[Vespasian]

just found out what my top rattle is, bloody no 3 main bearing shot, allowing the piston to kiss my valves, at least they survived

ive had the following alfas

alfa sprint 1.5 boxer
33 1.5 boxer
33 1.7 boxer
155 8v
155 v6
145 1.6 ts
145 1.6 boxer
gtv ts
spider ts - thats the broken one
156 2.4 jtd - current car

and the bloody twin spark is the worst of the lot !!!!!!!!!!!!!! a real step backwards from the lampredi twin cam ( i know thats not a true alfa engine but was'nt the ts a fiat block.

sorry rant over, now gonna get bloody cold changing the shells :rant::rant::rant::rant::rant::rant::rant:

 

[Alfa-Red]

fiat head too apparently, just extra spark plugs

nothing wrong with mine, or mothers, or my 147. great engines imho:thumbs: just need looking after, oil checks weekly etc bad luck matey

 

[EddieGTA]

My only twin spark experience was the old 8v in my 75. As far as I know 100% alfa, cam chain and no plastic tensioners. Totally reliable. Hope you get it all sorted

 

[symon]

I have owned 7 TS cars and only one has gone bang on me. That was 2 weeks after buying it.

Even then I am sure it had be run low on oil previously.


Hope you get it fixed soon and that your crank is ok.

 

[badgers_nadgers]

8v ts ftw!

 

[keithyboy]

I'd have to agree that it doesn't have the durability on some other engines. My old Primera GT also had a 2.0 16v 4 pot making roughly 150BHP. It had chain driven cams, no variable valve timing and only 4 plugs (which were 10 quid a set) but had racked up 150k with nowt more than oil changes and still ran like a dream when I got rid.

Ford's excellent Zetec engine has 100,000 mile timing belt changes (and even at that it's precautionary). As long as you give it the right oil they will do monster mileages with no problem at all. Their 2.0 doesn't make 150BHP though.

I wouldn't say the TS was a bad engine as such, it just needs more TLC than most motorists expect or care to provide these days.

I hope you get a thaw so that you can get yours sorted without freezing to death.

 

[symon]

The TS is quite similar in architecture to the 16V lampredi twin cam.

They obviously cut corners and cheapened things up with the TS in comparison.

Funny how you don't hear of many Fiat Punto HGT's and Fiat Barchettas with knocking bottom ends though, even though the block is shared with the 1.8 TS.

 

[Alfa-Red]

The TS is quite similar in architecture to the 16V lampredi twin cam.

They obviously cut corners and cheapened things up with the TS in comparison.

Funny how you don't hear of many Fiat Punto HGT's and Fiat Barchettas with knocking bottom ends though, even though the block is shared with the 1.8 TS.

and the stilo and the coupe

 

[symon]

The coupe suffers from occasional dodgy pistons on the 5 cylinder Turbo

I know of a few people who have lost bits of them even though the car is standard. It happens to number 5 normally.

Having said that, if you run the oil low the engine is normally ok when topped up and shows no ill effects. Unless if was run for quite a long time with the light on.

 

[Alfa-Red]

The coupe suffers from occasional dodgy pistons on the 5 cylinder Turbo

I know of a few people who have lost bits of them even though the car is standard. It happens to number 5 normally.

Having said that, if you run the oil low the engine is normally ok when topped up and shows no ill effects. Unless if was run for quite a long time with the light on.

i was on about the 1.8's the the 5pots had one major weak point, the crank and pistons. the tubby was usually ok, but n/a and the stilo 2.4 had a very weak bottom end:rant: it didnt take to tuning very well, 200 was about a safe limit for the 2.4. anymore and it fell to bits

 

[symon]

Their ongoing improvements probably meant that they used cheaper parts.

I was lucky with My coupe whilst I owned it, but the guy who I bought the missus Bravo from had a piston fail on his coupe. At 80k and the car was totally standard.

It is funny that older designs of engine are stronger and more reliable. The Alfa V6, the Lampredi Twin Cam, the Alfa TS 8V, the Boxer (at least in 8V form) to name just 4.


