Resolved 2G Engine Rebuild

[RubyEclipse]

Hello everyone! I just purchased my 1996 Eclipse GST a few months ago, had some issues with a few different things. Most recent was car was smoking and running very uneasy, so I decided to pull the engine. I am going to do a full engine rebuild-ish, I bought new wisco heads, still looking at the rods I want, if there’s anything anyone thinks I should buy and upgrade I would love help! Trying to push more power but not an insane amount seeing how I want this to be more of a daily but not quite. Thank you guys!

 

[RubyEclipse]

Just show us what you used. Yiunuse a bolt too long you'll block the galley where it turns 99 degrees.
Additionally there are galley plugs in the head. Are they all present on the ends?

this is all that I did. There is 2 of them, why can’t I block it off with a bolt, what should i do since I can’t?

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[pauleyman]

this is all that I did. There is 2 of them, why can’t I block it off with a bolt, what should i do since I can’t?

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You can use a bolt. Just needs to be short. That's how the factory does it. Do you still have the other head?

 

[RubyEclipse]

You can use a bolt. Just needs to be short. That's how the factory does it. Do you still have the other head?

Yes I do.

Oh it’s got one on it!! I’m putting it on now.

 

[pauleyman]

Oh it’s got one on it!! I’m putting it on now.

Then you see how it's done. I don't recall the other hole.

 

[RubyEclipse]

Thank you very very much, had no idea.

Then you see how it's done. I don't recall the other hole.

its got the same on my old head, nothing covering it though so I don’t know. The next issue to tackle is rough idle, it will die if I don’t hold the gas, around above 2k rpm’s, if I let it drop it’ll probably die, even if I floor it.

 

[pauleyman]

Thank you very very much, had no idea.

its got the same on my old head, nothing covering it though so I don’t know. The next issue to tackle is rough idle, it will die if I don’t hold the gas, around above 2k rpm’s, if I let it drop it’ll probably die, even if I floor it.

Do you know how to run a boost leak test? Additionally the motor has now run on its own. You have no covers so do yourself a favor and turn the motor over by hand and check the marks again. It is a little harder to turn with spark plugs in but not a big deal.

 

[RubyEclipse]

I do not know how to do a boost leak test. How do it? I can turn the engine by hand, or using a ratchet. What does that mean?

All of the marks are lined up still.

 

[pauleyman]

I do not know how to do a boost leak test. How do it? I can turn the engine by hand, or using a ratchet. What does that mean?

Yes using a ratchet. By hand just means you're not cranking the starter.
Let's start with a visual. Check all the piping from turbo to manifold. Yiu did put an intake manifold gasket on?

 

[RubyEclipse]

Yes using a ratchet. By hand just means you're not cranking the starter.
Let's start with a visual. Check all the piping from turbo to manifold. Yiu did put an intake manifold gasket on?

Yes I did. All bolts are lined up and it’s got the gasket. I was thinking it could be fuel injectors? They sat out for a few months and I’m thinking they are clogged or have gunk in them.

 

[pauleyman]

Yes I did. All bolts are lined up and it’s got the gasket. I was thinking it could be fuel injectors? They sat out for a few months and I’m thinking they are clogged or have gunk in them.

Air leaks are more likely. If you think you found the oil leak what about coolant.

 

[RubyEclipse]

Air leaks are more likely. If you think you found the oil leak what about coolant.

Update, she runs, drives; and idles sorta… I got it to run and idle for a good few minutes, took it down the road about 200 feet, hear a huge pop. Then lost almost all power and it was not accelerating almost at all. I had to keep shifting gears to stop it from dying.

She’s still got that power loss issue, no idea what. It will not go past like 2-3k rpms, I was flooring it in neutral and it just would not go up. Still Smokey too but I can’t tell if that’s from the oil on the engine burning or what.

 

[pauleyman]

She’s still got that power loss issue, no idea what. It will not go past like 2-3k rpms, I was flooring it in neutral and it just would not go up. Still Smokey too but I can’t tell if that’s from the oil on the engine burning or what.

Smokey out the tail pipe? Or just under hood?

Give us a couple engine bay shots. Something we can see the whole bay so we look for possible problems. Refresh my memory. This car was running fine? Then what happened.

 

[RubyEclipse]

Smokey out the tail pipe? Or just under hood?

