Shipwright's disease

So I'm gathering the bits to put a new long block in my WRX.

The original motor went 111k before I overheated it and cracked the heads.

I've made a list of the stuff I think I should be replaced, but it just keeps getting longer and longer.

So far I'm thinking every single coolant hose and the exhaust gaskets I've touched.

Where I have trouble drawing the line is the oil pump and water pump. The timing belt was changed recently, so I'm not inclined to change the tensioners and stuff, but since the car was overheated, I am thinking of replacing the water pump. I don't think it failed, but I'm not sure I trust it.

There is no better time to change the oil pump, but do I really want to do that too?

I'm tempted to do it all, but that's expensive. Not as expensive as a new engine has been though...

Am I being prudent, or insane?

Gonna keep it? Just do it.

How about this one:

Clutch went out on the Esprit. Also about time for a timing belt. So, I pulled the drive train. Pilot (spigot) bearing was shot. New clutch set. Skim flywheel. All new engine seals (front, rear main, cams, cam towers, oil pump, etc.) except the pan. New timing belt, adjust the valves (requires removing the cams and cam towers), fix the crack in the exhaust manifold, new accessory belts, new AC compressor. May as well pull the gas tanks as the motor is out. Coat the outside of the tanks with rhino liner and rustoleum. New parking brake cable. Had to pull the seat for the parking brake cable, so may as well put new seat covers on them. Had the other seat out for the cover, so may as well put new AC hoses in. New expansion valve because it's there. New AC drier because everything else was being bought. Drop the front of the car down to access the condenser for the hoses, so clean out the radiator. New silicone radiator hoses. Bust the broken plastic coating off the shift cables, coat with tool grip, then silicone wrap, then heat shield (which it should have had to start with).

So, a blown spigot bearing caused me 9 months of work.

racinginc215 wrote: I vote both pumps. ounce of prevention and all that.

+2. Better to do it now while the engine is out of the car than to potentially yank the engine again down the road.

In reply to Dr. Hess:

Damn Doc, that wasn't an ounce of prevention, that's more like a ton.

Me I'd change them. Not necessarily because of distrust, but because I wouldn't want to have to work on it again for a long, long time.

Do it all while the engine's out of the car. Grassroots is one thing.."pennywise and pound foolish" is another. Do you really want to pull that thing out again?

Thankfully I've been able to avoid that malady while replacing the burnt valve on my 951, but only because it's going into the $200x classifieds and Craigslist as soon as it's back running. But yeah, if I were keeping it I would have probably pulled the motor and done a full rebuild, just while I was there...

You guys have nothing on old Land Rover owners. Fixing the wipers can easily lead to a new frame.

Although Bill at Flyin' Miata seems to have caught a case of it - he went from welding in a new spare tire well on his 2002 to getting the bare shell sandblasted.

"Shipwright's disease" is a fantastic term, and one I'm happy to add to my arsenal of odd phrases. Thanks, Peter!

Do It.

Started with a 1979 Z28 (yes a real one) cam lob went. SO.

Pull radiator and fount accessories from motor. End up replacing because I was there.

Rad, hoses, alternator, timing chain.

Then before I get it together I remember the block I had in the corner and considering I had 150K on the motor I decide to pull the motor to inspect and freshen (thinking just a rotating assembly freshening with everything transferred to the new block) with new rings and bearings and of course a gasket set.

Ended up line boring decking and getting the whole rotating assembly balanced. I also then decided to replace the water pump distributor, oil pump.Then looking at the old heads realizing I can not put them back on and hell a friend has a set of bare aluminum heads for cheep. So off I go getting them machined larger valves ported etc.

At this point since the engine is out a new clutch and flywheel T bearing because well my old clutch with 10K (changed with trans upgrade to 5 speed) will not handle the new found HP rite?

Then I realize that with the motor out replacement of the brake lines and the fuel lines is much easier so Ya they got replaced along with the steering box center link pit-man arm idler arm and tie rods.

With the new master and booster we should now upgrade the brakes? So aftermarket calipers in the front and a disk conversion for the rear. The rear led to replacement of the dif as it was not a posi so I ended up changing the whole rear axle for one out of another parts car I had and this of course led to replacement of the leaf springs as they were sagging a bit and new ones were cheep.

Again with the motor out you might as well painting the engine compartment this lead to taking the fenders off and making minor dent repairs, undercoating and paint. This lead to a respray of the rest of the car with new Z28 graphics. Wanted to keep it stock looking after all.

Of course this meant I had to send the entire interior (seats, carpets and dash) out for cleaning and repairs (It was a white interior and looked shabby). At the time I thought it was expensive but looking back on it it was the best $200 I spent on the project.

This process took over a year of nights and weekends. At the time I was working part time at a auto repair shop and body shop facility making this all the easier for me to justify. After all everyone else that worked there had some similar project on going. I bet the shops were busier on Sundays than any other day of the week with three or four of us in there thrashing on our cars.

I'm not sure where the term came from, but if you've ever owned a British car, you will have it.

The headgasket failure on my M20 E30, ended in an OBD-I S52 swap, rebuilt suspension, BBK, new wheels, etc.

But I'm with everyone else, take your time and replace EVERYTHING.

spitfirebill wrote: I'm not sure where the term came from, but if you've ever owned a British car, you will have it.

I had that problem with my TR-7. I was pulling the engine out for a "quick rebuild". That was 6 years ago, and it still isn't back together. I'm a terrible car guy.

Maroon92 wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: I'm not sure where the term came from, but if you've ever owned a British car, you will have it.

I had that problem with my TR-7. I was pulling the engine out for a "quick rebuild". That was 6 years ago, and it still isn't back together. I'm a terrible car guy.

I sold a TR3 in 1986. Regretted it immediately and started looking for another. Came across a 64 Spitfire that I thought I could just tune up, fix the brakes and drive till I found a TR3. 20+ years later and several grand, and that Spitfire still isn't finished (are they ever?). I ended up taking the car completely apart and stripped to bare metal. Lots of new body parts. All I need to do to finish is the interior and bumpers.

So what I'm hearing is that contracting this disease is a desirable thing?

This motor will be going in a Factory Five 818 ASAP, so a certain amount of new gear makes sense, I just didn't think the answer was "all of it".

Crap.

I'd always heard it called "shipfitter's disease", but shipwright is much easier to say.

It's not necessarily a desirable thing. It is not conducive to finished projects, and is basically the opposite of a rolling restoration.

pigeon wrote: Thankfully I've been able to avoid that malady while replacing the burnt valve on my 951, but only because it's going into the $200x classifieds and Craigslist as soon as it's back running. But yeah, if I were keeping it I would have probably pulled the motor and done a full rebuild, just while I was there...

running 951 for challenge money? can you update your build thread so it comes back to the top of the list?

I am trying hard not to fall into this trap now that I bought my Turbo Saab that needs the trans out of my old 900s.. how much do I replace when I have the engine out and how much do I say "it's good"?