must be extensively tested to achieve a level of performance and reliability equivalent to the original engine. The ISO 9001 standard details the testing procedure and inspection process, dictating that all key components, including piston assemblies, large and small bearings, as well as bushes, gaskets and seals, timing chains and drive belts, must be completely renewed,” De Crean says. It’s important that motorists know the difference between a remanufactured and reconditioned engine, as De Crean explains: “A reconditioned engine has been cleaned with some damaged components replaced in an attempt to restore it to its previous condition. “However, reconditioning is a subjective process and offers few guarantees to the end customer when it comes to warranty, longevity and performance. “Compared to the reconditioning process, remanufactured engines go through a more thorough process. Original units are stripped down to the core and rebuilt from the ground up, using the highest quality materials and engineering processes to return them to original performance specification levels. In most instances, performance is even improved.” As well as keeping a car on the road, remanufactured engines have a green side, using less core metal than a new engine, with 85 percent of original components returned to OE-specification. Remanufacturing also uses 85 per cent less energy than other manufacturing processes, ECP says. engine. These days they are more likely to be looked at as an engine component, thanks to their more complex make-up and their part played in making engines more fuel efficient and cleaner. But when it comes to replacing gaskets there is always a temptation to go for the cheapest, rather than the most suitable – a decision that can be costly in the long run. According to Paul Saunders, product engineering director at Federal-Mogul Autoparts, engines that are designed-in a bid for lower emissions and greater fuel economy, not to mention durability, have had an influence on gasket design: “Gaskets used in an engine are now considered to be part of an integrated engine system, so it’s important to use the correct gasket technology for any given application. “As an example, multi-layer steel (MLS) cylinder head gaskets are now commonly used on light- and mediumduty engines. These have the advantage of offering a reduced, yet consistent, gasket thickness to help minimise the dead air volume at the combustion chamber which will in turn contribute to improved emissions.” Replacing head gaskets requires a greater awareness of doing the job by the book, and while that has always been the case on modern engines it becomes even more important – and that includes replacing head bolts. “Many failures that happen in service can often be attributed to pre-ignition or detonation in the combustion process. This generates very high spikes of combustion pressure causing a fatigue condition to exist leading to gasket cracking, combustion leakage and torching of the gasket. Engine overheating is another common cause of gasket failure.” Maybe not quite so expected is how the state of the roads can affect engine parts, and sump pans in particular. Rough surfaces, potholes and speed bumps can all catch and puncture a sump pan, with serious damage possibly reaching the engine as a result. Corrosion, too, can shorten a sump pan’s life. First Line’s 10-strong oil sump range is made from aluminium or steel, depending on what was fitted as OE. It includes the aluminium sump used on the VAG 1.9TDi engine. Steel sump pans are powder-coated for longer life and all come with a sump plug. Diesel engines have been the centre attention across the media since the VW scandal first became public, but they remain popular with motorists because of their mix of performance and fuel economy. Modern diesels run to more exacting tolerances than their predecessors, and, according to Denso, with the average age of a diesel car being almost seven continued on page 34> 32, 33, 34 Engine Parts.indd 2 22/06/2018 11:48
Page 1 and 2: The Supporting the Independent Gara
Page 3 and 4: WELCOME with Dave Gregory Hello Wel
Page 5 and 6: WE HAVE MORE THAN 100 YEARS OF EXIS
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Page 11 and 12: 11 NEWS evate above the competition
Page 13 and 14: MEET TIM. BEARING EXPERT. TIM ADAMS
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The Garage 278

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