# Hypothetically, My modified R35 has just died...



## coolmeister (Feb 7, 2011)

*What happens if my modified R35 engine/gearbox blows up?*

wavey:THIS IS A HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION!:wavey

So, I've taken the plunge, and plugged my Cobb AP in, giving me 570hp, fantastic fun until one day I'm driving along and the gearbox/engine/transmission (delete as applicable) blows up. As expected Nissan HPC confirm diagnosis, but politely proceed to tear up my warranty and then direct me towards the door...

From a brief scan of the web, a replacement would be:

engine - £33k+vat
gearbox - £11k+vat

(correct me if I'm wrong)

my question is: would a foocked engine/gearbox etc be repairable by some of our esteemed independents (i.e. GTC, SVM, CPR, Litchfields etc), and how much would it cost? Obviously this would depend on what exactly had gone wrong/broken, but then could people suggest what would be the most likely things to go wrong/break? I'm no engineer (could you guess?), so would value people's opinions and suggestions. We are talking "worst case scenarios" here. :thumbsup:


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## blitzman (Mar 14, 2006)

If it is so risky tuning an R35 a little bit,with a risk of invalidating a warranty,then why bother?
Either buy the car standard and keep it that way,if your worried about it.
Or buy it,tune it and then deal with,ie PAY for any problems you've encountered.


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## AndyBrew (Feb 2, 2011)

an engine maybe 33K but its not like the whole engine will disappear from under your bonnet, so I guess a worst case scenario would be a melted piston or something like that which I wouldn't of thought would be 33K to replace.

personally I think if you have concerns just keep the car standard and enjoy it for what it is, that's what I'm doing, even though I have now got used to the power and have found myself thinking I could do with a bit more LOL!

the more I think about it these cars are so powerful you simply can't use the power they have in standard form 99% of the time, you simply don't have enough room, open it up on a motorway and your talking a prison sentence after 10 seconds or so!

i'm not knocking anybody that has modded as I have modded every previous car I have owned, just this one I am determined to keep standard!


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## bobel (Jul 26, 2010)

Interesting post there fella!! Think it says it all that it's hypothetic as you will find relatively few threads where GTR's suffer catastrophic failures, but I'll indulge you on this one.....worst case for an engine would be damage to the block there by requiring a completely new engine the most likely cause of this would be if the rod's bend (the bit connecting the piston to the crank) has been known to happen to a handful of cars worldwide but only with relatively high boost levels and I'd imagine your ok with standard stage w power or equivalent, there are of course many other things that could go wrong with the engine but for the vast majority it would only result in the replacement of some components unless your unlucky and something gets sucked into the cylinder but again relatively low likely hood

Right onto the gearbox....probably the weakest link in the GTR setup but still relatively sturdy, in many cases it's software malfunctions that cause issues or minor mechanical gremlins....there have been cases of the cir clips that hold the gear sets in place giving way but I believe this is more an issue for early models and high torque applications, the stock clutches appear to be quite reliable up to 600lb/ft which is a huge slug of torque by any measure, as with anything abuse will increase likely hood of failure and personally if I was running a tune I would limit the amount of launches as shock loading is what causes the real issues on any gearbox.

On the whole despite early scaremongering the GTR is a solid platform...keep it regularly serviced (milage wise anyway as time intervals aren't really relevant unless you go beyond 12mth engine / 24mth gearbox.) at the end of the day to suffer either complete failure would be unlikely and even a HPC will be able to fix singular component failure albeit more costly then a independent but the likely hood of leaving 33k or even 11k with a HPC is low.....enjoy the power and put up a nice review for everyone to enjoy


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## enshiu (Aug 20, 2010)

call SVM maybe they can refurbish your engine and gearbox.


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## Nigel-Power (Dec 16, 2009)

AndyBrew said:


> an engine maybe 33K but its not like the whole engine will disappear from under your bonnet,


exactly :chuckle:


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## GTRSTAR (Nov 26, 2009)

SVM can fix engine and gearbox issues for a FRACTION of the normal replacement cost even by other Independent garages.