Both, there’s also still an oily residue in the tailpipe. Or it’s just wet from the fumes I don’t know. The tail pipe isn’t like bad smoke tho, and not nearly like it was before, it’s barely puffing now. But it’s dark so I will update you on that tomorrow.

Give us a couple engine bay shots. Something we can see the whole bay so we look for possible problems. Refresh my memory. This car was running fine? Then what happened.

First it had a cracked valve cover and was blowing crazy oil, I fixed that and bought a new one. Then I went to start it up and drive it around, I had some serious power loss. I mean I would absolutely floor it and it gave me 1,500 rpm’s if that, it would struggle to stay alive if I let off the gas. Then the smoke was so so bad so that’s when I asked around and was told it’s most likely a head gasket, before I got to even do that the rag went in the car and set it off time. So I did the head gasket one way or another. Now, she idles okish, at the start it still really struggles but then seems to be ok after a minute or 2, still zero power when gassing it. I went down the road today and floored it, got 2,500 and had to keep shifting so it didn’t kill on me.

 

[pauleyman]

First it had a cracked valve cover and was blowing crazy oil, I fixed that and bought a new one. Then I went to start it up and drive it around, I had some serious power loss. I mean I would absolutely floor it and it gave me 1,500 rpm’s if that, it would struggle to stay alive if I let off the gas. Then the smoke was so so bad so that’s when I asked around and was told it’s most likely a head gasket, before I got to even do that the rag went in the car and set it off time. So I did the head gasket one way or another. Now, she idles okish, at the start it still really struggles but then seems to be ok after a minute or 2, still zero power when gassing it. I went down the road today and floored it, got 2,500 and had to keep shifting so it didn’t kill on me.

There is a cause and effect here were not seeing. Keep at it. Follow the piping and look for rips and tears. Do you have access to compressed air? It's needed to run a boost leak test.

 

[RubyEclipse]

Give us a couple engine bay shots. Something we can see the whole bay so we look for possible problems. Refresh my memory. This car was running fine? Then what happened.

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There is a cause and effect here were not seeing. Keep at it. Follow the piping and look for rips and tears. Do you have access to compressed air? It's needed to run a boost leak test.

Yes I do. I will continue to get this car working, it running was the boost in confidence and motivation I really needed. How do I go about watching for what pipes are leaking and doing a boost leak test.

The stuff I’ve been reading says it could be the TPS, or the MAF sensor or unit. There’s also maybes on a bad catalytic converter, fuel pressure issues, or something about a limp mode?

 

[pauleyman]

Yes I do. I will continue to get this car working, it running was the boost in confidence and motivation I really needed. How do I go about watching for what pipes are leaking and doing a boost leak test.

Visual Frequently Answered Questions - Home Page

Start here.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves with all that other stuff. Did you notice when you floor it boost gauge goes up alot?

Your bov is missing the nipple. So where is the vacuum hose for it? It's also missing the outlet hose clamp and the hose on the intake manifold side of the bov looks suspect/ frayed.

 

[RubyEclipse]

Visual Frequently Answered Questions - Home Page

Start here.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves with all that other stuff. Did you notice when you floor it boost gauge goes up alot?

What do I do on this page? What am I looking for exactly?

Your bov is missing the nipple. So where is the vacuum hose for it? It's also missing the outlet hose clamp and the hose on the intake manifold side of the bov looks suspect/ frayed.

Ok, I noticed that Too, I found the hose being plugged by a pencil believe it or not. It’s been like that for some time by looking at the pencil. I can get a new bov if that’s a good idea, I’ve been told and read the 1g bov is very good. Also yes the boost gauge moves up and down, here’s the car running right now, cold.

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[pauleyman]

The stock boost gauge diesnt really measure boost. It measures airflow. I'm guessing you've got a big leak. Look for.boost leak test. It's under intake if I recall. The rest of that site is a good read also.

1g bov is fine but requires an adapter. You can probably get another 2g bov for cheap/ free as most of us have thrown it away. It's plastic and leaks when you start modding. An evo9 bov is a direct bolt on for 2g stock piping.

 

[RubyEclipse]

The stock boost gauge diesnt really measure boost. It measures airflow. I'm guessing you've got a big leak. Look for.boost leak test. It's under intake if I recall. The rest of that site is a good read also.

Awesome, I will definitely do that. I’ll check it all out and hopefully find something.

1g bov is fine but requires an adapter. You can probably get another 2g bov for cheap/ free as most of us have thrown it away. It's plastic and leaks when you start modding. An evo9 bov is a direct bolt on for 2g stock piping.

