Hello guys, I have crank failure on my 1991 3000gt TT. Any one with a good 4 bolt main block engine or the forged crankshaft? Please help me save my GTO. I love it too much to scrap it. Any recommendations on who to get an engine rebuild from. I’m im the notth west but dont mind going elsewhere, as long as the guys are good at what they do.
Hi
The 3000GT wasn’t released here in the UK in 1991 it was released until very late 1992 so if yours is a 1991 you have a GTO
Check the Vin number on the fire wall by the front wiper motor it should start Z16A-000**** if its a 1991
Can you be a bit more specific with your location and i will see where i can recommend you to go to or maybe some of the guys on here may be able to help you.
2nd hand Forged Cranksafts are rare and a new one is £600ish inc vat
Cheers Rob
Thanx for reply. You are right it is the GTO and the vin number is 00087396G72. I’m not really sure what to do. These earlier cars have the 2 bolt main block and cast crankshaft, making it a weak engine. Should have done my research when I went to buy it 
I can import a 4 bolt main block with forged crank that will just drop in and that’s from USA. Sellers are offering them from £1000 to £2000 delivered. But its a lot of risk in importing one as I could end up with a lemon despite the mileage and qualtiy assurances. Overall cost of import and straight swap (no gasket change etc) about £2200
Option two, I could have this engin rebuilt with the forged crank but that would still not solve to 2 bolt main block weakness.
I do have an engin availble in the UK that has been sitting with the brakers for 4 years. But I think that to is 2 bolt. I’m awaiting confirmation on that but I don’t want to put that in without rebuilding it either I’ve been qutoed £1200 to rebuild and install of this engine by local engine and turbo guy. This includes all the gaskets and other relevant parts.
The engine from UK will come with the two turbos and I might be able to get some money back on them but I have no clue what they are worth.
I want to ideally take the most economical route but also don’t want to end up with another engine failure.
Car was still driving when I parked it up but I did drive it for 5 or 6 miles when I first heard the noise.
My fear with current engine rebuild is the extent of damage and repair bill. Although it drives OK apart from knocking noise.
So I would really appreciate it if some of you experienced guy’s could give some honest advise. Ideally, I’d like to stick to a budget of 2k. From my estimates so far all options will cost round about the same, give or take a hundred or two.
Option 4 is that if UK engine is two block I could do the crankshaft swap while it is being rebuilt but this will take me to around £2500 to £2600 mark. However I will have the two turbos for whatever they are worth.
The 2 bolt vs 4 bolt engines only refers to the number of bolts holding the main girdle to the block. And I think I am right in saying that there are very few (if any) girdle failures on these engines.
The other advantage of the 4 bolt engine is, as you say, the forged crank which is where they get the reputation of being a stronger engine. A 2 bolt engine with a 4 bolt forged crank will be perfectly strong enough. There are plenty of guys with 2 bolt blocks running serious power in America.
I am fairly new to these cars myself so if I have said anything wrong here then I am sure the more experienced guys will correct me. But I think I am right from the research I did when buying my car.
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forget all the BS about 2 bolt mains being weak. There are plenty 800+ bhp cars out there abroad running 2 bolt mains. Also how many CRANK failures have you seen on these cars…not bearing failures but actual crank failures ???
Forget the hype, buy a new crank and fix your car, or take a punt and throw in a second hand engine in. I am running 450 bhp and 550ftlbs on a bone stock two bolt NON turbo engine. So far the only thing to let go is the gearbox stripping 4th gear from torque.
To me a toaster and an egine look pretty much the same 
So this is a learning experience for me but doesn’t the number of bolt supply more stabality by eliminating play in the crank. I could be talking load of cobblers here but that’s what I have dug up so far.
north of 700-800 bhp I would pretty much insist on a 4 bolt main, however at that level even the forged cranks can flex and stress fracture at the webs…so you still wouldn’t actually gain anything.
Trust me…Im a Doctor 
You guys are brilliant. I appreciate your quick replies. Usually forums are not so responsive.
