Rebuild advice on a budget

[rcarbajal4]

Hey guys. So I picked up a 1g awd tsi with 140k and bad valve stem seals (or so I assumed because compression was good). A friend borrowed the car for school and he said he did a WOT pull and the check engine light turned on and the car started to smoke.
Been asking around and I was told it could be the piston rings, so I want to do a semi rebuild. RRE quoted me at 1400 and I don't want to pay that much so I'm planning on doing it myself (first time) with fellow dsmers who've done it.
I can pick up an itm hg and itm seals for 30 from someone locally, and I was going to order clevite rod bearings and Hastings piston rings from thedsmgraveyard.com . Is this all I would need? Are these brands good?
I've also read that priming is important, doing an oil change at 20, motoman method (still reading up on that) etc. I want to do this right the first time since I wouldn't have more money to spend if it went wrong, and I also think this would be a great learning experience to get to know my car.
Sorry for rambling on, just want things to go right. Any advice you can give is greatly appreciated

 

[96' Eclipse GS]

Some advice is alwasys plan for something to go wrong....haha Just kidding, depending on what you want and what the damage is, you then can move on. I would tear into it first and then order parts. You want to do a semi-build, so you mean (power wise) or actual parts? Start with the head & work your way into the engine block and internals. A lot can blow up in your face with just thinking of what is wrong and find out it WILL cost more... Brand Names are good, but I would go with (NPR) for the rings, everything else looks good.

.....Oh wait, TIME AND PATIENCE IS THE KEY!

 

[liquidsilver]

Ok sorry I know you are on a budget but here is what I recommend. Get the machine work done...personally I like being confident that I went above and beyond on a build. The motor will be apart, and you will know everything will be in great condition. Though not budget friendly, this is the best time to do it.

If you need to hold off, then use that time to find out what the real issue is and determine if you can drive it without damaging something else. Otherwise park and save. And yes patience is very important for sanity .

BTW seals will cause it to smoke.

Hope this helps.

 

[rcarbajal4]

By "semi build" I mean rebuild, but only the necessary, not for performance, just to get it running again. I can't find any vendor that carries Nippon that isn't the China one. I have someone local that can do the machining if necessary. For pretty cheap too. And yea I know I'm gonna need to take my time, which is why I want to start now since I don't go back to school until September

 

[huafist]

Have you done any diagnostics to determine that the engine needs rebuilt?

 

[rcarbajal4]

Have you done any diagnostics to determine that the engine needs rebuilt?

I did another compression test and I found that 2 cylinders lost compression so I strongly believe the rings are gone. I just ordered a new oem hg, valve seals, npr rings, and acl rod/main bearings

 

[hediki12]

Hey guys. So I picked up a 1g awd tsi with 140k and bad valve stem seals (or so I assumed because compression was good). A friend borrowed the car for school and he said he did a WOT pull and the check engine light turned on and the car started to smoke.
Been asking around and I was told it could be the piston rings, so I want to do a semi rebuild. RRE quoted me at 1400 and I don't want to pay that much so I'm planning on doing it myself (first time) with fellow dsmers who've done it.
I can pick up an itm hg and itm seals for 30 from someone locally, and I was going to order clevite rod bearings and Hastings piston rings from thedsmgraveyard.com . Is this all I would need? Are these brands good?
I've also read that priming is important, doing an oil change at 20, motoman method (still reading up on that) etc. I want to do this right the first time since I wouldn't have more money to spend if it went wrong, and I also think this would be a great learning experience to get to know my car.
Sorry for rambling on, just want things to go right. Any advice you can give is greatly appreciated

Don't buy from dsmgraveyard you should read their feedback is horrible.
TheDSMGraveyard.com - Directory

 

[My1GLaser]

Are they adjacent cylinders? Could be the head gasket. Is there coolant and oil mixing? Is your overflow bottle completely full?

 

[rcarbajal4]

Are they adjacent cylinders? Could be the head gasket. Is there coolant and oil mixing? Is your overflow bottle completely full?

No it's #1 & #3. No mixing of fluids either.

 

[JacksonAuto]

If you're putting new rings in it then you'll want to hone the cylinders. With that kind of mileage I would also be willing to bet money that the cylinders are worn out of round and need to be bored oversize.