Ok got it, I’ll find whatever works best and is a lil bit on the cheaper side.

 

[19Eclipse90]

Please plan to secure the battery. I read, “driving down the road”, “a huge pop”, and “lost almost all power”, and my head goes to battery shorting on the hood.

After reading the rest, I don’t think this is what happened but it can and is easy to remedy while you’re still working on things in the engine bay.

 

[pauleyman]

You never answered. What leaks did you find??

 

[CKOPOCT]

Boost leak test (BLT):

A BLT is the same idea as a cooling system pressure test or an engine leakdown test - you apply pressure to the system to see if it holds pressure, and if not then where is it leaking from. So to perform a BLT you need to somehow put compressed air into the intake system at the correct pressure, kind of like having a preset pressure to fill a bike tire so you don't blow the tire. As you are running a stock setup, you want to make sure the system will hold around 8psi. Stock is 5psi, but going a little over ensures your system is tight.

To pressurize the system you need to create some way to hook an air hose to it. A great and cheap way is to use a tire valve, a small junction hose, and a pvc pipe cap to make a BLT adapter.

To make the adapter, get a junction hose that is the correct diameter to attach to your turbo's intake side. Silicone intake couplers work great. Next, go to Lowe's and get a pvc cap that you can clamp the hose onto to form a plug. Next, get a rubber tire valve stem. Drill a hole in the pvc cap so you can fit the valve stem into it and it will seal.

To perform the BLT, disconnect the air snorkel going to the turbo and clamp on your adapter. Fire up your air compressor and adjust your output pressure to around 8psi. Clamp your air hose to the adapter (they make a self-clamping tire air fitting). If you can't get your hands on a self-clamping fitting, there are other ways to accomplish connecting the compressed air to the adapter. Use what works for what you have access to. Just make sure your connection doesn't leak.

With everything hooked up, listen for any hissing air. If you don't hear anything (and even if you do), get a spray bottle filled with water and a little dawn dish detergent. Follow your intake lines and spray the water on every junction, every connection point. Start at the adapter and work your way along the system. If at any point you see bubbles, you've spotted a leak. Fix it (as appropriate) and keep going... all the way to where the intake bolts to the head. Also be sure you spray your vacuum lines and connections.

====================================

Blow off valve (BOV):

As yours is a stock setup (uses a mass air flow sensor), make sure you get a recirculating BOV. If you get one that vents to the atmosphere (VTA) - makes the psshhhh sound so many people like - it will cause problems.

The mass air sensor calculates how much air is entering the intake system and tells that to the computer. The computer then adjusts the injectors (fuel delivery) accordingly. If you have a VTA valve, then you're dumping some of that air whenever you go from boost to vacuum... but the computer doesn't know that; it's already factored that air into is calculations. You'll end up with a rich air/fuel mixture any time the BOV activates. This will affect the oxygen sensor readings, which will in turn make the computer think there's an issue where the engine isn't burning the fuel properly. It will try to compensate accordingly... and you'll end up with a confused computer trying to adjust for a ghost. It leads to running problems down the road.

Many folks like to hear their BOV and so replace the stock one with a VTA valve. And it's okay to want that... but to use a VTA your system needs to be designed for it. Just slapping a Greddy VTA valve on an otherwise stock system might impress and sound cool, but will cause issues. The system can be modified to work with a VTA BOV, but that's something for down the road.

So if you didn't before, now you know not all BOVs are the same. Make sure to get a recirculating one.

 

[RubyEclipse]

I got a question about hiding that I see.. in pic #1, there is a hose going over top of your brake reservoir that has 2 hoses going into it, one is going to the intake and the other is on the fuel pressure regulator.. my question is, where do the hoses terminate from the other end..?? Right now mine has one hose going from the intake to the FPR and I don’t think that’s right

Terminate from? They’re currently coming from a solenoid I replaced. It was broken and I couldn’t get the bracket off it just didn’t want to come, so it’s behind the brake reservoir right now.

Please plan to secure the battery. I read, “driving down the road”, “a huge pop”, and “lost almost all power”, and my head goes to battery shorting on the hood.

After reading the rest, I don’t think this is what happened but it can and is easy to remedy while you’re still working on things in the engine bay.

I need a new bracket, the last one snapped due to corrosion. It definitely needs to be strapped down I agree, I know this car has electrical issues, the first problem I ever had was the alternator going out. And even after replacing it I still have lights dimming in and out while driving, really weird.