I have an a two bolt engin availble but it’s been sitting for 4/5 years. Is it wort just chucking that in if it shows good compression or should I have it rebuilt with the forged crank?
Also any I dea how much I could offload the two spare turbos for and is my current engine worth anything in Salvage?
Like its been said there isn’t much benefit of a forged crank. Unless your going silly with Bhp. Your paying alot of money for a performance upgrade you may never need
Problem with fitting an engine that’s been sat is it might have its own problems.
Don’t see why a decent secondhand crank should sort your problems out
As has been said 2 bolt is fine , plenty of big h/p cars out there on 2 bolt mains , personally myself I went for a 4 bolt on the engine I was going to have built as I had a greater chance of finding one that hadn’t been rebored as I was going for forged pistons and wanted a standard block to start with .
You may find it easier though to pick a 4 bolt up though as there 2 bolt were only manufactured for a short span .
Craig 
Cast cranks were only in the engines used from 1990 to mid 1992 after that all Twin Turbos had Forged cranks
I have seen NON Turbo engines in late cars with cast cranks and 2 bolt mains to add to the confusion
I would be walking away from an engine that been sat up in a breaks for that amount of time
The people in the USA doing engines for that much money are just messers like the idiots in the UK doing the same
Jet wash them a bit of paint and its rebuilt £2000 please
Its not the parts to do it that’s expensive its the labour to do that kills
I have a engine 2 bolt main with s scored block but the bottom end was fine cranks still in the block and a good north west garage who could fit that crank and wont rip you off he rebuilt my 4 bolt main engine andd its runnig fine
Pete
Now this isn’t a dig at anyone , but just putting another crank in or those people just changing shells when only 1 big end has gone is a waste of money in my opinion , its a bandaid on a broken arm .
Do it right get it out and get it properly machined , line bored so that everything is in tolerance . I tried a cheap job on an engine many years back by a so called specialist , I had them machine my block and heads , what I actually ended up with was scrap which cost me 800 quid for the priveledge , that’s not including the scrap pistons , valves and everything else I eventually ended up replacing , even then there was an inherent problem with the block form the original job .
Do it once and do it right , try getting in touch with Eurospec or as @GSXRKID has said he may know of someone more local to you .
We have seen many recon engines for sale , which as Rob says are no more than tarted up with paint , one that springs to mind was commented on by a well known guy in the community who rightly stated with that much paint it would smoke worse than a BBQ 
Craig
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I wonder how much smoke it made ??
but i was told it lasted less than 2 minutes and seized solid by some one or other than was in communication with the guy in Norway i think it was…
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Thanx for your reply and the offer of the crank. I will keep it in mind when making the final call. I’m in Manchester by the way.
However, so far I’m thinking of going the rebuild route with a 4 bolt block and forged crank.If I’m going to spend money then might as well do it right since labour is the killer and that wont change whether 4 bolt or 2 bolt. I suppose if I stuck with my current two bolt it woukd save some money.
If I did go for the 4 bolt. What other parts apart from the cran and bearings might I or should I replace, do you know?
Thanx again Craig and all of you guys for you replies.
Lets say that I was going for the rebuild route, I do have a 4 bolt block and a forged crank availble from a UK guy on ebay. I shall post his details on here in a bit. His add was for regrinding of crankshaft I think but this guy will give me a price for the parts and labour (rebuild)by tomorrow.
What would really help is to know exaxctly what the rebuild should involve so I can make sure that the job is done well.
Please bear in mind that the only thing I know about mechanics is how to change a flat tire
Link for the ebay page
http://m.ebay.com/itm/151601715009
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this is the garage who does all my work i cannot do myself, i got this reccomendation from a guy on here and ive never looked back this goes back to 2004 this guy neil can strip and rebuild gto engines in his sleep hope this helps
http://forum.gto.club/t/garage-in-bury-bridge-end-paint-shop-0161-705-2323
pete
Thankyou very much my freind. I will definitely give him a call.
On the lighter side even I can build a gto engin in my sleep, I’m just no damn good when I’m awake
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