Vantage V8 4.7 engine rebuild
With regards to engine reliability for the life of the street car all this is an exercise in hyperbole. You can easily run 100hp/L on the stock 4.7L with boltons and it will be super reliable for the life of the car. Heck, you may even be able to get 490-510 depending on how aggressive you go with the redline. Most street engines will never spend more than 1% of their lifespan at WOT, so it's kind of a moot issue. 24 hour endurance racing is equal to like 10 years of wear/tear on a normal street engine so it's hard to really compare the two.
The point is astons V8 is a great starting platform for modifications. The stock motor can handle much more than previously anticipated for road use. It may not be the exact engine racing at LeMans, but honestly who cares lol.
Headers+high flow cats+tune will unlock 80% of the remaining potential. I would just recommend keeping the stock catback and baffles/fuse in place for comfortable daily cruising.
The point is astons V8 is a great starting platform for modifications. The stock motor can handle much more than previously anticipated for road use. It may not be the exact engine racing at LeMans, but honestly who cares lol.
Headers+high flow cats+tune will unlock 80% of the remaining potential. I would just recommend keeping the stock catback and baffles/fuse in place for comfortable daily cruising.
All depends on the price, but as others stated already, value drops like crazy and electrical gremlins will haunt you. If the engine is no good a new one from AM dealer is $28,000 plus labor. Rebuild similar to this one is about half of AM dealer asking price for a stock motor. You will need all fluids flushed as well at the very least. I have seen cars "salvaged" as flood damaged when the water was only about 5" up the wheel. No flooding of the cabin or mechanical components. In those instances it is worth buying a "flooded" car. Otherwise no. This is how my best friend bought a fully loaded honda accord for $10,000 with only 300 miles on the odometer.
In the case of AM engines I would not trust stock engine components. Engines are built extremely cheap. Cheap to the point where the management probably went to the engineers and said to make components last the length of the warranty and then you are SOL. There is nothing good about stock AM engine components except the crankshaft. That is one nice piece. Rods, pistons, head and main bolt/fasteners, bearings, even oil pump components make me scream and wonder how such things can be put in a $160,000 car.
In the case of AM engines I would not trust stock engine components. Engines are built extremely cheap. Cheap to the point where the management probably went to the engineers and said to make components last the length of the warranty and then you are SOL. There is nothing good about stock AM engine components except the crankshaft. That is one nice piece. Rods, pistons, head and main bolt/fasteners, bearings, even oil pump components make me scream and wonder how such things can be put in a $160,000 car.
It's really sad to see manufactures treat buyers like fools now a days. This is pretty much the main reason I don't buy new anymore! I remember back in the old days, even my Porsche 944 Turbo had forged pistons, rods, and crank. They even went so far as to line the exhaust ports with ceramic as they were worried about heat. What a great reliable engine that can take tons of abuse.
It reminds me of someone that said he'd never ride a mountain bike with a carbon fibre frame, because they were too light to take through the tough stuff. He didn't immediately understand that light doesn't mean weak if you get the engineering and materials right.
AM do seem to have got the engineering and materials right on these cars, as evidenced by their durability
Some engines that have what might be considered "better" parts aren't exactly known for great durability. Ferraris have titanium rods...
^^^ I'd like to hear of an Gaydon era Aston that has seen 150K miles, anyone have any idea of some of the highest mile ones out there....could be some good data points if the owners of those cars could chyme in and tell us their experiences.
Have to disagree with you on this. These engines go on forever, so they are strong enough, whatever the hidden components look like. I've never heard of anyone wreck a Vantage engine on the road, so what does it matter if AM fitted strong parts that were inexpensive?
It reminds me of someone that said he'd never ride a mountain bike with a carbon fibre frame, because they were too light to take through the tough stuff. He didn't immediately understand that light doesn't mean weak if you get the engineering and materials right.
AM do seem to have got the engineering and materials right on these cars, as evidenced by their durability
It reminds me of someone that said he'd never ride a mountain bike with a carbon fibre frame, because they were too light to take through the tough stuff. He didn't immediately understand that light doesn't mean weak if you get the engineering and materials right.
AM do seem to have got the engineering and materials right on these cars, as evidenced by their durability
rmrmd,
Certainly, similar examples can be found for any engine. My understanding is that these failures are very unusual in the Aston V8 -- does your experience suggest otherwise? Were these from unmodified (in any way) cars? Do you know what caused the failures?
Certainly, similar examples can be found for any engine. My understanding is that these failures are very unusual in the Aston V8 -- does your experience suggest otherwise? Were these from unmodified (in any way) cars? Do you know what caused the failures?
The context was a discussion of pressure charged engines. You said there that the problem was caused by lack of intercooler fluid, plugged cat(stock ceramic) and 91 AKI california gas. The piston clearly shows a classic detonation / over pressure failure which would be VERY surprising from a standard engine.
I think the pic shows that the engine isn't robust when supercharged, but when we consider the engines from Ford's stewardship, the current crop of aston engines are as bulletproof as you could find from any auto maker
^^^ Mike ai think the Aston V12 are venerable cosworth/Aston motors. I am not sure about the V8, I've heard those were basically Jag engines shared w the XK series. Choices in materials my be comprimised if that's the case.
I've heard the V12 is just two Ford Duratec V6s stuck together
It's NOT the case. The 4.3 AM V8 block was cast to the same specs as the Jag's, then it was machined to Aston-only specs. The 4.7 block is, of course, different still. And EVERYTHING else is unique to Aston. The crank, rods, pistons, rings, cams, valves, heads, bearings, etc., etc. are all unique to the Aston V8 engine. Nothing is shared, nothing is interchangeable.
I've heard the V12 is just two Ford Duratec V6s stuck together
I've heard the V12 is just two Ford Duratec V6s stuck together

exactly 
BTW the V8 could easily be super charged (as Jag do with a derivative @ ~6 psi
) if the R&D was done to ensure it doesn't lean out and cook various parts just before self destructing
I think I saw that picture on PistonHeads in the Bamford Rose thread, http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic...ord+Rose&mid=0
The context was a discussion of pressure charged engines. You said there that the problem was caused by lack of intercooler fluid, plugged cat(stock ceramic) and 91 AKI california gas. The piston clearly shows a classic detonation / over pressure failure which would be VERY surprising from a standard engine.
I think the pic shows that the engine isn't robust when supercharged, but when we consider the engines from Ford's stewardship, the current crop of aston engines are as bulletproof as you could find from any auto maker
The context was a discussion of pressure charged engines. You said there that the problem was caused by lack of intercooler fluid, plugged cat(stock ceramic) and 91 AKI california gas. The piston clearly shows a classic detonation / over pressure failure which would be VERY surprising from a standard engine.
I think the pic shows that the engine isn't robust when supercharged, but when we consider the engines from Ford's stewardship, the current crop of aston engines are as bulletproof as you could find from any auto maker







