31-41 points of knock! ### help!

[boosted 96 eclipse]

Ok so I was running at 31 points of knock and am now at 41 it is that way throughout my rpm range and speed range. It has a ticking sound from the injectors on cyl. 4 but before I replaced the lifters with the 3G revised ones it was at 31 points of knock and the whole top end ticked. My knock stayed at 31 points after replacing the lifters but it wasn't till after I replaced my DP with a Megan racing cat delete DP when the knock went up to 41. I have a egt gauge and it stays consistent it doesn't spike or anything. I am getting my knock from an SAFC2. I can't think of any other info you guys might need. But I am stumped other than pulling all the lifters back out and bleeding them some more.

 

[1davho]

The lifters should bleed themselves, but I would look at your knock sensor first and make sure it doesn't have the goo running out of it. If it looks good, you might have rich knock happening. What are your air/fuel ratios?

 

[boosted 96 eclipse]

Ok I will check the knock sensor when the sun starts going down. You know I don't even have the air fuel control part hooked up. I just am using it for my knock and rpm's. But I was thinking that it was running rich too. When I got the car a year ago it was like this then too. And supposedly this engine was rebuilt about 44k miles ago. I was wondering if maybe my timing is off or if I have too much carbon build up. When I pulled the plugs and shined a flash light down each cylinder they looked wet and were really black. But then I was thinking maybe it has bad plugs? I'm not exactly sure of what other causes can account for knock. It's just odd and frustrating. It has the stock t25 still. I will be hooking up the fuel controlling of the afc after I drop in this small 16g but I want to get this engine lined out first.

My egt gauge runs at about 1,300* after two hours of driving the car and it just stays there it doesn't fluctuate.

 

[Spanky_DSM]

The SAFC knock readings are trash. Get a decent logger. The safc could be reading 80 counts of knock and actually have none.

 

[boosted 96 eclipse]

I did not know that! The engine does have a tick though it sounds like its coming from cyl. 4 using a screw driver and sticking it on top of the valve cover I only here the ticking on the exhaust side and intake side of cyl. 4. Could that be because of carbon built up on the valves?

I just checked the knock sensor and I didn't see or feel any goo. I found my throttle body leaking where it meets the intake mani. I also am thinking that this chinsy eBay ram horn is leaking (I'm gonna put stock mani back on for now). Also I think my plugs need changed I pulled them and they are really black and have that blow through oil on them. I'm gonna hook my oil catch can back up (thought it had a vacuum leak). Another thing my vacuum is 12 in. hg. Is this normal? If not can it cause knock? I read in the Haynes manual that typical vacuum should be between 17-22.

I'm also gonna tear apart this throttle body and check the o-rings for damage/wear.

Well I tore apart the throttle body and found that the o-rings had nothing left of them.

 

[1davho]

Sounds like you definitely have some boost leaks. Do a boost leak test to start with and fix all the leaks. That is a major part of you running too rich and fouling plugs. As for the knock, you need a descent datalogger. In my opinion, dsmlink is the way to go and by the time you spend money on all the other tuning and datalogging tools, you could have it. The oil on your plugs is not caused by crankcase pressure unless its very excessive. I would assume its either valve guides or worn rings. Do a compression test to check the condition of those.

 

[boosted 96 eclipse]

im almost positive i found all the leaks.

yeah im running broke haha i cant really afford dsmlink even though id really like to get it.

i don't have oil on the plugs its sitting on top of the pistons but i cant tell if its oil or unburned gasoline. its very minimal it's more of just a damp look. supposedly the engine was rebuilt 41k miles ago. But idk how much i can believe that. but if it was i wouldn't think it already has bad rings and/or valve guides. the oil in the intake manifold is pretty slick (fresh).

i may be able to get my hands on a compression tester.

 

[ZenkaiRacerDsM]

The SAFC is not compatible with 2G DSM knock sensors.

 

[DSM1G90]

Ever wonder on carbon buildup since, in boost, the system runs rich?

That'll get the knock count up in a heartbeat due to increase compression ratio by the carbon buildup on a rich system

 

[1davho]

If its unburned fuel, you need to figure out why you are running so rich. Maybe its your settings on the safc. Invest in a descent logger like evoscan or something. If you have oil in the intake I would assume your turbo is on its way out.

 

[boosted 96 eclipse]

I don't have the actual fuel converter wires hooked up as stated in an earlier comment because I have no need for it yet. The oil is in the intake MANIFOLD not the intake nor the intercooler piping. But I wouldn't doubt it if the turbo was getting ready to go out on me. I threw in some new plugs the NGK BPR6ES plugs and it helped. Next is gonna be is cleaning the system with seafoam and rebuilding the throttle body. Hopefully one of those help and if not I will check my timing. But I have no idea which notches I need to go off of on the cams and where the crank needs to line up.

I was unable to get ahold of a compression tester. I will try again today.

Ok so I was just thinking. I am running an open BOV would that cause a rich condition? Because of the maf already accounting for extra air that its not getting and cause it to run rich?

Also when the maf was disconnected and I had the car running my idle smoothed out and knock dropped down to 21. Maybe that will help with diagnosing the problem.

 

[1davho]

Timing Belt VFAQ there is a link to timing info. The open bov should only cause problems when you let off the gas when in boost and make shifting rough unless it leaks all the time. Are your injectors stock?

 

[boosted 96 eclipse]

Thank you for the vfaq. Ahh ok yeah I wasn't sure. Yeah they are the stock injectors.

 

[1davho]

I would unhook and disregard the safc unless you get bigger injectors and a fuel pump. Until then, just run stock boost levels and let the ecm do its own thing. Run a compression test, check timing, and do a boost leak test. Is your check engine light on? If so, pull codes ebb if you have to go to AutoZone or something to do it. Let us know what codes come up.

 

[boosted 96 eclipse]

Ok that is the best information I've received it was straight forward and what to check thank you. Nope no CEL's.