popping sound,almost red line,ran home,now dead?

90gst_sean · May 14, 2006

OK, here's what happened. I tore out of a parking lot after getting the finger from someone that cut me off, go figure. As I cleared first gear things were ok, grabbed second and made my way to red line. As I engaged the clutch to shift to third, there was a popping sound. Not a loud popping sound but good enough one that I was a little embarrassed with people standing on the street corner. I let off the gas to listen to my poor engine. The car still ran but I could tell some thing bad happened. I drove a block and turned around. I got stuck at the light, I was waiting for the RPM's to drop to zero and my car to die on me. As the light turned green, I was able to get up to speed but could give it much gas with out it acting funny. I drove straight home; only a mile. I was able to do 45 MPH but had no power. I parked the Eclipse and switched to my Honda :notgood:

. The car sat for a few days, I started it hoping to have avoided a major problem. It ran at idle for 5 to 10 min, then I turned it off. I didn't have the time to really look into it then. I came back a week later went to turn it over and it wouldn't start.

I took the down time to fix a broken bolt in my turbo. I changed the fuel filter, the old one was really bad. I was hoping that was the problem. I got the turbo back on today and went to start it up. It'll turn over but wont start. I checked two plugs to see if they were getting any gas but couldn't really tell. I would guess there's no gas getting to the plugs. I bot a fuel pressure tester kit but need something to attach to the rail. So can't test yet.

Just before this all happen, I put some cheep octane booster in the tank. Could that have played a part? I was thinking with the octane booster and a bad fuel filter, the was so much timing poled from the engine, that I broke something. I really don't know if thats even possible.

I hope that all I need are some fuel parts. I have a stock fuel set up so far. I just wanted to see if any of this sounds familiar. Thank and I will let you guy's know ether way.

Thanks again, Sean.

out side temp - 47-57F
16G turbo
stock fuel pump
170,00 miles
crap octane boost that I should have never ran. I don't run octane boost normally.
no engine light on dash when happened, and I don't think there's one on now.
I've looked all over engine, oil ok. water ok. 99% sure.

arash15 · May 14, 2006

do a compression test. if the car turns over but doesnt start it may be fuel or ignition related. check your fuel pump.

FirstYearTalon · May 15, 2006

sounds like you popped a coupler on your ic pipes, do a boost leak test.

PSI NRG · May 15, 2006

Sounds like a boost leak issue... My friend bought a new intercooler and when he put it ont he car ran like junk could only make 10psi and anything higher than that the car would pop back fire and act weird... ended up being that the end tanks on the intercooler werent welded right and it was leaking through there

90gst_sean · May 18, 2006

OK, I picked up a compression test kit at Auto-zone. I printed a How-To review and tried to pressure test my car to night.

I cant start the car to warm it up because its broke and my battery is getting low. I don't think my readings are going to be correct. With the battery getting low the engine turned slow. I cranked each cylinder for 6 or 7 seconds. By the 3rd cylinder there was hardly any juice left so I didn't test the 4th one. The readings were very low, so I think I'll try again with a charged battery. I could use some help. Could these #'s be caused by a cold engine and low battery?

What do you guys think about these numbers?

Starting on the passenger side cylinder.
#1 - 40 psi
#2 - 50 psi
#3 - 37 psi
#4 - ? ? ? ? I gave up, battery needs charge.

This all may be USER ERROR, this was my first time.
I had the MPI fuse out and the plug by the fuel return line off. All 4 plugs out and inspected. The plugs only have 17,000 miles on them; they don't look to bad.

90gst_sean · May 18, 2006

P.S. I'm fairly sure the problems not with any of the intake piping. I dealt with that little snafu once before.

My lower inner-cooler pipe came loose, Not off, just a little loose; and the car broke down. I was new to turbos back then and didn't think to check there. I had a friend tow-rope me home. Found the problem 5 minutes after getting the rope off.

Thanks for the suggestion. I only wish it was going to be that easy. I don't think I'll get back on the road that quick... this time :cry:

90gst_sean · May 19, 2006

I guess no one has ever compression tested a healthy engine cold. I could see that. But thats not helping me now. I'm going to put the plugs back in, give up on the compression for now and try testing my fuel pressure.

If anyone finds some cold PSI numbers I would love to have a idea what normal is :shhh:

I'll let y'all know my fuel readings. I went to the junk yard today and picked up the foot of fuel line that links the filter to the rail. Its got the banjo and other end thing. I think I'll cut it in half and stick my gauge in there some were. We'll see if it works. The donor car was a N/T and the rails may be different at the attachments.

bye, for now.

jott5555 · May 20, 2006

well the battery being dead is going to be the largest concern for you compression numbers.. you REALLY need to get a fresh charged battery and do a new test, but those numbers to me look like a blown head gasket..

another thing i notice.. you are running a 16g on the stock fuel pump.. in my expereince and i dont know waht psi your running but it much outflow's the stock turbo and the fuel system often cant keep up.. i have seen in person quite a few times when people slap on a fmic and larger turbo with no fuel mod's and put a rod through the block.. just a thought..