I wonder how the latest generation of engines will fare...

 

[PaulR]

I think the TS is a great engine - but fragile. I still like it despite the 1.6 cambelt letting go at 45K miles (now 120k and still running). The 2.0 is up to 137k miles and still going.
It is down to strict maintenance (and to be fair - luck) but it revs freely and, when on song, a joy to use.

 

[symon]

I think the TS is a great engine - but fragile. I still like it despite the 1.6 cambelt letting go at 45K miles (now 120k and still running). The 2.0 is up to 137k miles and still going.
It is down to strict maintenance (and to be fair - luck) but it revs freely and, when on song, a joy to use.

Totally agree. They are a great engine, and ok reliability wise as long as they are looked after.

Trouble is many people don't know how to look after them, and you can never know how the engine has been treated before you bought it.

 

[Spider95]

I think the TS is a great engine - but fragile. I still like it despite the 1.6 cambelt letting go at 45K miles (now 120k and still running). The 2.0 is up to 137k miles and still going.
It is down to strict maintenance (and to be fair - luck) but it revs freely and, when on song, a joy to use.

Fragile is not the word:lol:

Generally I find talking to my Spider over a cup of tea in the garage (with the music on) does tend to help a little bit as well:lol:

 

[purple145]

the only engine I have lunched was the Lamprdi 15v in my Thema, top rattle cause by No 4 cylinder kissing the valves, which turned into the cylinder punching the valves. Still got me home though.

All caused by running low on oil at some point and spinning a bearing, and its always No 4 that goes as the oil pump used to run out of oil when cornering hard.

Sound familiar?

 

[FoxtrotOscar]

If the shells have deteriorated to the point where the piston has started to impact the head, I don't hold out much hope for your crank, or the rod. If the shells have spun in the rod, it's Game Over.

In twenty years I have seen 3 8-valve TS bottom end failures. I've lost count of how many 16v TS failures. I have experienced 5 failures personally (while carrying out a road test).

Every major failure except 2 (high-speed cambelt failures) have been due to lack of oil at some point in the engines' life.

I would not say it was exactly Alfas' best engine.

 

[Spider95]

If the shells have deteriorated to the point where the piston has started to impact the head, I don't hold out much hope for your crank, or the rod. If the shells have spun in the rod, it's Game Over.

In twenty years I have seen 3 8-valve TS bottom end failures. I've lost count of how many 16v TS failures. I have experienced 5 failures personally (while carrying out a road test).

Every major failure except 2 (high-speed cambelt failures) have been due to lack of oil at some point in the engines' life.

I would not say it was exactly Alfas' best engine.

Yes I would say the TS 8v was probably one of the best engines Alfa ever made (after the Arese V6 of course). My 164 with the 8v TS (1,962cc, not the later version which was bored out a little bit more, no doubt to compensate for the addition of the cat) absolutely flew, never missed a beat. And it was an Alfa Romeo engine, which was nice

 

[badgers_nadgers]

Yes I would say the TS 8v was probably one of the best engines Alfa ever made (after the Arese V6 of course).

In many ways, I think the 8v TS is better than the V6. Both great engines though.

 

[Damien_C]

Having had 6 cars all with TS engines and not one failure, 3 with over 100k on the clocks. And I have just bought a 156 with 92k on the clocks and the engine sounds like a peach.

 

[Alfa-Red]

Having had 6 cars all with TS engines and not one failure, 3 with over 100k on the clocks. And I have just bought a 156 with 92k on the clocks and the engine sounds like a peach.

oooh what you doing with the 156?

iv had two TS engined cars, one on 90k and the current on 65k, my mums 1st at 98k, and they are and were, all sound as a pound, no issues at all

nothing wrong with them as long as your willing to put in the time, checking the oil etc, realising you can just jump in them go from A to B and do no maintainence at all between services like a focus for example, they need love, give them it, and they will love you back:lol: