Building an engine

[TarkMalbot]

I now have a spare complete 172 engine that I am considering building up into something a little better than standard and swapping them out.

Just using bolt on parts is there a guide or list of parts to give me an idea of what to use and price?

It will be running ITB's so thinking Cams would be an obvious upgrade but then unsure of what else other than ARP bolts.

Does it start getting expensive quickly when thinking about rods, Pistons, bearings, honing etc?

 

[TarkMalbot]

Just been looking at the following website to give me some ideas:
http://www.engine-dynamics.com/DIYEngineBuildKits/cid297/DIYEngineBuildKits.asp

 

[Alex H]

Does it start getting expensive quickly when thinking about rods, Pistons, bearings, honing etc?

In a word: yes.

 

[Jaff.]

Machining a block ~£100
Forged rods ~£400
Forged Pistons ~ £500
Bearings ~80

Just an example

 

[McGherkin]

Does it start getting expensive quickly when thinking about rods, Pistons, bearings, honing etc?

It gets expensive the moment you start even thinking about it. N/A power does not come cheap with the F4R.

 

[Cupman29]

It gets expensive the moment you start even thinking about it. N/A power does not come cheap with the F4R.

Neither does boost!

 

[Andyman]

I built a high comp bottom end a few years back. Must have come to well over a £1000 with new everything, bored out and all that. You budget for parts and engineering work etc and it always end up costing more. The end result once its fitted will be no real extra gain over a standard one. Would have been better buying a 300 quid bottom end blowing it up and buying another 300 quid one.
Only worth faffing about rebuilding engines if its for a real gain, EG forced induction.

 

[warwickstingray]

N/A power doesn't come cheap to a phase 2 Clio F4R. The mk3 Clio sports have a much better base with a better breathing head. Your fighting the heads breathing on the phase 2.

Annoying really but that's cost cutting and mass production for you. Probably why Renault themselves only went for an exhaust system and chassis upgrades when they needed to up the game. If there was easy power there we'd have had a Clio 200 in the phase 2 I'm sure.

F4R's long stroke bottom end helps with grunt though and some have managed some very impressive spreads of power if not a headline peak figure.

Decide on target, build a bottom end to suit, improve the heads breathing and it might just be worth the hideous cost of cams and throttle bodies.

Even a sensible build is gonna empty the piggy bank.

 

[SharkyUK]

Don't forget a few hundred for aftermarket ECU and same again for decent mapping time once the engine is up and running.

 

[TarkMalbot]

Already have Gen 90 ECU. Jury still out on if its worth doing anything at all with my spare engine.

 

[NorthloopCup]

Already have Gen 90 ECU. Jury still out on if its worth doing anything at all with my spare engine.

421's, itb's, arp rod bolts and f**k the rest. Good for anything power wise from 210 up to 220 if the engines healthy. Anything else just gets expensive for little gains.

 

[TarkMalbot]

Seen a lot about rod bolts. I will have a look at how to install them. Hopefully it's a simple case of one for one with the sump off?

 

[NorthloopCup]

Seen a lot about rod bolts. I will have a look at how to install them. Hopefully it's a simple case of one for one with the sump off?

Yeah piece of piss to fit mate. Remove sump, turn engine over to access the relevant bolts and remove old ones. Fit new bolts and torque tighten (has to be done 2 or 3 times to stretch the bolts) once you've done that and all bolts have been replaced and torqued, refit the sump. Job done.

 

[TarkMalbot]

Been reading all about the installation and the technical reasons behind lubrication, torquing etc etc so happy with that. What's the easiest way to slowly turn the engine over to access each one?

 

[JamesBryan]

Been reading all about the installation and the technical reasons behind lubrication, torquing etc etc so happy with that. What's the easiest way to slowly turn the engine over to access each one?

Ratchet on the crank pulley.

 

[TarkMalbot]

That's what I thought but didn't realise you could access it easily. I will look into it on the engine I have out.

 

[JamesBryan]

That's what I thought but didn't realise you could access it easily. I will look into it on the engine I have out.

Yeah, the bottom pulley on the same side as the cam pulleys.