Car progress...

TeamXXXrob · 07-19-2007, 08:18 PM

Well as many of you know, my car's been down most of the year due to smoking issues. I originally thought it was the turbo seals but after rebuilding the turbo and the smoking issue still continued, the next possibility was internally in the engine.

After talking to several people, it could be a few things... bad piston rings or worn out valve guides or valve guide seals. Valve guide seals seemed to be the best explanation because my car would smoke a lot when i initially started it up and until it warmed up and then smoked during stop and go driving and when i was decelerating. The thought was that oil was getting by the seals and working its way down the valves and into the combustion chamber where it sat until i started it up and it would blow out.

Last weekend the car was brought down to my dad's shop (well actually the shop right next to my dad's, and the owner John and I started ripping the motor apart.

Intercooler piping came out, turbo, head, left the block in, but dropped the pan and took out the pistons.

Here are a few pics of the pistons and rods when they came out...

There seemed to be a lot of carbon build up around and in the piston ring grooves... especially the oil rings, where on one piston, the oil rings seemed to be jammed up with a lot of carbon and had no play in it.

Bearings looked good except for one... looked like a hot spot (not sure the cause)

Next step was to clean the pistons, rods, wrist pins and bolts. Glass-beaded the domes of the pistons and spent a lot of time cleaning out all the piston ring grooves.

New Total Seal rings have been ordered.
New Calico coated bearings have been ordered.

Cleaned up my intercooler piping...

A few head shots before it was hot-tanked and disassembled...

One intake valve and two exhausts valves were taken out and the guides and valve guide seals seemed to be good. The rest will come apart this weekend with hopefully more answers.

XtremeModifier · 07-20-2007, 12:28 PM

Damn, that sucks!

Good luck, and hopefully the rsx will be back out pretty soon! Any news on the Camaro?

EP3Moschini · 07-20-2007, 04:18 PM

nice progress! hope you get some aftermarket rods and low compression pistons. . .

rmcg5 · 07-20-2007, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EP3Moschini

nice progress! hope you get some aftermarket rods and low compression pistons. . .

he's putting the stock ones back in.... that's why he cleaned them up.....

TeamXXXrob · 07-20-2007, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EP3Moschini

nice progress! hope you get some aftermarket rods and low compression pistons. . .

Don't have the funds for all that, plus this motor can handle a shit load stock!

EP3Moschini · 07-21-2007, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeamXXXrob

Don't have the funds for all that, plus this motor can handle a shit load stock!

Troof. . . but but but. . .

oh well good work and hope to see it in action for nopi

XtremeModifier · 07-22-2007, 05:49 PM

Hopefully NOPI NH is better than NOPI MI. Just ask anyone who was there... if you can find one of the 40 or so. lol.

TeamXXXrob · 07-23-2007, 08:44 AM

NOPI NH was really good last year for its 1st year... the words out so i expect a better showing this year.

TeamXXXrob · 07-23-2007, 07:45 PM

Weekend 2 has come and gone. John and I worked on the car most of Saturday. A/C compressor and all lines are out of the car, cruise control cable is gone, o2 bung for the AEM UEGO was welded onto the exhaust system and the new innovative mounts were installed. After taking out my stock side mounts and front mount... all 3 were busted. No wonder i got a lot of wheel hop.

Sunday was left to finish taking apart the head, inspect everything and clean it up to get it ready for assembly.

Valves, springs, retainers and locks are out...

Doesn't look like there was a problem with the head at all... guides and valve guide seals looked great

Are theory now is... due to the bad turbo seals over the past year, all the oil that it blew into the motor gummed up the rings really bad. One of the pistons oil rings were pretty much seized in there. This could have been the cause of all the smoking. Not sure how it explains the smoking at start-up.

Heads all cleaned up...

Valves were all cleaned up and new valve guide seals have been ordered.

Next part of the day was to port match my intake manifold to my new BDL 70mm throttle body. due to lack of stock of BDL's 70mm TB vacuum spacers, i have to use a 72mm spacer instead.

Our plan was to mount the IM up to one of the machines in the shop that could bore it out rather quickly until we realized that with a 72mm opening, 2 sides of the IM inlet did not have enough metal to bore it straight in. we would have to taper it in on those 2 sides so we wouldn't break though the metal.

So the hand grinding started...

Almost there...

Finishing it up...

Done... (picture with 72mm spacer on)

As of today the new Total Seal piston rings are in, bearings should be in tomorrow and the seals are due in on Wednesday. My dad will take friday and assemble the head and pistons so we are ready for install Saturday morning.

XtremeModifier · 07-24-2007, 09:40 PM

Nice.

And, as I asked above, any updates on the Camaro, or has progress stalled while you work on the RSX?

