Hi,

I have found my project car. It is a black MY2014 340hp convertible.

It has a bad engine and a damaged quarter panel. It is also very messy.

I live in the Netherlands and it is a US import, so it has to be accepted to our roads to. That means a lot of changes to the lighting system.

Engine: it has 90.000km on it. It has some small leaks (vacuum pump) and a bad engine knock. No codes.
I hoped it was the supercharger, but it wasn’t. I took of the belt, no change in the knock. I suspect it has a bad rod bearing. I will get the engine out and find the cause of the knock.

The quarter panel is damaged, I have a new one and will mount that too. The bumper is also damaged, I have found a good replacement.

I’m currently trying to find European LHD headlight. Can RHD be converted to LHD?
I also need EU taillights, are the UK the same (amber turn signal)?

Adam

 

I like your moxie!

 

I’m cleaning up the car and diagnosing what needs to be done.

The major issue is the heavy knock. My prime suspect is a spun bearing. I have no history of the car.

I pulled the filter and found metal shavings in it. See photo. I used a magnet to find out if it is aluminium or steel. At least there is steel.

Where can this come from? Cylinder lining? Timing gear? Not a bearing, piston, piston rod?

Any ideas?

regards,

Adam

 

The engine is out and I have found the source of the knocking. Otherwise the engine is very clean, cylinder walls are great. I will measure the crank, if everything is ok, new bearings and assemble the whole thing together. I add a lot of new parts, while I’m there.

Adam



A former rod bearing

Journal seems good

 

Following this thread out of curiosity. Thanks for sharing and good luck on the project!

 

Always good to have a problem found and resolved. Great photos, too! Hope it all goes back together for you for a wonderful 2025 driving it!

 

After a lot of trouble I got my crankshaft back from the workshop.
it is grinded 0,5mm on the connecting rod journals and 0,5mm mains journals. Although the mains didn’t show any wear, the crank was bent. There was to much heat produced by the spun bearing. That is now corrected.
next week first clearance measusements.

Crankshaft aj126

 

That is one LUCKY car to have you find it and take care of it. Best wishes for successful work, WOW you are not easily scared off!!!

 

I will echo exactly what Valerie said - that’s an F Type saved from the auto wrecker. Well done and good luck!

Please also keep posting updates.

 

Yeah, he is a lucky.

I enjoy creating things, It makes me relax from my stressfull job.

Studying how things work, parts hunting wrenching, cleaning and than enjoying it! For me that is completely different than just buying stuff.

 

I found new connecting rods on Ebay. When I weight them they were a little heavier than the JLR ones, also they were not all the same in weight.

So I grinded them on the burr to match the original weight within 1 gram.

Grinded Chinese Connecting rod AJ126

 

Crank installed

Heads installed

Update: building up.

 

Respect, this is a proper engine out rebuild. Following

If the connecting rods were inconsistent weights, are you sure dimensionally they are the same?

 

They are dimensionally the same. Clearances where spot on.

 

Heads on

Timing installed

Fully dressed


almost ready to install.

in basic a very pretty engine. But all those things mounted on it. Makes it very bulky.

 

About to go in

Back home

 

I would take them to a machinist and have them balanced, out of balance connecting rods can ruin an engine in a hurry.
Just my thoughts and good luck.

 

Balance is mostly about total weight of the rotating parts in relation to the other parts in rotation. There is a small difference in dynamics (acceleration at a certain time) between the big end and the small end. I weighted also the pivoted weight of the small and big end in comparison with the original rods.

Chinese parts are not perfect, I think as long as you are not drag racing, they are good enough if you check and correct them. But in a few days I will know for sure……

 

Cool to see that old Mustang in Holland!
I bet you don't see too many over there.
.
.
.

 

in fact, you see them a lot. We Dutch like cars, there are many oldtimers. The Mustang is one of our favorites.

The most of them are imported at a later state (like mine).