Not the … End of the road

A

andrewparkeruk

A2OC Donor
A couple of weeks ago my car made an unpleasant noise whilst accelerating from a traffic light on a 40mph dual carriageway in Manchester
ATL, something like 205,000 miles, original lots of things …
Had it recovered back to Ynys Môn/Anglesey. Local garage diagnosed failed DMF
Fair enough: the average life of a ATL DMF seems to be in the low 100,000+ miles
No DMF in the UK. Ordered one (LUK) from Italy at a scary price; paid the VAT/duty, it arrived with the garage on Monday this week
Garage managed to get my car on his ramp today. WhatsApp followed by phonecall mid afternoon: can you come by?
Got there an hour later; end of play today. Car on ramp: driveshafts off; gearbox off; clutch/DMF off; probably lots of other things off (I am not a mechanic). Engine supported…
Diagnosis: crankshaft broken!

I met @Clackers last year (or 2021) after I had parked my car in Deganwy, and came back to it to find a note along the lines: “If you want to sell this car …”

Contacted Andy this evening: I think my car is beyond salvage. The garage rightly needs their ramp back tomorrow morning

Andy is going to try to help me recycle my car back into the A2 community. Like @timmus, who bought his A2 around the same time, my car has been perfect for me. In recent years I have spent plenty to keep it on the road: better the devil you know; plus no depreciation

I won’t be buying another A2. Having to import a part from Italy (post Brexit) just to try to keep it on the road means the A2 is no longer a viable project for me

Purchased via this forum Oct-2009, 2 owners 40,000 miles
 
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Well that is sad news. What do you mean by broken? Snapped?

If the camshaft has somehow broken but the car still runs (which suggests the pieces have somehow managed to still turn together in synch) the. Is it not possible to just replace the camshaft? Could you alternatively just replace the engine with a good used one?

At least you should be able to get £400 back for the DMF kit, will you be listing it here?
 
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dj_efk said:
Well that is sad news. What do you mean by broken? Snapped?

If the camshaft has somehow broken but the car still runs (which suggests the pieces have somehow managed to still turn together in synch) the. Is it not possible to just replace the camshaft? Could you alternatively just replace the engine with a good used one?

At least you should be able to get £400 back for the DMF kit, will you be listing it here?
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Apologies: crankshaft
Will edit original post
 
LUK DMF cost £510.01 plus £113.08 import duty/tax if anyone is interested
If not it is going back to Italy in the next week
Can provide invoices
 
I am really sorry to read this. Another A2 off the road, but hopefully it will live in other A2s as a parts doner.
What will you be getting now?
 
mtl said:
I am really sorry to read this. Another A2 off the road, but hopefully it will live in other A2s as a parts doner.
What will you be getting now?
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No idea. My plan would have been to ultimately replace with an electric car, but that would have also included a solar PV array (and battery; heat pump; et c)
As I am presently renting an apartment, that isn’t an option
 
andrewparkeruk said:
LUK DMF cost £510.01 plus £113.08 import duty/tax if anyone is interested
If not it is going back to Italy in the next week
Can provide invoices
Click to expand...
Wow this is awful news for 90 dmf owners!! This will be a real factor in decline, so the fsi is eating itself thanks to uneducated owners and now the dmf is becoming write off price for the 90!! Not good at all.
Surely there the option to remove the gearbox and replace using a more common dmf and gearbox? This seems the only way to go for long term. A new dmf should buy you 8-10 years of use though, should you want it.
Another option perhaps is to link to Europe to find dmf in bulk somewhere?
I feel very sorry for you Andrew that a lovely car needs to go because of a clutch kit.
 
andrewparkeruk said:
No idea. My plan would have been to ultimately replace with an electric car, but that would have also included a solar PV array (and battery; heat pump; et c)
As I am presently renting an apartment, that isn’t an option
Click to expand...
Maybe new engine is an option?
 
CrispyEdd said:
Wow this is awful news for 90 dmf owners!! This will be a real factor in decline, so the fsi is eating itself thanks to uneducated owners and now the dmf is becoming write off price for the 90!! Not good at all.
Surely there the option to remove the gearbox and replace using a more common dmf and gearbox? This seems the only way to go for long term. A new dmf should buy you 8-10 years of use though, should you want it.
Another option perhaps is to link to Europe to find dmf in bulk somewhere?
I feel very sorry for you Andrew that a lovely car needs to go because of a clutch kit.
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It’s not going because of the DMF Ed - see above: the problem is a snapped crank!
 
George Hogg said:
The 90s are my favourites, what was the symptoms of the DMF failure please. So I know what to look out for!
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Vibration and rattle on idle George. As it gets worse you’ll have starting problems as it starts to break down and eventually it will stop the car from starting as the flywheel clogs the starter motor. That’s if it doesn’t naff the crankshaft due to the vibrations.
 
A2Steve said:
Vibration and rattle on idle George. As it gets worse you’ll have starting problems as it starts to break down and eventually it will stop the car from starting as the flywheel clogs the starter motor. That’s if it doesn’t naff the crankshaft due to the vibrations.
Click to expand...
Cheers Steve! Hope I never get to experience that!!!
 
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