Durability of B410 aluminium engine block in Proton Inspira/ Lancer Evo X?

johnstoney86

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Although aluminium engine has the advantage of lighter weight and better fuel consumption. However, some forum/report has point out that aluminum engine block has the tendency to distort under stress which further cause the damage the cylinder bores and widen clearances.

Read more:
Aluminum Vs. Cast Iron Engine Blocks (with Pictures) | eHow.

Mitsubishi 4B1 engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thus, I am post this thread to gather some the feedback from the users of Inspira dan Evo X, especially for those perform the racing using the car. Anyone of you experience the drop of engine horsepower/ engine performance/ worst fuel consumption/ engine overheat or other engine problem after driving for long mileage. If can, provide your current car mileage, average driving speed and how frequent you change your engine oil/oil filter.

If your car engine is still well maintained after long mileage, you are welcome to share share your valuable experience on how to maintain 4B10 and 4B11T engine.
 
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vr2turbo

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Here is my take on the aluminum engine. As long as your cooling system is running fine and your engine does not overheat, the aluminum engine will be fine.
Have seen one overheated engine at my mechanic place. The cylinder bore slightly oval in shape. Since overheat needs complete overhaul, therefore re-bore and re-sleeve the cylinders....
 

ken yeang

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Aluminium engine, if cracked......will be hard to repair compared to cast iron block.

I had a car previously that had aluminum block that cracked due to overheat (after radiator hose burst and i didnt know). Had to change the entire block becoz "no sifu is expert enough" to weld aluminum.
 

johnstoney86

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Here is my take on the aluminum engine. As long as your cooling system is running fine and your engine does not overheat, the aluminum engine will be fine.
Have seen one overheated engine at my mechanic place. The cylinder bore slightly oval in shape. Since overheat needs complete overhaul, therefore re-bore and re-sleeve the cylinders....
Thank for your information.
Actually, i have a doubt in my mind, engine heat will be big problem while travel for long distance. Example, for those need to travel long distance frequently between PP to KL or KL to JB (>110KM >3hours). Will the car engine able to sustain (for long period >5 years) at such harsh condition. It might be ok for new engine, how about if the engine hv gone through certain of mileage? At sarawak, the road condition is more like the roller coaster, it think it will be great challenging for the engine life span.
 

RENESIS VIII

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Here is my take on the aluminum engine. As long as your cooling system is running fine and your engine does not overheat, the aluminum engine will be fine.
Have seen one overheated engine at my mechanic place. The cylinder bore slightly oval in shape. Since overheat needs complete overhaul, therefore re-bore and re-sleeve the cylinders....
That means it depends on cooling system to run fine. If cast iron, then it does not need to be overly dependent on cooling system?

This is like 4G63T Evo 3 VS VR-4 where many praised VR-4's block for being durable. :biggrin:
 

peterj

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That means it depends on cooling system to run fine. If cast iron, then it does not need to be overly dependent on cooling system?

This is like 4G63T Evo 3 VS VR-4 where many praised VR-4's block for being durable. :biggrin:
nope... evo 1-9 and vr4 are all called bullet proof block cause all are cast iron, only thing vr4 is praised for being durable is the internal of the block.. vr4 uses thicker conrod ,lower compression piston and better crankshaft which allow people to run higher boost in stock form... for evo 123, conrod and piston is the week point where if u run 1.3 bar of boost always which is more higher than stock, piston groove crack are always occurs.. and rumors from other forumers is that evo 1-9 tent to have crank walk since crankshaft diff, but rumors...

however, even run higher boost in stock form can cause piston groove crack, but still.. the block are harmless, that is why they call the block bullet proof:biggrin: , unlike aluminium block like my previous b16a turbo, too much boost = cracked sleeve..
 

ken yeang

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Thank for your information.
Actually, i have a doubt in my mind, engine heat will be big problem while travel for long distance. Example, for those need to travel long distance frequently between PP to KL or KL to JB (>110KM >3hours). Will the car engine able to sustain (for long period >5 years) at such harsh condition. It might be ok for new engine, how about if the engine hv gone through certain of mileage? At sarawak, the road condition is more like the roller coaster, it think it will be great challenging for the engine life span.
New or old engine......the possible damage may be due to abuse, crazy hp figure or neglect.