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## Zed Ed (Oct 24, 2007)

How much can you afford to bin?

At 650 plus there would be more to talk about.


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

Way to go posting misleading thread titles... 

Do you have any idea how off-putting a thread title like that looks on a forum like this?

If you're scared, keep it standard. And don't post stupid thread titles like that.


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## weetrav (Oct 25, 2006)

David.Yu said:


> Way to go posting misleading thread titles...
> 
> Do you have any idea how off-putting a thread title like that looks on a forum like this?
> 
> If you're scared, keep it standard. And don't post stupid thread titles like that.


As above.............


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## Mook (Mar 20, 2007)

+1
If your worried, buy a different car


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## Nigel-Power (Dec 16, 2009)

David.Yu said:


> Way to go posting misleading thread titles...
> 
> Do you have any idea how off-putting a thread title like that looks on a forum like this?
> 
> If you're scared, keep it standard. And don't post stupid thread titles like that.


When I saw the title I was like "oh no not another one" now search on google R35 engine blown, it links you to this one :chairshot


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## enshiu (Aug 20, 2010)

Mook said:


> +1
> If your worried, buy a different car


you can blow up any car it's not a matter its just that tuning does not always succeed on standard pistons/transmission.


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## TAZZMAXX (Mar 9, 2010)

As my Dad used to say when I was a babbling teenager, "engage brain before opening mouth".

Translates nicely to this thread.


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## coolmeister (Feb 7, 2011)

What's with the defensiveness? The thread title is, deliberately, attention grabbing, the content is marked clearly as hypothetical. And, so what if a google search ends up here, if anyone read the thread they would see that it is an imagined situation.

This is a question a lot of owners, pondering tuning, would like answered.
And it's not about being "scared", it's about making an informed decision. What is wrong with that?

Chill out people!

Andybrew and bobel, thanks for your thoughts. :thumbsup:


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## Zed Ed (Oct 24, 2007)

Lighten up 

The OP's question is fair

One thread, on top of all the other crap on the intaweb, will make no difference


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## GTRSTAR (Nov 26, 2009)

This thread has a stupid title, however, it does carry a sincere concern that must be shared by people who tune their cars and want to know what happens if things go wrong.

The sticky about the engine change program is even more ridiculous if you ask me.


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

The briefest of searches would have given all the answers the OP would have wanted. 
The titles is deliberately misleading, if he wanted to ask a sensible question it would have been along the lines of "IF my engine/gearbox were to break when tuned..." etc.

The question has been asked and answered almost more than any other on here FFS...


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

Mook said:


> +1
> If your worried, buy a different car


Not often we see eye to eye, but in the interests of not unfairly damaging Nissan's reputation, would you change the title of this thread please?


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## Steve (Sep 21, 2001)

David.Yu said:


> Way to go posting misleading thread titles...
> 
> Do you have any idea how off-putting a thread title like that looks on a forum like this?
> 
> If you're scared, keep it standard. And don't post stupid thread titles like that.


For once david - we agree !! I would go so fa as to say T*sser for posting such a thread, but then that's me speaking my mind !


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## ChuckUK (Jan 1, 2009)

Interesting question, can some of the tuners give ideas on pricing to fix major engine and gearbox failures ?


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## enshiu (Aug 20, 2010)

ChuckUK said:


> Interesting question, can some of the tuners give ideas on pricing to fix major engine and gearbox failures ?


Kevan Kamp from SVM could anwser these questions without doubt.


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

Now the thread title has been changed (cheers Mook! :thumbsup: ), I don't mind contributing.

GReddy US and other US sources bought up all the 300-odd EU engines that were exchanged under warranty (as referred to in the engine swap sticky thread).
They are selling complete engines for circa $10,000, so about £7k, and that includes EVERYTHING including ancillaries, wiring looms and even turbos!
Plus they offer upgraded options including forged internals, bored/stroked/CNC heads etc.

Do a search on NAGTROC.org.