You never answered. What leaks did you find??

I didn’t find any last night, I haven’t checked just yet. My girlfriend comes back today from long distance because it’s our anniversary so I will not be working on the car for a few days, I got about 5 hours today I will be and that’ll be it for awhile. Just a heads up to all, sorry guys.

Boost leak test (BLT):

A BLT is the same idea as a cooling system pressure test or an engine leakdown test - you apply pressure to the system to see if it holds pressure, and if not then where is it leaking from. So to perform a BLT you need to somehow put compressed air into the intake system at the correct pressure, kind of like having a preset pressure to fill a bike tire so you don't blow the tire. As you are running a stock setup, you want to make sure the system will hold around 8psi. Stock is 5psi, but going a little over ensures your system is tight.

To pressurize the system you need to create some way to hook an air hose to it. A great and cheap way is to use a tire valve, a small junction hose, and a pvc pipe cap to make a BLT adapter.

To make the adapter, get a junction hose that is the correct diameter to attach to your turbo's intake side. Silicone intake couplers work great. Next, go to Lowe's and get a pvc cap that you can clamp the hose onto to form a plug. Next, get a rubber tire valve stem. Drill a hole in the pvc cap so you can fit the valve stem into it and it will seal.

To perform the BLT, disconnect the air snorkel going to the turbo and clamp on your adapter. Fire up your air compressor and adjust your output pressure to around 8psi. Clamp your air hose to the adapter (they make a self-clamping tire air fitting). If you can't get your hands on a self-clamping fitting, there are other ways to accomplish connecting the compressed air to the adapter. Use what works for what you have access to. Just make sure your connection doesn't leak.

With everything hooked up, listen for any hissing air. If you don't hear anything (and even if you do), get a spray bottle filled with water and a little dawn dish detergent. Follow your intake lines and spray the water on every junction, every connection point. Start at the adapter and work your way along the system. If at any point you see bubbles, you've spotted a leak. Fix it (as appropriate) and keep going... all the way to where the intake bolts to the head. Also be sure you spray your vacuum lines and connections.

====================================

Blow off valve (BOV):

As yours is a stock setup (uses a mass air flow sensor), make sure you get a recirculating BOV. If you get one that vents to the atmosphere (VTA) - makes the psshhhh sound so many people like - it will cause problems.

The mass air sensor calculates how much air is entering the intake system and tells that to the computer. The computer then adjusts the injectors (fuel delivery) accordingly. If you have a VTA valve, then you're dumping some of that air whenever you go from boost to vacuum... but the computer doesn't know that; it's already factored that air into is calculations. You'll end up with a rich air/fuel mixture any time the BOV activates. This will affect the oxygen sensor readings, which will in turn make the computer think there's an issue where the engine isn't burning the fuel properly. It will try to compensate accordingly... and you'll end up with a confused computer trying to adjust for a ghost. It leads to running problems down the road.

Many folks like to hear their BOV and so replace the stock one with a VTA valve. And it's okay to want that... but to use a VTA your system needs to be designed for it. Just slapping a Greddy VTA valve on an otherwise stock system might impress and sound cool, but will cause issues. The system can be modified to work with a VTA BOV, but that's something for down the road.

So if you didn't before, now you know not all BOVs are the same. Make sure to get a recirculating one.

Ok, I will look up videos and try to get this boost leak test done. I didn’t know the difference in bovs so thank you, everyone says to get the one with noise so I’ll find a recirculating one.

This is the current situation of my airbox hose line or whatever you call it, it’s glued in almost every single port. Do I reglue and seal them or replace it? Can this be an issue for the leak?

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[pauleyman]

This is the current situation of my airbox hose line or whatever you call it, it’s glued in almost every single port. Do I reglue and seal them or replace it? Can this be an issue for the leak?

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I think it appears glued but it isnt. The tubes sticking out of the intake pipe is glued into it. The rubber hoses are just on the pipes. No it isn't a source for a leak as is.

 

[RubyEclipse]

I think it appears glued but it isnt. The tubes sticking out of the intake pipe is glued into it. The rubber hoses are just on the pipes. No it isn't a source for a leak as is.

Ok, was just wondering. They’re tightish, not the most but they’re not loose. I’m getting the attachment for the hose tonight, I made the BLT thing at ace and I have it all set up waiting for an attachment for my air compressor. So I will let you all know how it goes.