My unker drives a B210 Datsun....already nearing 40 years old this year. He did once overhaul, changed gasket, changed his alternator, with slight smoke at the pipe. No major repair. The secret of the engine longevity?

Easy driving style. He still drive his car from KL to Telok Intan and back every weekends. No problem. Not ever a breakdown along the way.

Heck, if the car is abused, even tractor engine goes boom....

I still wonder some driver could worn out their brake disk in just 3 years...while my old 20+year car is still doing Ok with the ori brake disk. I guess must be the diff of driving style....
 

RENESIS VIII

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nope... evo 1-9 and vr4 are all called bullet proof block cause all are cast iron, only thing vr4 is praised for being durable is the internal of the block.. vr4 uses thicker conrod ,lower compression piston and better crankshaft which allow people to run higher boost in stock form... for evo 123, conrod and piston is the week point where if u run 1.3 bar of boost always which is more higher than stock, piston groove crack are always occurs.. and rumors from other forumers is that evo 1-9 tent to have crank walk since crankshaft diff, but rumors...

however, even run higher boost in stock form can cause piston groove crack, but still.. the block are harmless, that is why they call the block bullet proof:biggrin: , unlike aluminium block like my previous b16a turbo, too much boost = cracked sleeve..
I get it now... Yeah, I've heard before that Evo 3 had the highest piston compression ratio among old 4G63T which makes it not that suitable for high boost. A question, what if evo owners changed to forged internals? Will VR4 internals still be better?

Honda B series are using aluminum block?

New or old engine......the possible damage may be due to abuse, crazy hp figure or neglect.

My unker drives a B210 Datsun....already nearing 40 years old this year. He did once overhaul, changed gasket, changed his alternator, with slight smoke at the pipe. No major repair. The secret of the engine longevity?

Easy driving style. He still drive his car from KL to Telok Intan and back every weekends. No problem. Not ever a breakdown along the way.

Heck, if the car is abused, even tractor engine goes boom....

I still wonder some driver could worn out their brake disk in just 3 years...while my old 20+year car is still doing Ok with the ori brake disk. I guess must be the diff of driving style....
When you mean easy driving style, you mean something like never rev the car past 3-4k rpm? :confused:
 

vr2turbo

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Aluminium engine, if cracked......will be hard to repair compared to cast iron block.

I had a car previously that had aluminum block that cracked due to overheat (after radiator hose burst and i didnt know). Had to change the entire block becoz "no sifu is expert enough" to weld aluminum.
Brother, if cast iron engine block crack also can throw. Cast iron prone to rust, seen many old engine crack at water channels, but old lah....:biggrin:

---------- Post added at 06:50 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 06:48 PM ----------

Thank for your information.
Actually, i have a doubt in my mind, engine heat will be big problem while travel for long distance. Example, for those need to travel long distance frequently between PP to KL or KL to JB (>110KM >3hours). Will the car engine able to sustain (for long period >5 years) at such harsh condition. It might be ok for new engine, how about if the engine hv gone through certain of mileage? At sarawak, the road condition is more like the roller coaster, it think it will be great challenging for the engine life span.
For NA I think it is fine, but then any thing that is over used will break down faster right?
For your Sarawak roads having more contours going up hill slopes etc., probably the pistons and cylinders will wear out first....:driver:

---------- Post added at 06:52 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 06:50 PM ----------

That means it depends on cooling system to run fine. If cast iron, then it does not need to be overly dependent on cooling system?

This is like 4G63T Evo 3 VS VR-4 where many praised VR-4's block for being durable. :biggrin:
Nope, you are wrong, since they are T engines, they require better cooling. Even engine oil coolers are standard on my VR.....:driver:

---------- Post added at 06:55 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 06:52 PM ----------

New or old engine......the possible damage may be due to abuse, crazy hp figure or neglect.