So the simple answer is, if your engine grenades spectacularly (and not a single UK car has as far as I know), you can replace the whole engine for a very reasonable sum.

Gearbox failures are usually repairable for a few grand at most, and often less.


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## hirsty (Mar 9, 2010)

Nice one David. 7 grand sounds very reasonable and thanks for sorting that out! Top man


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## Rich-GT (Apr 2, 2008)

Except that $10K in no way translates to £7K if it's got to be shipped from the US....

However there does seem to be the odd one on ebay in the UK, some admit to being recall engines, some claim to be from scrapped cars..

I asked myself this question back in 2009. I think it would have been much more difficult / expensive then, but with the experience now gained by the tuners and some "spare" engines / aftermarket parts being around I suspect most problems would be fixed for a few grand. Also affords a nice opportunity for an upgrade. 


Rich


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## Adamantium (Jun 24, 2002)

Where are these 10k engines? I'd consider buying one as a safety net. I'd far rather spec my own forged engine though. I think too many people just throw in pistons that fit when there are crucial design features to consider. I like tbd fact that cosworth have thought about this.

So 10k, is that totally utterly complete? Turbos looms ancillaries etc? I'd only want a short block if ever.


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## alloy (Apr 29, 2005)

Everyone sit back, chill out and let the forces of economies of scale play out until IF the worst case scenario happens (touch wood). Assess the damage and then stick your hand in your pocket.

Buying engines up now as a safety net seems a little rash and paranoid!


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## Adamantium (Jun 24, 2002)

It's more about having a base engine for returning the car to stock as experience has always shown me that modded cars are worth less than stock ones.


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## TAZZMAXX (Mar 9, 2010)

Adamantium said:


> It's more about having a base engine for returning the car to stock as experience has always shown me that modded cars are worth less than stock ones.


Surely the cost of buying a spare engine and having it fitted would exceed any possible decrease in the value of the car the modified engine would incur?


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## thistle (Oct 27, 2007)

I thought you weren't going to tune it Adam?

Mild tuning gives traction issues that make me personally want to stop there (what is the point in having more power if your tyres squirrel around at any road legal speed even in the dry?), but it is much more fun with a tune.


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## Alias23 (Nov 25, 2010)

Adamantium said:


> Where are these 10k engines? I'd consider buying one as a safety net.


Did i read this right? Sounds crazy, for one the risk is relatively low, further the availability of engines is relatively high so no real issues on demand out stripping supply..

Further, why buy now? You'd be far safer to invest/save the £10K, then if the worst happened then go to market and find an engine by which time the market price of the engine will have probably come down..

Im getting very confused as to your current mind set (I wish no offence on this point by the way), just dont want you pouring money down the drain for something that hasnt happened yet and present a low risk


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## tomgtr (May 24, 2008)

Adamantium said:


> Where are these 10k engines? I'd consider buying one as a safety net. I'd far rather spec my own forged engine though. I think too many people just throw in pistons that fit when there are crucial design features to consider. I like tbd fact that cosworth have thought about this.
> 
> So 10k, is that totally utterly complete? Turbos looms ancillaries etc? I'd only want a short block if ever.


Tell you what, you can buy from me for 9,5K an insurance against blowing up your engine. :flame:


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## w8pmc (Sep 16, 2010)

thistle said:


> I thought you weren't going to tune it Adam?
> 
> Mild tuning gives traction issues that make me personally want to stop there (what is the point in having more power if your tyres squirrel around at any road legal speed even in the dry?), but it is much more fun with a tune.


+1

Welcome the big builds as they are fascinating, however i'm happy with a moderate uplift which i'd expect is well within the cars tollerance.


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

thistle said:


> I thought you weren't going to tune it Adam?
> 
> Mild tuning gives traction issues that make me personally want to stop there (what is the point in having more power if your tyres squirrel around at any road legal speed even in the dry?), but it is much more fun with a tune.


Ah, but there are other tyres, such as the Toyo R888, that only make the ride much more bearable, they provide enough grip to give traction to even a 900hp beast. Ask me how I know...