90gst_sean · May 20, 2006

jott5555 said:
i have seen in person quite a few times when people slap on a fmic and larger turbo with no fuel mod's and put a rod through the block.. just a thought..

You're not making me feal any better. I hope you knocked on wood as you typed that! :barf:

90gst_sean · May 20, 2006

I'm about to try my fuel line invention but need to read up on relieving fuel pressure in the line first...
... I'll be back.
P.S. Update on the comp. test. I charged the battery all night and tested again. No real change. The #4 cylinder is 31 PSI. I did a wet test on #4 and got 19 more pounds, 50 PSI.

so on to the fuel system...

jott5555 · May 20, 2006

its your head gasket.. even on cold engine's i have tested its around 150psi.. did the car over heat? maybe warped the head a little? i doubt you slipped timeing but that is possiable.. in my gsx before i swapped it i was driving home on the freeway and the fan blade fell off the motor my ish over heated.. long story short i now have a 6bolt..

90gst_sean · May 20, 2006

No over heating. I just did the head gasket 15k ago, and had the head at the shop for a cheap build. There are no sighs as I see, but that don't mean much.

When I did the head, I did the timing belt as well. I hope its just a slip in the timing, as long as thats easy to fix. I am trying to win a timing light on e-bay but every one keeps out biding me. Now I really need one though.

90gst_sean · May 20, 2006

I just got finished with my pressure check; damn I smell like gas. I was able to make my junk yard fitting work, it would have been easer with the fitting that Mitsubishi sells but this worked good enough. I checked between the fuel filter and the fuel rail. Pressure climbed fast right up to 40 pounds and held there even with a little leak in my attachments. Car wont start so a rev checks out of the question. I want to see if there's a way to check the pressure regulator with the car not able to start. I'll take a look around.

Deluxegsx · May 20, 2006

Could it of jumped timing? Mine did about the same thing when it jumped time. I had to get a new head.

90gst_sean · May 20, 2006

Your not the first person to say it may be a jump in timing. How can I fined out with the car unable to start? If it did jump time, the cams would be in the wrong spots and that would explain the low compression maybe.

elementalwindx · May 20, 2006

Dude with all this time you've spent posting on here, you could have had that head off and back on. It takes maybe two hours to take a head off if you have a friend help you lift it off. Its gotta be a blown head gasket or maybe worst case your piston shattered in your engine and took out everything.

All you need is a 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, and a 12pt hex head socket, and a haynes manual, maybe a few socket extensions, a jack stand, a floor jack, a block of wood, and if you hate your timing belt, a pair of cutters, and if you dont hate it, just loosen the tensioner pulley and pull it off.

Believe me I've got that list of tools memorized as I just replaced my head and belts. *sigh* It was easy though. Just annoying.

And yes if it jumped timing you can put the car in gear and push it car til you see the cam gears lined up *maybe* and risk bending valves. Honestly, just remove the head. And post pics for us so we know if we're right or wrong

jott5555 · May 20, 2006

if you want to check the timeing marks turn the engine over with a 1/2in breaker bar and make the mark line up on the crank and the t-belt cover at TDC then check the marks on your cam gears and make sure the down pins are at the top.

90gst_sean · May 20, 2006

For me typing on my computer is easer that pulling the head off my car, but it looks like I have no choice.
Thanks for the advice though just the same...

...Every time I do something to this car, I end up braking something else.

TRBOBLU · May 20, 2006

90gst_sean said:
P.S. I'm fairly sure the problems not with any of the intake piping. I dealt with that little snafu once before.

When you say this does that mean you actually checked? Or you just dont think its a boost leak? A boost leak would do exactly like you described and you cant tell there is a leak everytime by just looking. I blew a hose off my turbo and it baffled me for like 2 hours why my car was screwed up. Did a boost leak test and found out the coupler had came halfway off my turbo and was leaking massively. Where it popped off was completely hidden from view so I didnt think it was a boost leak either.

jott5555 · May 20, 2006

i agree you should check your timeing first and definetly do a boost leak test before ya remove the head.

90gst_sean · May 20, 2006

So, I thought my inner-cooler was leaking. I did a boost leak test and there was no pressure. I pulled the upper IC pipe off and plugged the top of the inner-cooler. I pumped up the pressure, I didn't really thing I had gotten it all the high. The plug damn near took my head off shooting through the air as I leaned over the car.

