a little help with my 330s please
Discussion
Hi all -so I got my 09 plate 330s with 70k on the clock in Dec 14. Unfortunately, 7 months later, it started smoking on startup - so i took it to a recommended place in Stockport. They found a cracked ringland and so now I have a car with a forged engine. It took a long time with many many delays (that's another story in itself 
) - but after 9 months, I finally have the car back and have almost completed the 1000 - 1200 mile recommended running in.
The engine feels good, but I have a couple of things I'd like to do and thought I'd ask on here for advice:
Engine oil - he suggested 10W-40. I plan to change it the filter, myself, every 10k miles - but am not sure really what oil to go for - any suggestions. I am thinking fully synthetic, but is one brand a lot better than another - is it 'you get what you pay for?' and worth getting (say) £50 (for 5l) oil, instead of £25. Given what I've spent on the engine, an extra £25 every 10k miles seems negligible. I do around 18-20k/yr though.
I'm also going to replace discs and pads - I'd like a slight upgrade in terms of better discs and pads, not necessarily changing calipers, or brake lines though. Having just paid for the engine, I need to try and get a reasonable upgrade, but not spend an awful lot. EBC discs seem to be recommended time and again (? around £150/front disc?) and pagid pads? Any other suggestions? I'm not tracking the car and do usually drive fairly gently, with the occasional bit of spirited driving.
Also, my car seems to pull slightly to the right on acceleration (even gentle) and then back to the left on lifting off throttle. I'm sure it was there before the engine work - so I need to get that looked at. Tyres seem to be wearing evenly on the 4k miles I've done on it in total, but should I be getting the geometry checked - or do these cars, with the all-wheel drive, have a tendency to do this (as suggested by the mechanic who did the engine work).
Many thanks chaps and I'll post up a pic or two later
) - but after 9 months, I finally have the car back and have almost completed the 1000 - 1200 mile recommended running in.The engine feels good, but I have a couple of things I'd like to do and thought I'd ask on here for advice:
Engine oil - he suggested 10W-40. I plan to change it the filter, myself, every 10k miles - but am not sure really what oil to go for - any suggestions. I am thinking fully synthetic, but is one brand a lot better than another - is it 'you get what you pay for?' and worth getting (say) £50 (for 5l) oil, instead of £25. Given what I've spent on the engine, an extra £25 every 10k miles seems negligible. I do around 18-20k/yr though.
I'm also going to replace discs and pads - I'd like a slight upgrade in terms of better discs and pads, not necessarily changing calipers, or brake lines though. Having just paid for the engine, I need to try and get a reasonable upgrade, but not spend an awful lot. EBC discs seem to be recommended time and again (? around £150/front disc?) and pagid pads? Any other suggestions? I'm not tracking the car and do usually drive fairly gently, with the occasional bit of spirited driving.
Also, my car seems to pull slightly to the right on acceleration (even gentle) and then back to the left on lifting off throttle. I'm sure it was there before the engine work - so I need to get that looked at. Tyres seem to be wearing evenly on the 4k miles I've done on it in total, but should I be getting the geometry checked - or do these cars, with the all-wheel drive, have a tendency to do this (as suggested by the mechanic who did the engine work).
Many thanks chaps and I'll post up a pic or two later
Oils...
Fully synth, brand doesn't matter too much. Stick halfords in if you want to. If you're changing twice a year or every few thousand miles (which you are, right?) then it'll be fine on anything.
Grade of oil is more important. Match the grade you choose to your type of driving. If it's a weekend car for fun, or a track car, you've got 1 startup per 100-200 miles (for example). Use a nice thick oil, e.g 10w-60 which will withstand hotter running.
My commute on the hand is 5 miles in 10 minutes. I do 10 cold starts per week which barely get the water up to temp, never mind the oil. I need a thinner oil that works well from cold, and I more frequent changes.
Disks and pads: I have DBAs and DS2500. A great match, but need warmed up and deglazed occasionally. Fluid doesn't matter, anything half decent will do. Changing it often is better than buying the best and leaving it for 2 years.
I've never heard of the pulling to the left. Geometry would be a good start.
Nice having a forged engine, isn't it? It doesn't feel like driving a timebomb!
What spec is yours now?
Fully synth, brand doesn't matter too much. Stick halfords in if you want to. If you're changing twice a year or every few thousand miles (which you are, right?) then it'll be fine on anything.
Grade of oil is more important. Match the grade you choose to your type of driving. If it's a weekend car for fun, or a track car, you've got 1 startup per 100-200 miles (for example). Use a nice thick oil, e.g 10w-60 which will withstand hotter running.
My commute on the hand is 5 miles in 10 minutes. I do 10 cold starts per week which barely get the water up to temp, never mind the oil. I need a thinner oil that works well from cold, and I more frequent changes.
Disks and pads: I have DBAs and DS2500. A great match, but need warmed up and deglazed occasionally. Fluid doesn't matter, anything half decent will do. Changing it often is better than buying the best and leaving it for 2 years.
I've never heard of the pulling to the left. Geometry would be a good start.
Nice having a forged engine, isn't it? It doesn't feel like driving a timebomb!
