GTS engine catastrophe

Itare Sam

Member
Messages
131
I’m not too much familiar with mechanics but can it be that in your last service they used the sealant for the oil screw? It will be a strange practice and obviously a huge mistake as it is not needed but maybe you can remove the plug (screw) and check it to me sure if there is any remaining or marks of use.
I'm sure Ashley would have checked this. Looks like there's rather a lot of sealant floating about - perhaps more than would have been used by any misguided person fitting the oil plug with sealant. Unless there was deliberate loading of sealant. Then again, the car ran perfectly for over 1000 miles after the service.....
 

jasst

Member
Messages
2,313
Thank you. Though such engine failure is not the most pleasant of coincidences, it's good to know others have genuine understanding and sympathy. Was your rebuilt or replaced?
I sold the car, to a good friend who has since put a replacement engine in, and I upgraded to a Gransport.
 

Felonious Crud

Administrator
Staff member
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21,013
Just trying to do the math on a bhp to bmp (brake mouse power) conversion. I ran out of toes...

Chances are, leaving the mice in the engine to do the work would have been more effective. A small treadwheel and a ready supply of cheese would have been far more reliable than standard.
 

spkennyuk

Member
Messages
5,931
Originally they said 70k on belt changes on the TS didn’t they? Turned out to be less than half that if you speak to specialists. A big reason why so many have been scrapped.

Thats correct. They changed it to 36k miles on the petrol engines and didnt bother to inform the dealers. Which is why so many cars belts failed at 60k miles or 3 years onwards.
 

highlander

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5,214
Worst possible outcome from initial post, but you will fix her. Feel for you, most of us have been where you are at some point or other and with some car or other.
 

Wanderer

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5,791
Thats correct. They changed it to 36k miles on the petrol engines and didnt bother to inform the dealers. Which is why so many cars belts failed at 60k miles or 3 years onwards.
Yes I remember that! Bought 2.0TS for 2k, nice car, loved it about 2003, no history re cam belt change so had it changed, £465 thank you.
 

Itare Sam

Member
Messages
131
Worst possible outcome from initial post, but you will fix her. Feel for you, most of us have been where you are at some point or other and with some car or other.
Thank you. Yes it's definitely the outcome feared most, but half expected if I'm honest. I'm sure you're right about most petrolheads experiencing these traumas. I've been pretty lucky with the 50+ cars I've owned over the years, just unfortunate the majorly stricken one is also my first Maserati.
 

Simon1963

Member
Messages
819
What a total bummer. I suppose you have 2 choices. First get it repaired, back on the road enjoy the car again and move on. Secondly, and this is what I would have to do, is investigate to the end of the earth. I’d start with getting the oil off for a full analysis. I’m not sure about shell but Castrol have many different recipes for their Castrol edge range. Something I would definitely want to find out is about the sticker on the pump. I assume this sticker Is present on all the pumps Maserati put in this engine? Is there something in your oil that has caused the glue to melt and also some silicone to melt? Oil analysis will tell you if anything is in your oil that shouldn’t be. I’m only a diy/weekend tinkerer so I don’t know but I would want to. I really feel for you and hope you get it sorted quickly and continue to enjoy your car.
 

Itare Sam

Member
Messages
131
What a total bummer. I suppose you have 2 choices. First get it repaired, back on the road enjoy the car again and move on. Secondly, and this is what I would have to do, is investigate to the end of the earth. I’d start with getting the oil off for a full analysis. I’m not sure about shell but Castrol have many different recipes for their Castrol edge range. Something I would definitely want to find out is about the sticker on the pump. I assume this sticker Is present on all the pumps Maserati put in this engine? Is there something in your oil that has caused the glue to melt and also some silicone to melt? Oil analysis will tell you if anything is in your oil that shouldn’t be. I’m only a diy/weekend tinkerer so I don’t know but I would want to. I really feel for you and hope you get it sorted quickly and continue to enjoy your car.
Thank you for the thoughts. Yes certainly the first priority is to get the car back on the road asap, but as you intimate this engine failure could have implications for other engines so it would be worthwhile seeing if we can establish, as accurately as possible, what happened and why. Your points about the oil certainly need to be taken into consideration.
 

ChrisQP09

Member
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2,994
Isn’t it the case that any glue applied will be subject to heat stress? I would want to know what the temperature needs to be for failure to occur.
 

rs48635

Member
Messages
3,181
Wow - You have my complete sympathy Sam.
Only engine failure I have known was Alfa 166 V6, within a few days of cambelt change at 7000rpm!! I had that engine rebuilt by the same shop at cost price, which was still more than the 2nd hand unit posted by Phil. In my case the "fault" was belt tensioner which was NOT replaced against my express wishes. Like you I just accepted the situation and moved the possible outcomes. AT least I knew why mine went bang, this is a proper mystery.
If it was my (dead) engine I would keep it as a trophy anyway. Once in my workshop it might be stripped down to individual parts, just for education / practice. Might discover some joint with missing or bulging sealant?

Wild card - what chance the silicone got in during an oil change? Could a real mix-up happen and fill the car from waste oil container?
unable to ever prove that scenario and nobody in their right mind would ever admit to it. (pretty sure I have done it)
 

Itare Sam

Member
Messages
131
Wow - You have my complete sympathy Sam.
Only engine failure I have known was Alfa 166 V6, within a few days of cambelt change at 7000rpm!! I had that engine rebuilt by the same shop at cost price, which was still more than the 2nd hand unit posted by Phil. In my case the "fault" was belt tensioner which was NOT replaced against my express wishes. Like you I just accepted the situation and moved the possible outcomes. AT least I knew why mine went bang, this is a proper mystery.
If it was my (dead) engine I would keep it as a trophy anyway. Once in my workshop it might be stripped down to individual parts, just for education / practice. Might discover some joint with missing or bulging sealant?

Wild card - what chance the silicone got in during an oil change? Could a real mix-up happen and fill the car from waste oil container?
unable to ever prove that scenario and nobody in their right mind would ever admit to it. (pretty sure I have done it)
Thank you. Nice idea about the trophy engine - especially to learn from, or turn into a coffee table maybe? Re. the thought about waste oil used by mistake at the last service, the fact is the car did over 1000 miles after that service without any fault. If the silicone had been put in at that service I'd have thought the problem would have happened sooner? Seems more likely it got detached somehow more recently? All speculation of course. Hopefully Matt and Ashley will have a better informed theory when they've got time for reflection.
 

rs48635

Member
Messages
3,181
Seems the oil galleries being 2mm would quickly block with the size of silicone shown in the pictures. Then again at high temperature in these engines and with strong oil pressure it might well fight it's way around for a while? My dad lasted quite a few years with ateries almost totally blocked.
No real idea how long any engine will run with contamination so best left to experts. (I do still like a theory!)
For certain I will keep any engine that dies in one of my cars. Have always wanted strip an engine, all the better if it needs no rebuild :D