VTec engine goes Bang

From the UK VFR site Bikersoracle Thread " The Demise of a VTEC Motor " where an 02 VTec engine with 72,000 Miles drops a valve trashing the engine. :frown:

The owner himself is quite philosophical about it just sourcing a low mileage Gen 6 to replace it with.

Link to " The Demise of a VTEC Motor " Thread :
http://www.bikersoracle.com/vfr/forum/showthread.php?t=89780

Links to VTec head and Bore photo's:
http://www.bikersoracle.com/vfr/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=51943
http://www.bikersoracle.com/vfr/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=51944

 

yeeow. I wonder what that felt like? I know the sound alone would have made me sick.

 

No mess to clean, its binned...I like the way the guy was ok with getting 72,000 miles out of his motor before it went bang, even better this is the first I remember reading about this kind of failure of a Gen 6 engine.

 

It would be interesting to know the true cause of the failure.

 

I don't see any welds?
He says that he took about 20 seconds to pull over. If it was at an average of 3000 RPM getting to the side of the road that means that valve would have bobbled around in there for 1000 strokes. It is feasible that that damage could occur in that time, but I'm guessing it was turning longer or faster than that. That thing is peened up rather well. The valve found it's way back to its proper passage!
Lack of oil to the head could have caused the stem to wear and cause stress concentration and evantual breaking. Bad valve adjustment or adjustment procedure could have bent the valve and caused wear and stress. An inclusion in the valve stem as manufactured could do it.
I'm curious too!

 

Good article, wonder which valve dropped a vtec controlled one or not.
has the guy ever done a valve adjustment? still 72k miles is alot for any high revving engine, he did say it gave him warning signs should of listened.