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[Martin F]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tara&Paul (original)

The Ford Pinto OHC (Over Head Cam) had an oil feed pipe which ran along the top of the camshaft. This pipe had tiny holes in it which oil was sprayed from onto the camshaft and valve gear below. The holes in the oil feed pipe were so small, it only took a tiny bit of swarf etc to block the hole and stop the oil feed to the camshaft, resulting in damage to the camshaft etc.

This problem with the oil feed pipe wasn't diagnosed untill many PInto OHC engines started sounding like knackered old diesel engines. My Father had a '78 Cortina which had to have the top half of the engine rebuilt by Ford under warranty after the oil feed pipe became blocked.

I remember the noise my FathersCortina engine used to make, unfortunately it sounds very similar to the noise my R56 S makes when I start it up on a cold morning.

And Ford found out about the Firestone tyre problem after the tyres started failing.

P.

I don't understand your point.

If you are instancing the Pinto engine problem and the Firestone tyre problem as examples of design faults that proved expensive for the manufacturer then I would not disagree that major design faults that lead to serious failures can be costly. I am sure there are other examples.

But if you are suggesting they are relevant to the R56 MCS, where no serious consequences of the noise have been reported in the 26 months since it was launched with many thousands of miles covered, then what would be interesting is if you could confirm that these examples did not manifest themselves on vehicles until more than two years and many thousands of miles.

I suspect the cases you cite started to become evident quite quickly. I certainly think this was the case with the Firestone tyres.

So the longer we go with no serious consequences reported, the more I am convinced that this is a tiresome and unpleasant noise but nothing more serious.