Putting new bearings in it you'll also need to have the crank cleaned and polished to ensure you wont experience premature failure.

You'll also need to invest in several tools to perform the inspection and re-assembly. They need to be of mid-range quality. You don't need to spend a fortune on top of the line Starret type tools, but you will want to avoid Harbor Freight. Below is a list of what you'll need. Bore gages and mics need to measure to .0001".


0-1" outside mic
1-2" outside mic
2-3" outside mic
3-4" outside mic
0-1" dial bore gage
1-2" dial bore gage
2-3" dial bore gage
3-4" dial bore gage
Dial indicator with stand
accurate verneer style calipers (with gage, not digital)
Dial-type torque wrench. Avoid 'clickers'
Torque-Angle meter
Rod bolt stretch gage
Piston ring filing tool
Piston ring compressor (I prefer the tapered type)

Required machine work would include-

Block:
Hot tank
Check align bore
Deck
Bore and plate hone
Final wash and assemble
Hot tank crank
Magnaflux inspect for cracks
check for straight
Mic and Micro-polish journals

Rods:
Press pistons off
Hot tank
Magnaflux
Check big end ID- correct if necessary
Check and size pin bores

Parts would include:
New BS bearings, freeze plugs, galley plug, etc.
Replacement pistons with new rings and pins
Rod, main and thrust bearings
Gaskets to reassemble long block
Oil pump
Water pump
Timing components

 

[BogusSVO]

If you're putting new rings in it then you'll want to hone the cylinders. With that kind of mileage I would also be willing to bet money that the cylinders are worn out of round and need to be bored oversize.

Putting new bearings in it you'll also need to have the crank cleaned and polished to ensure you wont experience premature failure.

You'll also need to invest in several tools to perform the inspection and re-assembly. They need to be of mid-range quality. You don't need to spend a fortune on top of the line Starret type tools, but you will want to avoid Harbor Freight. Below is a list of what you'll need. Bore gages and mics need to measure to .0001".


0-1" outside mic
1-2" outside mic
2-3" outside mic
3-4" outside mic
0-1" dial bore gage
1-2" dial bore gage
2-3" dial bore gage
3-4" dial bore gage
Dial indicator with stand
accurate verneer style calipers (with gage, not digital)
Dial-type torque wrench. Avoid 'clickers'
Torque-Angle meter
Rod bolt stretch gage
Piston ring filing tool
Piston ring compressor (I prefer the tapered type)

Required machine work would include-

Block:
Hot tank
Check align bore
Deck
Bore and plate hone
Final wash and assemble
Hot tank crank
Magnaflux inspect for cracks
check for straight
Mic and Micro-polish journals

Rods:
Press pistons off
Hot tank
Magnaflux
Check big end ID- correct if necessary
Check and size pin bores

Parts would include:
New BS bearings, freeze plugs, galley plug, etc.
Replacement pistons with new rings and pins
Rod, main and thrust bearings
Gaskets to reassemble long block
Oil pump
Water pump
Timing components

Rock on JAM!!

Add to the list..

Blue shop towels
RTV
loc-tite
oil and filter
3 cans of brake clean
Paint
Belts and hoses as needed
Thermastat
spark plugs
Plug wires
replace any sensors that are not on good order

Also have your fuel injecters checked.

 

[talonesi95t]

Why not digital?

 

[JacksonAuto]

Accuracy.

 

[talonesi95t]

How is a analog more accurate then a digital gage. Im in the process of buying some measuring tools.

 

[Fehrion_sit]

analog gauges correctly display any varations in the metal. for instance when checking for cylinder taper you need to be able to see varations. digital bore gauges do not react like a needle does. a high end 400$ + digital gauge might, but id take a needle (analog) everytime

 

[Nicklepage1010]

Don't buy from dsmgraveyard you should read their feedback is horrible.
TheDSMGraveyard.com - Directory

Ive bought a bunch of stuff from the guys at the graveyard and ive never had any issues what-so-ever.
Dont tell someone not to buy from somewhere unless you have had first hand experience with the seller.

 

[JacksonAuto]

A good analog gage will read to .0001", digitals only read to .001".