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## Steve (Sep 21, 2001)

LOL, we all know Dave


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## thistle (Oct 27, 2007)

David, how did you find the ride on your 09 on R888 compared to the 12 on Dunlops?


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

thistle said:


> David, how did you find the ride on your 09 on R888 compared to the 12 on Dunlops?


Still much better. They absorb all those small imperfections that the Dunlops (and Bridgestones) amplify.
My only complaint about them is that they may make anything less than 800hp a bit too boring, i.e. there is too much traction!


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## mickv (May 27, 2009)

David.Yu said:


> Ah, but there are other tyres, such as the Toyo R888, that only make the ride much more bearable, they provide enough grip to give traction to even a 900hp beast. Ask me how I know...


Go on then....how do you know David?


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## enshiu (Aug 20, 2010)

try contact any tuner and check if they can repair or replace your engine and/or gearbox. I know CPR Warrington can repair your gearbox. and SVM or JM-Imports can repair your engine and it won't cost more the 33K only for the engine.


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## enshiu (Aug 20, 2010)

enshiu said:


> try contact any tuner and check if they can repair or replace your engine and/or gearbox. I know CPR Warrington can repair your gearbox. and SVM or JM-Imports can repair your engine and it won't cost more the 33K only for the engine.


ps. mod please high jack this topic as this topic is going way off the actual topic.


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## Steve (Sep 21, 2001)

David.Yu said:


> Still much better. They absorb all those small imperfections that the Dunlops (and Bridgestones) amplify.
> My only complaint about them is that they may make anything less than 800hp a bit too boring, i.e. there is too much traction!


and they wear out a Lot, Lot Lot quicker !!!


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## Rich-GT (Apr 2, 2008)

Well I have had one run out on my Toyo's and agree with the smoothing of the bumps, I would also describe them as ever so slightly bouncy which I am not so sure about? Noise is not good with all sorts of tunes being played at different speeds.

Unfortunately Goodwoood was wet on Tuesday so I cannot comment on Dry performance, however performance in the wet / damp conditions was as least as good as the Dunlops. Here's hoping that the Sprint in a couple of weeks is dry, then I may get have some real comparative lap times to report on.

Looking forward to this limitless traction with my measly 540Hp, however I somewhat doubt it....


Rich


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

Rich-GT said:


> Well I have had one run out on my Toyo's and agree with the smoothing of the bumps, I would also describe them as ever so slightly bouncy which I am not so sure about? Noise is not good with all sorts of tunes being played at different speeds.
> 
> Unfortunately Goodwoood was wet on Tuesday so I cannot comment on Dry performance, however performance in the wet / damp conditions was as least as good as the Dunlops. Here's hoping that the Sprint in a couple of weeks is dry, then I may get have some real comparative lap times to report on.
> 
> ...


If it's dry you will not break traction unless you REALLY try.
Noise will abate/change as the tread blocks wear. I forgot how noisy the stock Dunlops are though, massive road roar.

I was impressed by wet weather grip too, until they're part worn at which point they're lethal, but so are the Dunlops and Bridgestones IME.

And no, they don't wear out faster, in fact I got far more miles out of them than the other two with the BSs being the worst of the lot by far.

R888s also wear incredibly evenly across the whole face of the tyre, which prolongs usage, plus being unidirectional you could pull them off the wheels and swap sides if you wanted/needed to, something you don't have the option to do with the asymmetric stock tyres.

As for how I know they can handle 900hp, I may have driven a car recently on that sort of power and an article may be appearing about it in the next issue of evo...


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## Radical1 (Feb 8, 2011)

On the subject of Toyo's, until recently my brother was running a set on his 450bhp Ultima (yes I realise that it is far lighter than a GTR) but he did 16, yes 16 trackdays on one set, he is no driving Ms daisy either !!! I used to run them on my GT3 and found they didn't wear any quicker than other major brands. I loved them and will def replace my dunlops with them. They are so good on the track in the wet once warm,,,,,, far better than others. Would be a bit worried about cold toyo's on winter roads though, would need a v.careful right foot.


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## Arcam (Jun 30, 2009)

David.Yu said:


> R888s also wear incredibly evenly across the whole face of the tyre, which prolongs usage, plus being unidirectional you could pull them off the wheels and swap sides if you wanted/needed to, something you don't have the option to do with the asymmetric stock tyres.


The stock tyres can be swapped side to side with no issue David without having to remount them as they are not directional.


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

Arcam said:


> The stock tyres can be swapped side to side with no issue David without having to remount them as they are not directional.


What I meant was, IF tyre wear proved to be uneven across the face, you can pull R888s off the wheel and mount them on the other side as they ARE directional, not asymmetric.

Whereas if you wear out the inner/outer shoulders of a Dunlop/BS, you have to scrap the tyre.

However in my experience, the R888s wear perfectly evenly (on max negative camber anyway) so it's a moot point.


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## bluediamond (Sep 6, 2010)

*Did you run stock geo David?*

Or something a little more track focused.
Am on the cusp of ordering replacements for my BS and price reduction notwithstanding its an extra £140 a corner to go with the Dunlops.
888s are available at similar money to the BS but I would be suprised if they made the 9.5k that the BS have.

My tyres have worn pretty evenly on standard geometry, set up and looked after by Litchfield. Left front just too worn now on the inside so need changing but although the other 3 are all quite worn its nothing like the accelerated wear that I got on track/fast road set up Porsches.

So if you found the BS the fastest wearing of the 3, was that due to eneven wear caused by the aggresive camber geo, and err.......enthusiastic use


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## Arcam (Jun 30, 2009)

David.Yu said:


> What I meant was, IF tyre wear proved to be uneven across the face, you can pull R888s off the wheel and mount them on the other side as they ARE directional, not asymmetric.
> 
> Whereas if you wear out the inner/outer shoulders of a Dunlop/BS, you have to scrap the tyre.
> 
> However in my experience, the R888s wear perfectly evenly (on max negative camber anyway) so it's a moot point.


Ahh, I see what you meant now 

I will be tweaking my 2011's alignment tomorrow in readiness for Spa and the ring next week.


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## Adamantium (Jun 24, 2002)

guys, please don't worry about my mind set when it comes to engine mods.

When tuning previous cars I lost so much usage if the car by modding the one engine that I had, that if I did it again, I wouldn't start without a donor lump to build up before taking it off the road. It's not insurance against the stock one blowing, it's a way of keeping the car as a daily driver.

£7k doesn't sound too bad to me for a complete engine with ancillaries that could just be dropped it in a day.

Btw. I have methods of import that would it would effectively cost £7k. £10k has too many digits!!

Right now all this is irrelevant as I have no need for engine or even software mods right now, I just wanted to know where these engine deals were to be had, for future reference.


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## David.Yu (Jun 28, 2001)

bluediamond said:


> Or something a little more track focused.
> Am on the cusp of ordering replacements for my BS and price reduction notwithstanding its an extra £140 a corner to go with the Dunlops.
> 888s are available at similar money to the BS but I would be suprised if they made the 9.5k that the BS have.
> 
> ...


I got Middlehurst to dial in as much negative camber as they could, yet it was the OUTSIDE edge of the BSs that wore out in 3k miles!
Read into that what you will...


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## mickv (May 27, 2009)

@bluediamond
Where are you getting the dunlops at £140 a corner more than the BS? HPC?
TIA
Mick


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## bluediamond (Sep 6, 2010)

mickv said:


> @bluediamond
> Where are you getting the dunlops at £140 a corner more than the BS? HPC?
> TIA
> Mick


The new price from the HPCs works out at £1932 inc VAT ( Tyres only, £2,103 fitted )

Wembley Tyres can supply BS from stock at £1380 inc VAT (Also not fitted, tyres only )

Robbies going to refurb my alloys next week so there's no point in fitting them first, just put them on the shiny new rims afterwards.

I have been quoted £1310 for the R888s though so I'm in a quandry after Davids endorsement.


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