The car has for it's 150,000 mile birthday sucked up a lake district worth of water into the engine. The engine is locked solid.

Has anyone got a rough number of hours for an engine swap? If I could find a cheap, very cheap, 2.4 (mk 1 alfa 156?) block then I could get it dropped in. Otherwise it's a bad day for 130 HLX fans.

Bad news - sorry to hear that

6 to 8 hours with tea

ouch you tried plugs out and turn it over by hand?

If your gonna do an engine swap, why not stick in a Alfa 20v 2.4JTD.
Better fuel economy and alot more performance aswell.

Stuff the diesel! get yourself a 147 motor in there .

Naa i hope you sort it though, aint there any way of the old girl starting? some wd here and there then a nice result??

Im for the turning it over by hand idea (Y)

Do the glow plugs go into the top of the combustion chambers?

She's back outside the house now, looking pretty miserable. I've not had a go of getting the plugs out yet. I got a garbled message from the brother in law - think he's tried via the injectors and it didn't look good.

Looks to me like I'll be stripping her of any good parts, or bits that could go on a future car, then taking her on that last journey to the car park in the sky.

Bravo hgt breaking near me that still has engine going....

Wrong fuel! When I get pushed back in the seat I don't want to feel how thin my wallet is getting!

Hellcat said:

When I get pushed back in the seat I don't want to feel how thin my wallet is getting!

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dont keep ur wallet in ur back pocket then.....

Hellcat said:

Do the glow plugs go into the top of the combustion chambers?


Looks to me like I'll be stripping her of any good parts, or bits that could go on a future car, then taking her on that last journey to the car park in the sky.

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yes the glow plugs will be directed into the upper cylinder area,
unlikely you've sustained no damage though,
bent conrods are favourite , along with heat / cold related stressing to piston crowns,
as you say cheap to have to glow-plugs out and try ( tow-start is best..!!),
at your mileage there isn't too much point in the expense and work of a donor engine

Charlie

Hellcat said:

Wrong fuel! When I get pushed back in the seat I don't want to feel how thin my wallet is getting!

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Alfa 2.4 jtdm then it is lo l

varesecrazy said:

yes the glow plugs will be directed into the upper cylinder area,
unlikely you've sustained no damage though,
bent conrods are favourite , along with heat / cold related stressing to piston crowns,
as you say cheap to have to glow-plugs out and try ( tow-start is best..!!),
at your mileage there isn't too much point in the expense and work of a donor engine

Charlie

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They're my thoughts exactly, plus the front end got bent all out of shape getting emergency recovered. Word of warning guys, check your tow eye is in the tool kit in the boot. There is nothing much solid to tow by on the front of a Marea.

And nothing too solid in the back either, as the part the eye screws into is held to the frame with two M8 bolts (unless you have towbar, in which case you might be missing entirely or its attached to the towbar).

At least in that case you have a tow bar to use. I briefly considered asking to be towed backwards... only very briefly!

Well with 3 injectors out, the engine turns.

Will try it with a charged battery tomorrow. If it doesn't spin fast with only 2 cylinders compressing then I'd say it's a goosed engine.

If it does turn quickly, then will try putting it back together and see if it will start. Would it be immediately obvious if there was a bent con rod or similar heavy damage?

Hellcat said:

Well with 3 injectors out, the engine turns.

Will try it with a charged battery tomorrow. If it doesn't spin fast with only 2 cylinders compressing then I'd say it's a goosed engine.

If it does turn quickly, then will try putting it back together and see if it will start. Would it be immediately obvious if there was a bent con rod or similar heavy damage?

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yes it will make a right row......

before starting it might be worth dropping the oil and seeing if any bits emerge

if its turning smoothly you MIGHT have got lucky unless its bent some valve stems

if you have access to a compression tester use it prior to trying to start it


also remove and check the air filter is dry and there is no more water lurking on the inlet side

There is a lot of inlet! The turbo is one of the lowest parts and only had a few drops in, it should be dry now given its been over a week since it died.

Well the car's fate is sealed. It turned over on the starter, but wouldn't catch. Gave it a long healthy squirt of easy start into the inlet, and it starts and runs on the easy start. Cue major metallic smashing noise.

It sounds like something very bad has happened, poor Marea.