My unker drives a B210 Datsun....already nearing 40 years old this year. He did once overhaul, changed gasket, changed his alternator, with slight smoke at the pipe. No major repair. The secret of the engine longevity?

Easy driving style. He still drive his car from KL to Telok Intan and back every weekends. No problem. Not ever a breakdown along the way.

Heck, if the car is abused, even tractor engine goes boom....

I still wonder some driver could worn out their brake disk in just 3 years...while my old 20+year car is still doing Ok with the ori brake disk. I guess must be the diff of driving style....
Agreed, my mechanic Uncle who drives a taxi only did a ring change at 250k km on his Datsun, but then the old Datsun had work horse engines.....but he is a mild manner slow driver

Even my VR the original skimmed disc lasted 3 sets of brake pads and over 10 years used, some aggressive driving, but not all the time.....hhahahhahahhaa:rofl:
 

ken yeang

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For my unker, easy driving means never exceed the trunk road speed limit...
Highway speed.....an easy 80-90km/hr....
 

johnstoney86

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Aluminium engine, if cracked......will be hard to repair compared to cast iron block.

I had a car previously that had aluminum block that cracked due to overheat (after radiator hose burst and i didnt know). Had to change the entire block becoz "no sifu is expert enough" to weld aluminum.
Actually, the problem can be detect if you have radiator pressure tester. Most the time the small leakage might hard to discover, not until you heat up or pressure up your radiator then you can find the leakage. But the tool is a bit expensive.
 

vr2turbo

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Actually, the problem can be detect if you have radiator pressure tester. Most the time the small leakage might hard to discover, not until you heat up or pressure up your radiator then you can find the leakage. But the tool is a bit expensive.
You don't need the pressure tester if you do weekly check in your engine bay. I check radiator coolant level, oil level and even my wiper wash level. If you are loosing radiator coolant weekly this shows something is wrong already and need to find out the problem. If not weekly, once in 2 weeks or at least once a month. My air pressure check is every 2 tank fill up...
However even though with this check, if luck is not with you and a hose burst during driving can still overheat your engine. That is why occasionally looks at your gauges is good practice too....:driver:
 

peterj

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I get it now... Yeah, I've heard before that Evo 3 had the highest piston compression ratio among old 4G63T which makes it not that suitable for high boost. A question, what if evo owners changed to forged internals? Will VR4 internals still be better?

Honda B series are using aluminum block?



When you mean easy driving style, you mean something like never rev the car past 3-4k rpm? :confused:
honda D and B series all aluminium block.. that is why a lot of kampung mechanics here cant solve the issue after overheat, they simply skim head without checking to change or reskim the block also.. last last buang thermostat.. then long distance travel still overheat:stupid:

vr4 internals mean to have bang for bucks, means cheap option instead of forged internals.. but of course aftermarket parts will be more durable then the vr4, aftermarket what... i have heard vr4 internal can last till 1.8 bar of boost, after all, it is 7.8:1 compression:smokin:
 

^pomen_GTR^

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well...the only difference between iron block and alloy block is raw material strength...lets say if engine internal broke...iron block maybe tahan a bit while alloy block already got hole punched out by broken engine parts....

but..good things is alloy block allow faster heating and cooling...hence more efficient control for engine temperature and fc...

plus when chasing bigpower....normally people will skip the most important things in engine mods... : high tensile strength sleeve...

in kapcai mods scene this was the first thing people do for big power...but in car scene...only some will do..but most skipped this step..hence engine kaboom and claim not durable bla bla bla....

but worry not..for car...got one famous brand for that high performance sleeve... darton sleeve...


highboost=broken piston ring=common mistake=knocking over compression...

highboost doesnt mean better power...sometimes it exceed the turbo flow capacity hence it became air heater...delivering hot air outside of it efficiency... hot air high pressure=knocking....

solution: get better flow turbo...

solution2: get better flow camshaft so the dynamic compression will be kept within acceptable limit...

thats the key of turbo engine performance...