The answer (Was: Is an Ur-q I5 an interference engine?)

["Jim Haseltine" <Jim@ur-q.freeserve.co.uk>]

Sorry folks, nobody got anywhere close.

When I pulled the head I found that all five of the pistons have hit the
valves. Each one of the pistons has two crescent-shaped depressions in the
crown, rather amazing really because each piston appears to have identical
damage - to the extent that it looks as if each one has been machined.
Most (if not all) of the valves are bent and in a couple of places there is
very slight damage to the head. The valves are bent so that they wont seat
and I figure that I wont be able to compress the springs to strip the head.

I reckon the damage to my wallet as:
Pistons (5) @ GBP80 each
Exchange head GBP450-500 (what's the going rate for them now?)
Gaskets, rings, water pump, cambelt, tensioner etc ~GBP200

As I've got to replace all those bits I may as well go the whole mile and
rebuild the bottom end too but I'm not going to try and estimate the costs
there....

Jim Haseltine