Hi
I'm in the process of rebuilding a spare F4R 774 Megane II RS engine, to keep my daily car running.
Its first engine is getting near to 300'000 km, with a cam belt being 6 years old now...having 110'00 km on this belt...so I might hear a time bomb clicking...
Spare engine (approx. 80'000 km) should get rebuilt to OEM spec, with engine reliability in mind and not big power!
Engine is completely dismantled and I'm sourcing the right parts to get it reassembled.
1.) Two main bearing shells are stamped "rouge" and three "bleu"
According manual these are slightly different shell thicknesses to properly interact with bore/journal sizes.
But in all webshops there is only one OEM bearing size listed (only massiv bigger ones for reground journals then).
So slightly different shell thicknesses might not be available, as used during factory assembly.
How do you handle this? Just install the available ones and hope to get the right clearance (measured with "plastigage")?
2.) Manual mentions a specific tool to gurantee proper positioning of the bearing shells, as there are no bearing locating tangs.
This "tool" might not be available anymore.
But I think it's only used to locate the bearing shell quite exactly in the middle of the bore (bore approx. 5 mm wider than shell)
Shell should get properly located by eye as well, right?
3.) What about aftermarket oil pumps?
Might manufacturer "Pierburg" offer proper aftermarket quality (it should, as beeing part of the Rheinmetall concern, like Kolbenschmidt)?
OEM Renault oil pump is quite a bit more expensive than the Pierburg one...only due to the Renault printed carton...?
Or leave your hands off and buy OEM Renault oil pump only?
Thanks a lot in advance for your feedback.
I'm a bit nervous to do it right, as this is my first ever Renault engine rebuild...whereat it shouldn't be much different from any other engine rebuild
Cheers
Marcel

I'm in the process of rebuilding a spare F4R 774 Megane II RS engine, to keep my daily car running.
Its first engine is getting near to 300'000 km, with a cam belt being 6 years old now...having 110'00 km on this belt...so I might hear a time bomb clicking...
Spare engine (approx. 80'000 km) should get rebuilt to OEM spec, with engine reliability in mind and not big power!
Engine is completely dismantled and I'm sourcing the right parts to get it reassembled.
1.) Two main bearing shells are stamped "rouge" and three "bleu"
According manual these are slightly different shell thicknesses to properly interact with bore/journal sizes.
But in all webshops there is only one OEM bearing size listed (only massiv bigger ones for reground journals then).
So slightly different shell thicknesses might not be available, as used during factory assembly.
How do you handle this? Just install the available ones and hope to get the right clearance (measured with "plastigage")?
2.) Manual mentions a specific tool to gurantee proper positioning of the bearing shells, as there are no bearing locating tangs.
This "tool" might not be available anymore.
But I think it's only used to locate the bearing shell quite exactly in the middle of the bore (bore approx. 5 mm wider than shell)
Shell should get properly located by eye as well, right?
3.) What about aftermarket oil pumps?
Might manufacturer "Pierburg" offer proper aftermarket quality (it should, as beeing part of the Rheinmetall concern, like Kolbenschmidt)?
OEM Renault oil pump is quite a bit more expensive than the Pierburg one...only due to the Renault printed carton...?
Or leave your hands off and buy OEM Renault oil pump only?
Thanks a lot in advance for your feedback.
I'm a bit nervous to do it right, as this is my first ever Renault engine rebuild...whereat it shouldn't be much different from any other engine rebuild

Cheers
Marcel