It's got to be timing or head gasket. The air has to be going some were. Right?

90gst_sean · May 21, 2006

I plugged the upper IC pipe just before the J bend to the th. body. Everything held pressure. That means the BOV is good, I think.

Next, I pulled the top timing belt cover. First I noticed a groove worn in the belts inner edge. I turn the cam's so the notches on them face inward at each other. It doesn't look like it jumped time to me.

What do you guy's think about the groove, what could be rubbing?

Do the cam's look in the rite spot. The notches are even with the cam sprockets center.

What should I look for if the head has to come off next.

elementalwindx · May 21, 2006

90gst_sean said:
I plugged the upper IC pipe just before the J bend to the th. body. Everything held pressure. That means the BOV is good, I think.

Next, I pulled the top timing belt cover. First I noticed a groove worn in the belts inner edge. I turn the cam's so the notches on them face inward at each other. It doesn't look like it jumped time to me.

What do you guy's think about the groove, what could be rubbing?

Do the cam's look in the rite spot. The notches are even with the cam sprockets center.

What should I look for if the head has to come off next.

Take the belt covers off, do like said above, check the marks to see if it jumped timing. Just cause the cam gears are lined up does not mean it did not jump timing, the lower pulley could have jumped, but at least 99% chance since your cams are lined up what appears by picture to be perfect, if it did jump, your valves are not more than likely NOT bent.

It takes a hour to get those covers off and maybe even replace the belt/pulleys, so just take a peak.

I got lucky when my car jumped timing. My timing belt sheered off 15 teeth at the crank and somehow by miracle (probably because I was decelerating or idling) my valves did not make contact with the pistons and did not bend what so ever. Even after I tried starting my car several times to get the #### outa my towns busiest (sp) road without being rear ended at 45mph. But I still removed the head and replaced it with a good machined head just to be 100% sure. Theres nothing more annoying than doing all that hard work and just having to redo it all over again maybe even further because you did not go that extra step. :barf:

P.S. Better detailed pictures would help. That timing belt looks kinda funny on the passenger side, as if it had been molded/warped inward somehow

It also looks like it needs replacing pretty bad. Alot of people reuse the timing tensioner, just check the tensioner to make sure its not leaking oil and I'm sure all you'd probably need is just a timing belt, not the other $300 in timing belt maintenance parts.

I just did my entire head job with a budget of:

$150 -machining w/ basic valve job
Head -already had it
$105 for gaskets and misc hoses and couplers.
and I reused an old 7bolt timing belt I had on my 90' laser. It still had the lettering on it clear as day so it was new enough for me. This isnt on a race car though, just a 99.9% stock daily driver with a 16g on it.

jott5555 · May 21, 2006

what ive seen happen that usually start's a grove like that is when you put too long of a bolt in the oil pan and it poke's up and rubs right under the crank pullie.. in honestly it looks like your t-belt is screwed.. but you said this car does run? i wouldnt run it wiht that belt like that anymore, you really need to invest the time to pull the pullies off and the t-belt covers and replace your t-belts,

Now on to your INTERCOOLER, take these people's advice and do a PROPER boost leak test, follow the vfaq, do the whole intake system and looks for leaks.. but my final word is replace the t-belt.. and put a shorter bolt in the oil pan hole right under the crank pullie..

90gst_sean · May 21, 2006

I must have f*%#ed something up when I did the timing belt last summer. I bot the car with a blown head gasket and bad turbo for $650. I had the head in the shop for a cheapy fixer, 2 valves, seals, and a grind. There's only 17.000 miles on it sense then. When I did all that, I put a new timing belt, water pump, 16G, but didn't do the tensioner or any or the little belts. I think they're the balancer stuff. I did all gaskets and every thing else I could think of. After I did all that, was when I fell in love with DSM's. Later I asked my friend why he didn't say something about the stuff we skipped, he's supposed to be this supper mechanic. I'm learning from that mistake now...

I'll be sure and do it right this time, you can bet on that!

P.S. I would like to use better pictures, but I tried my hand at a tech write up and use all my space in that. As it is now, I had to remove 2 pic's from there just to put the picture seen above. Does that ever change? I see some members with mass amounts of pictures in file?

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popping sound,almost red line,ran home,now dead?

90gst_sean

arash15

FirstYearTalon

PSI NRG

90gst_sean

90gst_sean

90gst_sean

jott5555

90gst_sean

90gst_sean

jott5555

90gst_sean

90gst_sean

Deluxegsx

90gst_sean

elementalwindx

jott5555

90gst_sean

TRBOBLU

jott5555

90gst_sean

90gst_sean

elementalwindx

jott5555

90gst_sean

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