What spec is yours now?
Edited by TartanPaint on Wednesday 11th May 10:35
Edited by TartanPaint on Wednesday 11th May 10:37
hi TP and cheers for that 
it does feel much better driving the car with the forged engine now. much more peace of mind
ok, it cost a bit to do, but should now be good for years to come,and i don't plan to sell it anytime soon. sure it likes a drink of shell's finest, but as an overall package, i think the car is simply staggering.
re oils - i also use mine day to day and the distance from home to work is only 6 miles, but twice a week i also get a good 70 - 100 mile round trip, mainly on motorways, so i'll be changing the oil every 7-8 months i would have thought.
the engine now has the following improvements:
Mahle motorsport forged pistons
Williams forged conrods
ARP head studs
ACL race bearing - big end and main
Exedy clutch kit
RCM uprated oil pump
Oil modine
uprated head gaskets and a new timing belt kit.
the brakes etc will get done in the near future
it does feel much better driving the car with the forged engine now. much more peace of mind
ok, it cost a bit to do, but should now be good for years to come,and i don't plan to sell it anytime soon. sure it likes a drink of shell's finest, but as an overall package, i think the car is simply staggering.
re oils - i also use mine day to day and the distance from home to work is only 6 miles, but twice a week i also get a good 70 - 100 mile round trip, mainly on motorways, so i'll be changing the oil every 7-8 months i would have thought.
the engine now has the following improvements:
Mahle motorsport forged pistons
Williams forged conrods
ARP head studs
ACL race bearing - big end and main
Exedy clutch kit
RCM uprated oil pump
Oil modine
uprated head gaskets and a new timing belt kit.
the brakes etc will get done in the near future
5W30 is the spec for your engine. I personally would not put 60 in it.
http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-2354-lookup-results.as...
http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-2354-lookup-results.as...
TartanPaint said:
A good, strong spec.
If you're anything like me, you're now half hoping your turbo fails so you can replace it with something a bit more... big.
If you're anything like me, you're now half hoping your turbo fails so you can replace it with something a bit more... big.
MDMA . said:
5W30 is the spec for your engine. I personally would not put 60 in it.
http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-2354-lookup-results.as...
Cheers http://www.opieoils.co.uk/c-2354-lookup-results.as...
- I did see that, but the chap who worked on the car (and came recommend from this forum) said with the forged internals, he'd recommend using 10W - 40, as the 5W - 40 was a bit thin and would get past the rings easier. So I was going to go with that, but wanted to also just check on here first Edited by SpydieNut on Wednesday 11th May 14:44
I would stick with a semi synthetic for a few more thousand miles then drain and fill with fully synthetic. Again, personally, 60 is too thick. 5-10/40 would be ok but stick to what you have been advised if in any doubt. Drop oilman a quick question and see what he recommends.
Edit - sticky on the GG first page
Edit - sticky on the GG first page
Edited by MDMA . on Wednesday 11th May 18:40
any further thoughts on the best brake upgrade - in terms of value for money, for my car please. no track use - just normal road - with occasional spirited drives
i want to keep the OEM calipers, just replace discs and pads (and i have new brake fluid to use too).
EBC discs (if so, do i go for plain, or grooved etc) and DS2500 pads??
oh - and any recommendations about where to source them please
i want to keep the OEM calipers, just replace discs and pads (and i have new brake fluid to use too).
EBC discs (if so, do i go for plain, or grooved etc) and DS2500 pads??
oh - and any recommendations about where to source them please
Edited by SpydieNut on Thursday 19th May 15:31
Ditch the EBC disks and try DBA Street Series T2 Slots. A really good match for DS2500 pads, and generally a really good product. The hubs/bells bit are black painted so never look rusty, and they've got a nice groove pattern to them (come on, looks do matter )
I got mine from RA Motorsport, but you could try the importer, Clark Motorsport. http://www.clarkmotorsport.co.uk/
EDIT: Maybe call them, because that website sucks!
)I got mine from RA Motorsport, but you could try the importer, Clark Motorsport. http://www.clarkmotorsport.co.uk/
EDIT: Maybe call them, because that website sucks!
Edited by TartanPaint on Thursday 19th May 16:11
Herkybird said:
DBA's a great, i've got them on my JDM Hawk - helps that Clark motorsport are 10 minutes from my house and they used to service the car!
They usually have some good deals going check out their facebook page!
About 5 mins from mine. Grey Spec-D Hawk. Wave if you see me. They usually have some good deals going check out their facebook page!
SpydieNut said:
any further thoughts on the best brake upgrade - in terms of value for money, for my car please. no track use - just normal road - with occasional spirited drives
i want to keep the OEM calipers, just replace discs and pads (and i have new brake fluid to use too).
EBC discs (if so, do i go for plain, or grooved etc) and DS2500 pads??
oh - and any recommendations about where to source them please
Are you actually running out of brakes on the road? If not, I wouldn't bother unless you want the cosmetic looks of drilled / grooved or ally bell discs. Just use good fluid and change regularly. Adding a set of braided hoses may help with pedal feel - not sure whether that model uses rubber as standard.i want to keep the OEM calipers, just replace discs and pads (and i have new brake fluid to use too).