07-19-2007, 08:18 PM	#1
TeamXXXrob Administrator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: NY/MA Posts: 2,051	Car progress... Well as many of you know, my car's been down most of the year due to smoking issues. I originally thought it was the turbo seals but after rebuilding the turbo and the smoking issue still continued, the next possibility was internally in the engine. After talking to several people, it could be a few things... bad piston rings or worn out valve guides or valve guide seals. Valve guide seals seemed to be the best explanation because my car would smoke a lot when i initially started it up and until it warmed up and then smoked during stop and go driving and when i was decelerating. The thought was that oil was getting by the seals and working its way down the valves and into the combustion chamber where it sat until i started it up and it would blow out. Last weekend the car was brought down to my dad's shop (well actually the shop right next to my dad's, and the owner John and I started ripping the motor apart. Intercooler piping came out, turbo, head, left the block in, but dropped the pan and took out the pistons. Here are a few pics of the pistons and rods when they came out... There seemed to be a lot of carbon build up around and in the piston ring grooves... especially the oil rings, where on one piston, the oil rings seemed to be jammed up with a lot of carbon and had no play in it. Bearings looked good except for one... looked like a hot spot (not sure the cause) Next step was to clean the pistons, rods, wrist pins and bolts. Glass-beaded the domes of the pistons and spent a lot of time cleaning out all the piston ring grooves. New Total Seal rings have been ordered. New Calico coated bearings have been ordered. Cleaned up my intercooler piping... A few head shots before it was hot-tanked and disassembled... One intake valve and two exhausts valves were taken out and the guides and valve guide seals seemed to be good. The rest will come apart this weekend with hopefully more answers. __________________ WWW.TEAMXXXRACING.COM race team \| online parts store 02 RSX-S Turbo :: 11.466 @ 122.91 69 Camaro :: 10.24 @ 134 EMAIL: ringles@teamxxxracing.com AIM: teamXXXracing

07-20-2007, 12:28 PM	#2
XtremeModifier teamXXXracing Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Flint, MI Posts: 855	Damn, that sucks! Good luck, and hopefully the rsx will be back out pretty soon! Any news on the Camaro? __________________ cop gets schooled regarding Vehicle Code Engineering Major - West Virginia University 1987 Pontiac Firebird Formula - 388, not running. For Sale. 2008 Chevy HHR 2LT/Loaded - Daily Driver In the market for a 400/4spd 2nd gen Trans Am project.

07-20-2007, 04:18 PM	#3
EP3Moschini Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Northbridge, Ma Posts: 353	nice progress! hope you get some aftermarket rods and low compression pistons. . . __________________ 1996 Civic LX 2001 Acura TL-P www.hondasofnewengland.com Last edited by EP3Moschini; 07-20-2007 at 04:18 PM.

07-22-2007, 05:49 PM	#7
XtremeModifier teamXXXracing Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Flint, MI Posts: 855	Hopefully NOPI NH is better than NOPI MI. Just ask anyone who was there... if you can find one of the 40 or so. lol. __________________ cop gets schooled regarding Vehicle Code Engineering Major - West Virginia University 1987 Pontiac Firebird Formula - 388, not running. For Sale. 2008 Chevy HHR 2LT/Loaded - Daily Driver In the market for a 400/4spd 2nd gen Trans Am project.

07-23-2007, 08:44 AM	#8
TeamXXXrob Administrator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: NY/MA Posts: 2,051	NOPI NH was really good last year for its 1st year... the words out so i expect a better showing this year. __________________ WWW.TEAMXXXRACING.COM race team \| online parts store 02 RSX-S Turbo :: 11.466 @ 122.91 69 Camaro :: 10.24 @ 134 EMAIL: ringles@teamxxxracing.com AIM: teamXXXracing

07-23-2007, 07:45 PM	#9
TeamXXXrob Administrator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: NY/MA Posts: 2,051	Weekend 2 has come and gone. John and I worked on the car most of Saturday. A/C compressor and all lines are out of the car, cruise control cable is gone, o2 bung for the AEM UEGO was welded onto the exhaust system and the new innovative mounts were installed. After taking out my stock side mounts and front mount... all 3 were busted. No wonder i got a lot of wheel hop. Sunday was left to finish taking apart the head, inspect everything and clean it up to get it ready for assembly. Valves, springs, retainers and locks are out... Doesn't look like there was a problem with the head at all... guides and valve guide seals looked great Are theory now is... due to the bad turbo seals over the past year, all the oil that it blew into the motor gummed up the rings really bad. One of the pistons oil rings were pretty much seized in there. This could have been the cause of all the smoking. Not sure how it explains the smoking at start-up. Heads all cleaned up... Valves were all cleaned up and new valve guide seals have been ordered. Next part of the day was to port match my intake manifold to my new BDL 70mm throttle body. due to lack of stock of BDL's 70mm TB vacuum spacers, i have to use a 72mm spacer instead. Our plan was to mount the IM up to one of the machines in the shop that could bore it out rather quickly until we realized that with a 72mm opening, 2 sides of the IM inlet did not have enough metal to bore it straight in. we would have to taper it in on those 2 sides so we wouldn't break though the metal. So the hand grinding started... Almost there... Finishing it up... Done... (picture with 72mm spacer on) As of today the new Total Seal piston rings are in, bearings should be in tomorrow and the seals are due in on Wednesday. My dad will take friday and assemble the head and pistons so we are ready for install Saturday morning. __________________ WWW.TEAMXXXRACING.COM race team \| online parts store 02 RSX-S Turbo :: 11.466 @ 122.91 69 Camaro :: 10.24 @ 134 EMAIL: ringles@teamxxxracing.com AIM: teamXXXracing

07-24-2007, 09:40 PM	#10
XtremeModifier teamXXXracing Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Flint, MI Posts: 855	Nice. And, as I asked above, any updates on the Camaro, or has progress stalled while you work on the RSX? __________________ cop gets schooled regarding Vehicle Code Engineering Major - West Virginia University 1987 Pontiac Firebird Formula - 388, not running. For Sale. 2008 Chevy HHR 2LT/Loaded - Daily Driver In the market for a 400/4spd 2nd gen Trans Am project.

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