RCZ-R engine seized. Any advice/ recommend a Peugeot specialist?

[Kenny11]

Hey everyone,

Only managed to get the R on the road after a few minor repairs after purchasing it. Very hard to take if im totally honest as i've worked so hard to get it on the road and with the love for the R.

I had been getting a coolant leak which was diagnosed as the thermostat housing was cracked. This was repaired at a local garage and on the very day I picked it up the engine seized within a 10 minute drive that evening. I experienced the car chugging every few seconds and the moment this became more apparent, I pulled into a layby. I opened the bonnet and teh coolant reservoir was empty. The car thereafer would not turnover and the garage came out and ultimately stated the engine was seized as the car wasnt budging.

The garage put this down to the head gasket on its way out/gone and that the original coolant leak being repaired, that coolant was now diverting into the engine and therefore the engine being seized. Water has mixed with the oil

Im told now that a second hand engine is my best bet by this very garage.

Im based in Shropshire and would love if anyone could give some advice here on:
1/ Recommend a Peugeot specialist who I can potentially get a second opinion/ do the work
2/ potential costs of a rebuild/ engine swap
3/ anyone;s personal experience of a similar issue and what they advise


Would love some input from you guys as its been a tough old week so very much a positive from all of this or some form of light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks in advance

 

[Pedro]

I wonder how you managed to drive it from the garage because if they fixed it then started the car they should have known it won't run properly as the plugs/valve chambers & combustion chambers would be wet from the coolant & when you lifted the bonnet was the fan full on?
When the coolant tank is changed the car should stand for a limited amount of time so the coolant level settles then its refilled (Peugeot have been known to leave them overnight) to allow gravity to do the job so how come they never check it for temperature issues ?
If the engine has seized then its a shame as it looks a nice car but you may get lucky trawling the online breakers or maybe cost up a refurbed one

 

[Mikefranky]

It comes down to how much £££ you want to spend but 2nd hand engine is the route I’d take which as we all know is a bit hit n miss wherever it’s a good one....Plus depending on the service record it might be worth changing the timing gear before fitting with easier access you will have.

 

[Kerr]

It won't be easy to find a spare R engine kicking about.

 

[Verminator]

Yes but no fixed fin so is it a RCZ R

 

[Kenny11]

Yes but no fixed fin so is it a RCZ R

The fixed rear wing is very much there, just a deceiving angle

 

[Kenny11]

It won't be easy to find a spare R engine kicking about.

Very much my thoughts. Am i correct in saying the 308 GTI is the only one that share the same engine?....... Still i know they would be difficult to source

 

[Kenny11]

It comes down to how much £££ you want to spend but 2nd hand engine is the route I’d take which as we all know is a bit hit n miss wherever it’s a good one....Plus depending on the service record it might be worth changing the timing gear before fitting with easier access you will have.

Very much dependant on a proper assessment with a specialist.... again can imagine the struggle with sourcing a second hand engine for the R. Appreciate the recommendation on the timing gear. Do you know any Peugeot specialists?

 

[Kenny11]

I wonder how you managed to drive it from the garage because if they fixed it then started the car they should have known it won't run properly as the plugs/valve chambers & combustion chambers would be wet from the coolant & when you lifted the bonnet was the fan full on?
When the coolant tank is changed the car should stand for a limited amount of time so the coolant level settles then its refilled (Peugeot have been known to leave them overnight) to allow gravity to do the job so how come they never check it for temperature issues ?
If the engine has seized then its a shame as it looks a nice car but you may get lucky trawling the online breakers or maybe cost up a refurbed one

The coolant tank was not changed. It was the termostat housing which was changed.
Again maybe that was my mistake in the first place taking it to the local garage.

Ill get a second assessment on the engine and go from there as to whats best going forward. Do you know of amy recommended Peugeot specialists?

 

[turboguy]

you could try pug1off who are peugeot specialists. All the other pug specialists I know really only deal with older cars (205)

 

[Pedro]

The coolant tank was not changed. It was the termostat housing which was changed.
Again maybe that was my mistake in the first place taking it to the local garage.

Ill get a second assessment on the engine and go from there as to whats best going forward. Do you know of amy recommended Peugeot specialists?

The thermostat housing is sometimes referred to as the coolant tank/sensor vessel you may be thinking I meant the expansion or top up tank
There is a guy in Birkenhead who does Peugeots "Benza Autos" 0151 345 0847 & gets 5* ratings I would get his advice

 

[RCZ-R]

Very much my thoughts. Am i correct in saying the 308 GTI is the only one that share the same engine?....... Still i know they would be difficult to source

Make sure you can put the GTi's engine into the RCZ R. There are certain differences between those two engines as they are put into different platforms.
So for example the downpipe is different between those two. It could mean a lot of adaptations to make a GTi's engine to work in the RCZ R.

 

[Flanners]

I would be looking at the garage that was tasked with the repair......sound like a total bunch of cowboys and I don't believe the apparent BS they have fed you they would of seen glaring evidence of what you have said they told you. Someone is telling fibs.......

So they are saying the engine is hydrolocked? Really? How long was your drive home then? Whilst I do not have full mechanical understanding of the lump in the R; running an MGF and TF for 17yrs I have HGF knowledge and it does not result in such an outcome in the short space of time you describe in 10mins!!! Did you check the oil....even if this happened....you had tasked them with fixing the issue?

MisterX on here had a replacement engine from Peugeot for his R, cost a fair few £000s but was the most cost effective option, usually I would say go to a Specialist on this issue I would be approaching Peugeot to source me a new/recon lump.

It had to happen at some point. New engine required....

Well, after 154,000 miles my RCZ R engine has failed and I have bitten the bullet and ordered a replacement engine. It will be an exchange engine which I am told is so similar to a new one that the saving on cost is worth it. All I have to do now is look down the back of the sofa for all the...

www.peugeotrczforum.com

Circa £6K.....what did you get the car for/mileage etc?........worse case scenario I would be recouping my money breaking the R for parts.