Collection of motor failures! Please help compile to help everyone!

[demasrv]

Spun rod bearing at 53k. Block replaced under warranty.

Tech said everything looked fine in the engine, likely just oil starvation somehow on that bearing.

[funwheeldrive]

This thread always makes me uneasy and paranoid.

[MurderousPandas]

I've had a coilpack go, think it was my fault for pushing the car too much before it fully warmed up though. Made a funny sound around 5.5k, then the powerband immediately flattened. How does this bearing sound though? I had a TOB go, but this rod bearing sounds spooky and i do get rattles(probably from stiffened transmission components). I hope i'm not next in line for a spun bearing.

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[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by funwheeldrive

This thread always makes me uneasy and paranoid.

Don't be. If you go back through it there are something like 26 failures. Many were modded and most were driven hard. Although the owners vehemently deny ever doing it I would bet a beer that many were the result of miss shift gross over rev since the damage that was described was totally in line with that which is normal for over rev. Around 90% of the oil supply failures and almost all the coil pack issues were early 13s and the number of incidents has dropped off to almost zero in the last year. I would guess that with the occasional exception that those that were going to fail due to defects have failed.
Someplace here is the "I have never had a problem" thread but nobody ever posts there.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by MurderousPandas

I've had a coilpack go, think it was my fault for pushing the car too much before it fully warmed up though. Made a funny sound around 5.5k, then the powerband immediately flattened. How does this bearing sound though? I had a TOB go, but this rod bearing sounds spooky and i do get rattles(probably from stiffened transmission components). I hope i'm not next in line for a spun bearing.

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If you spin a bearing you won't get much if any warning. It will be fine and then it will be broken. Nothing in between. It has pretty much been established that it was from oil starvation. Many of the cases had big chunks of silicone sealant in the oil passages.

[demasrv]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

...Around 90% of the oil supply failures and almost all the coil pack issues were early 13s and the number of incidents has dropped off to almost zero in the last year. I would guess that with the occasional exception that those that were going to fail due to defects have failed.
Someplace here is the "I have never had a problem" thread but nobody ever posts there.

This is spot on. Mine is an early '13 and nobody ever posts when things are going swimmingly. I will say though, my dealership doesn't see very many BRZs but they didn't seem surprised at all that it had developed a knock after working on other FA20s in the WRXs.

[demasrv]

Originally Posted by MurderousPandas

I've had a coilpack go, think it was my fault for pushing the car too much before it fully warmed up though. Made a funny sound around 5.5k, then the powerband immediately flattened. How does this bearing sound though? I had a TOB go, but this rod bearing sounds spooky and i do get rattles(probably from stiffened transmission components). I hope i'm not next in line for a spun bearing.

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk

When you spin a bearing you'll know. You'll hear a rattle that gets louder over time that follows the RPM band. As soon as you hear those symptoms just go ahead and go straight to a dealership since catastrophic failure is imminent.

[CTB727]

Count me in.

At 68,500 miles my car spun a bearing. Not entirely sure what the cause of it was but I'll find out more when I pick the car up from the dealer. Right now it's getting a new short block.

I was decelerating in 2nd gear when I heard a bad rattle around 3,500 RPM. Came to a complete stop, accelerated slowly in 1st and could hear a metallic rattling/knock starting at 1,800 up to 3,000 RPM. Limped into a gas station and had the car towed home.

Completely stock at the time of failure. Used to have full exhaust and tune, and it has seen some autocross time. However, I maintained it religiously. Used OEM oil filters and Motul fluid and changed more frequently than what the service manual recommends.

Prior to this my car has had the following repairs done:
35,000 miles: Throwout bearing
~48,000 miles: Oil leak TSB - cam plate and oil pan were resealed
~55,000 miles: P000B - oil control actuator replaced
66,000 miles: P0016 - cam sprocket and ECU replaced, along with a cam sensor. Also requested the dealer to replace the spark plugs while they had the car.

