Blown/seized engine with 70,xxx miles? (with pics)
 

My buddy has an ap2 he bought almost three years ago that ran just fine up until about a month ago. This car hardly burns any oil, doesn't smoke, etc. He parked it about three weeks ago and went to start it the other day only to find it turn over a few times and then stop with only the starter solenoid clicking from then on (in retrospect, we think it seized at this point). After failing to jump start it we tried to push start it. It ended up turning over a few times and then proceeded to dump oil all over the ground along with a couple of metal shavings...f@#k. We jacked it up and found a crack/small hole on the back of the oil pan with what appears to be a connecting rod pushing through (see pics below). He has only put about 15k miles of commuting on it since hes owned it and almost never goes past even 5k rpms. The oil was changed about 8 months/3k miles ago and the level was full when we checked it. There wasn't any indication of water mixed with it as well so we have no idea why this would happen all of a sudden. There are only two things I can think of that could have caused this:

1. The previous owner did have it supercharged for an unknown amount of miles. (I think he only owned it for a couple of years, though)

2. This car does have an AEM V2 on it, and it did rain a lot here in cali a couple of weeks ago. The car was by no means submerged at all but maybe water could have collected inside of the intake and hydro-locked it?

What do you guys think? Has this ever happened to anyone before?

Edit: On second thought i'm thinking his AEM V2 hydro-locked it. This is still surprising though because he's had that intake for three years and it's sat in much more rain before.

Attachment 190549

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Hydrolock sounds plausible, the filter fills with water in the stationary position due to the angle of the filter and the drain channels of the engine bay.

Rods don't typically go bad on start-up unless you try to continually start a hydro-locked motor.

never dealt with hydrolock, but not sure that would cause the hole in the pics... doesn't hydrolock just seize the motor? Possible the damage occurred just before he parked it and by the time he got back all the oil had already drained out? Just thinking out loud... sorry about the motor.

Yeesh... so the connecting rod blew out of the oil pan after trying to pop the clutch? Thats crazy!

That really sucks...looks like your buddy needs a new motor regardless. I have one that I'm going to rebuild for a buyer once I find one, I doubt he'll find a better deal for a like new OEM spec engine than this one. :thumbup:

https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/107...e-fresh-build/

Hydrolock due to the aem v2, guaranteed.

Rainwater filled the elbow behind the bumper. Then it sucks it up all at once when you try to start.

This exact same thing happened to one of my customers from 1 inch of snow melting, right in the driveway. The car does not need to be submerged.

He snapped the rod in 3 and it broke right through the block.

I agree 100%. Those intakes should be outlawed due to the casualties they inflict upon our beloved S2000's. :banghead:

3 piece rod, free of charge with purchase of aem v2.

https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/uploads/g...1132026374.jpg

people who dont leave they're S's outside or drive in the rain should be 100% guaranteed that the aem v2 will never hydrolock the motor, this situation sucks and i feel for the owner. People should research before they put parts on like this and figure out what driving conditions they go through when they drive this type of car or any car at all they plan on modding.

dont knock the part, knock the lack of knowledge