Just bought a gst that runs.... Sometimes

[Bomalleygst]

Hey my namea Brandon and im new to the dsm world. Well kinda. Ive had a couple non turbo eclipses and such, but anyways onto my problem. I just bought a 96 eclipse gst with 96,000 miles for $1500. Which i think was a good deal. It does however have a knock that sounds like its comin from the piston slappin the head. I plan to rebuild it soon. But here's the thing... I just got it a day ago. Ill start it up and it starts a little rough(which i woulf expect from a bad knock) and it runs and idles fine. It wont stall or anything like that and it will run untill i turn it off. But then i will turn it off.. And here is the real problem.. When i try to start it back up again it will start for about 3 seconds and shut off. I can rev it up but it will still shut right off. Its like after a couple seconds it starves of fuel. It just keeps doin it over and over again.eventually there is a little smoke comin from somewhere in the engine. I have to wait till the next day to to start it again. I just really dont even know where to start. Id really like to get this fixed but im confused. Any help would really be appreciated. Im really in need of it. Thanks everybody

 

[SpawnedX]

First thing that you need to do is check your timing. A "knock" coming from the pistons hitting the valves indicates that your timing is off and it may have bent valves which can be causing your issues.

At this point you need to take the head off and inspect what is going on. Look for contact marks in the pistons from the valves. Also drop your oil pan, check it for shavings, and inspect the rod caps and the bearings to the best of your extent.

Let us know what you find.

 

[Calan]

I agree with Mike that it could be that the timing has jumped and you are slapping valves. Check to see if all the timing marks line up, and check for any missing teeth or damage on the timing belt. Also pull the spark plugs and carefully inspect them for signs of damage.

If the timing seems ok, manually spin the motor clockwise with a socket on the crank bolt (while the plugs are out), and listen for any interference or metal-to-metal contact. You can also pull the valve cover and inspect the valve train for anything out of the ordinary.

If all of that looks good, do a leak-down test on it. This will tell you a wealth of information about what is going on without having to tear into it or risk further damage. Once you do the leak-down test, you should have a good idea of where the problem is and how to proceed.

 

[dsm8883]

It is highly unlikely the noise is a piston striking a valve. It would just bend the valve and drop comp on that cylinder. I would check your timing and see if it is off before u go pulling the head. U may end up pulling the oil pan and checking the bearings....

 

[Bomalleygst]

Thanks alot guys. I really appreciate the advice. I've never worked on a 4g63t and compared to the 420a its kinda scary lookin haha. But im gonna go check the timing and all that right now and see if i can find anything. Anybody know y it runs at first but when i try to start ita minute later it starts for 4 seconds and then dies. I feel like after a couple seconds it doesnt get enough fuel. I dont know if it has somethin to do with the knock or not. Any ideas?

 

[Bomalleygst]

Any ideas at all guys?

 

[Ryan4dc]

Well, I would suggest a rebuild of the engine. Tearing apart the block would identify why it's knocking. Every things pretty much on the thread already.

 

[Bomalleygst]

I know about the knock. I was asking if anybody had any ideas why it would start and run fine but when i turned it off an then tried to turn it on again it would run for a couple seconds and the shut off. No matter if i hit the gas or not. So yeah i know what im gonna do about the knocking. That wasnt what i asked. So if anybody has any useful advice on this problem i would really appreciate it.

 

[Ryan4dc]

How warm do you get the car before it starts acting up? As in a few minutes or a few seconds, of when the fan comes on?

 

[MJBean420]

Any ideas at all guys?

Stick with the basics to begin with. Check the timing, compression, BLT, etc. Typically, the average DSMer finds more that what he, or she, was looking for. And maintenance is a must. Make sure you know what you are dealing with and that your vehicle is in sound, working order.

Might even want to do the timing belt stuff to make sure your engine is good to go...

 

[Bomalleygst]

It does it at any tempature. I could start it when its cold and then turn it off an it will turn back on but its like the fuel cuts out 5 second later and it dies. Or i can let it warm up and then it will do it. It starts once and then not again for hours. But yeah i checked the timing and everything seems alright. Im just gonna take the engine out and rebuild it. But thanks for everybodys advice. I appreciate it. Gotta love dsm...

 

[Maverick4g63]

Does it smell "flooded" when it starts its little episodes?

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