Following the oil leak repair at 48k, I had an oil analysis done and the results showed higher than normal iron content and really high levels of silicone. The next oil change showed completely normal levels of everything.

SOA and my dealer have both been very helpful in getting this taken care of, but I'm annoyed at how unreliable the car has been in the past year. I'm hoping with a new short block that I will no longer have these issues.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by CTB727

Count me in.

At 68,500 miles my car spun a bearing. Not entirely sure what the cause of it was but I'll find out more when I pick the car up from the dealer. Right now it's getting a new short block.

I was decelerating in 2nd gear when I heard a bad rattle around 3,500 RPM. Came to a complete stop, accelerated slowly in 1st and could hear a metallic rattling/knock starting at 1,800 up to 3,000 RPM. Limped into a gas station and had the car towed home.

Completely stock at the time of failure. Used to have full exhaust and tune, and it has seen some autocross time. However, I maintained it religiously. Used OEM oil filters and Motul fluid and changed more frequently than what the service manual recommends.

Prior to this my car has had the following repairs done:
35,000 miles: Throwout bearing
~48,000 miles: Oil leak TSB - cam plate and oil pan were resealed
~55,000 miles: P000B - oil control actuator replaced
66,000 miles: P0016 - cam sprocket and ECU replaced, along with a cam sensor. Also requested the dealer to replace the spark plugs while they had the car.

Following the oil leak repair at 48k, I had an oil analysis done and the results showed higher than normal iron content and really high levels of silicone. The next oil change showed completely normal levels of everything.

SOA and my dealer have both been very helpful in getting this taken care of, but I'm annoyed at how unreliable the car has been in the past year. I'm hoping with a new short block that I will no longer have these issues.

Is it an early 13? If so the new block will indeed eliminate many of the issues.

[gravitylover]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Don't be. If you go back through it there are something like 26 failures. Many were modded and most were driven hard. Although the owners vehemently deny ever doing it I would bet a beer that many were the result of miss shift gross over rev since the damage that was described was totally in line with that which is normal for over rev. Around 90% of the oil supply failures and almost all the coil pack issues were early 13s and the number of incidents has dropped off to almost zero in the last year. I would guess that with the occasional exception that those that were going to fail due to defects have failed.
Someplace here is the "I have never had a problem" thread but nobody ever posts there.

Re: the bolded part - I sure hope you're right. Mine is an early '13 and has been fine. Doesn't burn oil at all either, I can usually go 6k or so before it needs a half quart. Currently a little over 82k miles. Fingers crossed

[CTB727]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Is it an early 13? If so the new block will indeed eliminate many of the issues.

Yep, early 2013. Just got the car back today and per the work order it was rod bearing #4 that failed. No clue as to what caused it, but I can only assume oil starvation (somehow).

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by CTB727

Yep, early 2013. Just got the car back today and per the work order it was rod bearing #4 that failed. No clue as to what caused it, but I can only assume oil starvation (somehow).

If you go waaaay back in this thread (I think it is this one) it was found that many of the early 13 failures had big chunks of silicone blocking the oil channels for the #4 bearing. There are some really good pics of it here someplace.

[CTB727]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

If you go waaaay back in this thread (I think it is this one) it was found that many of the early 13 failures had big chunks of silicone blocking the oil channels for the #4 bearing. There are some really good pics of it here someplace.

I think I recall reading that before. I wouldn't be surprised if the silicone found its way into the oil as a result of previous work done.

Either way, I'm glad to have the car back. Also happy that I only had to pay a fraction of the original quote.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by CTB727

I think I recall reading that before. I wouldn't be surprised if the silicone found its way into the oil as a result of previous work done.

Either way, I'm glad to have the car back. Also happy that I only had to pay a fraction of the original quote.

These were massive chunks. Was more likely a manufacturing error in the early ones. Some silicone applying robot in the engine plant needed adjustment is the most likely scenario.