Take a Trip – Top End Overhaul
High oil consumption, excess exhaust smoke, oil leaks that seem to
be coming from everywhere and poor performance. The time has come! You
know that it can’t be put off any longer, it’s the one thing all air
cooled Porsche 911 owners fear...it’s top end overhaul time!
The fact is you don’t need to be worried. When you call JZ Machtech
you know you are in safe hands, hands that do this work every week of
the year with outstanding results. You will be asked a few simple
questions about your Porsche, which will allow our staff to give you
the correct advice about your engine.
Does your engine need a re-build?
A cylinder leak test is the only sure way of knowing if your engine
is worn. We pump air into each cylinder in turn and take a reading,
from the gauge, of how much air is lost. If the losses are high (24%
and above) we will explain to you the cost that is involved to rebuild
your engine and rectify the losses.
You will be offered a hire car, at a heavily subsidised rate, if you
chose to go ahead and book your car in for the work. On the day your
car is booked in, if you did not need one of our hire cars and don’t
have a lift waiting for you, we will happily take you to the local
train station.
Removing your engine
Your car is entrusted to our specialist engine department. They will
first remove the engine and gearbox, making sure all parts that have
been removed are carefully put into a large aluminium box that is
marked and safely stored, until we need them again when reinstalling
your engine.
The engine is then hoisted, on a special crane, up into our engine
shop, which is situated on the first floor. Your engine is now
away from the main workshop. This helps to keep it clean and safe
from any dirt and dust that may be generated by cars coming in and out
during the day. The engine is then fitted to a purpose built stand
which revolves through 360° allowing us full access when stripping it.
Dismantling your engine
All the parts that have been removed are checked for damage or wear
and all worn parts are listed. All parts that will be re-used are now
cleaned in a very large washing machine, specially made for engines,
using a detergent that helps make them look almost new. They are now
put into yet another (clean) aluminium container ready for reassembly,
when required.
Now we can see what’s going on
The final list of worn parts is then handed to our service
communicator who will put together a full and final price. At this
stage we will phone you and, if possible, ask if you can come in to see
us so we can explain the rebuild while showing you the stripped engine.
You can even bring along your camera and take pictures to keep for
your service history. If you are unable to attend we will fax you a
copy of the quote. Don’t worry if you’re not able to take any pictures
yourself - we will use a disposable camera, take photos for you and
leave it in the car for you when you collect it.
Preparing for the re-build
While all this is going on our engine technicians will be preparing
your cylinder heads by blasting them with glass beads, which remove the
carbon without any damage or scratching. Now your car is ready for new
valve guides, which are fitted in-house, using the latest equipment for
perfect precision. Your pistons and valves will also be cleaned with
glass beads restoring them to ‘as new’ condition.
Putting it all back together
With all the new parts sourced by our parts department now
available, the engine can be reassembled. Throughout the rebuild, care
will be taken at all times to ensure the correct torque settings are
used and all necessary measurements are made. The engine is now
finished and ready to go back into your car. A final finishing
touch is now all that’s needed. Wax oil is sprayed onto the underside
of the engine while it’s still in the stand, giving better and longer
protection against corrosion.
Testing your engine and your car
The engine will now be fitted back into your car, the ignition key
is turned and it fires into life, first time. All final checks are made
and all levels are topped up – even your tyre pressures. Your car will
now be taken on a long test drive of up to 100 miles, over 48 hours, to
check starting when hot and cold, driving short and long distances,
both on the open road and in traffic.
Final checks
With the test drive completed, and the job card and report finished,
the technician hands the paperwork back to our service communicator who
will finalise all the costs, checking that all the work has been
completed as you requested. A final quality check is completed at
this point. One of our four young, enthusiastic assistants will now
clean your car, both inside and out, using carefully selected products
to suit your car. While this is going on, we will phone you to
let you know that your car is ready for collection.
Collecting your car
At this point, if you have time, we will explain to you the final
costs which will be the same as your quote, or we can discuss it when
you arrive to collect your car. You will also be offered advice
for the future plus answers to any questions that you may have. You are
then escorted to your car and you can now experience the high
quality of workmanship whilst driving your car away, with the
confidence that all the work has been completed properly and to your
requirements. |