EBC discs (if so, do i go for plain, or grooved etc) and DS2500 pads??
oh - and any recommendations about where to source them please
Edited by SpydieNut on Thursday 19th May 15:31
thanks guys - that sounds good. will look at DBAs and possibly pair them with some DS2500s.
it's not that i've run out of brakes on the road, but i'm getting a fairly harsh vibration through the steering wheel, under braking (but not from cold) that leads me to think the discs need replacing anyway, so thought i'd replace them with slightly better kit, but 'reasonably priced' (no matter how gorgeous those AP kits are ).
i'm going to have the bushes etc checked first, to make sure there's no play in them, especially given the slight pulling the right it does under acceleration and then to the left on lifting off of the throttle. the car runs straight on constant throttle and on freewheeling, but i plan to have the geometry checked too. this weekend will be taking the wheels off and making sure there are no sticky pistons.
it's not that i've run out of brakes on the road, but i'm getting a fairly harsh vibration through the steering wheel, under braking (but not from cold) that leads me to think the discs need replacing anyway, so thought i'd replace them with slightly better kit, but 'reasonably priced' (no matter how gorgeous those AP kits are
). i'm going to have the bushes etc checked first, to make sure there's no play in them, especially given the slight pulling the right it does under acceleration and then to the left on lifting off of the throttle. the car runs straight on constant throttle and on freewheeling, but i plan to have the geometry checked too. this weekend will be taking the wheels off and making sure there are no sticky pistons.
Hmm, you'd normally associate wonky disks with pedal vibration, not steering vibration. Still, get it checked. I ain't clued up enough to advise on what that could be.
Avoiding wobbly disks is all about how they're fitted and the prep work done. The hub and disk bell surfaces must be SPOTLESS. Brake vibration is often cited as being "warped" disks and lots of nonsense is talked about overheating, but it is almost always uneven wear caused by disk mounted on an unclean surface or with too much run-off (i.e not parallel to the hub, caliper, pads). Corrosion corrodes more, more disk run off, which leads to uneven disk wear and the vibration starts.
So, whatever you fit, fit them well. If that's the only issue, it doesn't really matter what you fit (EBC, DBA etc), as pretty much no disk you can buy will "warp" with overheating, but any disk, even the best, can wear unevenly if fitted incorrectly.
Avoiding wobbly disks is all about how they're fitted and the prep work done. The hub and disk bell surfaces must be SPOTLESS. Brake vibration is often cited as being "warped" disks and lots of nonsense is talked about overheating, but it is almost always uneven wear caused by disk mounted on an unclean surface or with too much run-off (i.e not parallel to the hub, caliper, pads). Corrosion corrodes more, more disk run off, which leads to uneven disk wear and the vibration starts.
So, whatever you fit, fit them well. If that's the only issue, it doesn't really matter what you fit (EBC, DBA etc), as pretty much no disk you can buy will "warp" with overheating, but any disk, even the best, can wear unevenly if fitted incorrectly.
Did Pete do your car?
Oil, dont stick a nice thick oil in, worst advice ever, run a good fully synthetic 5w40 or 10w40, will give far better protection than a 10w60 or a 15w50, gets to temp quicker and moves round the engine faster, wont drag and wont cause hot spots.
Brakes, you can talk to Godspeed, they do a decent aftermarket grooved discs and pads, ds2500 are great road pads, PF discs and pads will cost you more but are also very good, dont forget the braided lines for the front and rears
Oil, dont stick a nice thick oil in, worst advice ever, run a good fully synthetic 5w40 or 10w40, will give far better protection than a 10w60 or a 15w50, gets to temp quicker and moves round the engine faster, wont drag and wont cause hot spots.
Brakes, you can talk to Godspeed, they do a decent aftermarket grooved discs and pads, ds2500 are great road pads, PF discs and pads will cost you more but are also very good, dont forget the braided lines for the front and rears
tonyb1968 said:
Did Pete do your car?
Oil, dont stick a nice thick oil in, worst advice ever, run a good fully synthetic 5w40 or 10w40, will give far better protection than a 10w60 or a 15w50, gets to temp quicker and moves round the engine faster, wont drag and wont cause hot spots.
Brakes, you can talk to Godspeed, they do a decent aftermarket grooved discs and pads, ds2500 are great road pads, PF discs and pads will cost you more but are also very good, dont forget the braided lines for the front and rears
yes he did - although it was a very frustrating experience (see my other threads for details)Oil, dont stick a nice thick oil in, worst advice ever, run a good fully synthetic 5w40 or 10w40, will give far better protection than a 10w60 or a 15w50, gets to temp quicker and moves round the engine faster, wont drag and wont cause hot spots.
Brakes, you can talk to Godspeed, they do a decent aftermarket grooved discs and pads, ds2500 are great road pads, PF discs and pads will cost you more but are also very good, dont forget the braided lines for the front and rears
sadly now the car appears to have blown a head gasket - less than 2 months and 2k miles after the rebuild. i've sent Pete a message earlier today, no response yet, but i know it's Sunday. we'll see if he steps up to the plate
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