earlier today....




a few hours ago....





Lets just end it with this...

TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAPTAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP


04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.

A what happened? Did it drop a valve? Or did the timing chain let go? Or boom?

WHAT HAPPENED!!!???? NO GOOD, NO GOOD!!

What is the tapping coming from? Lower engine? Upper engine? Supercharger? Transmission?




Did you say my car looks slow??

I have no idea. At this point I don't have the time to wrench on the car much longer as Im preparing for storage. looks like it might just sit until next year sometime assuming I only do a one year contract.

it definitely sounds like lower engine possibly. I thought maybe clutch at first as it got worse but it doesnt do i t in neutral, like maybe flywheel bolts backed off or something. Either way its bad, whatever it is. I don't know if it was the engine itself and was just no a good engine, or if its timing. But I do know I don't have the time and luxury now to tear everything back apart.

Ill probably pull the valve cover and drain the oil, maybe remove the pan since it doesn't matter now anyways. But chances are she wont be running before I leave within a few weeks assuming everything goes as planned with my new job.


04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.

04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.

This sucks man I was so pumped to see this thing running again :/



"In Oldskool we trust"

That sucks big time.

Wish you had just slapped a good running L61 in it. Wanted to see what this car had in it.

pulled the valve cover, plugs, nothing so far other than some fuel smothered plugs. figure the surprise is waiting on the inside and I wont be pulling the head right now...too much work at this point.

just figured id see if there was anything obvious..springs looked okay, no obvious bent valves yet, no debris inside that I could see in the cylinders but like my last engine, the damage is prob on the outer part of the piston if there is any. Though the plug would be destroyed...


04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.

so im really pissed about this.
and since Facebook, and almost all websites are just lame right now because I have no motive to do anything (yes, cars mean that much to me when Ive invested so much time and effort..)...that I decided to just go do a compression test.

2 tests dry only, consistently:
cylinder 1 - 186
cylinder 2 - 188
cylinder 3 - 138
cylinder 4 - 188

so I have an apparent compression leak in cylinder 3. If Im feeling up to it I may just remove the intake and exhaust and pull the head off. But its depressing and I have to push myself to want to wrench on it at this point lol


04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.

Awe...gay, I was looking forward to this. I feel for you though. Our turbo ln2 has issues that never end but today we got dyno numbers so we have a little more motivation ...for now.

Stick with it, in the end if you have any hair left you'll feel acomplished.

yeah I saw your numbers, that was pretty impressive considering they weren't even done tuning. You were almost at my hp/tq goals on a properly tuned meth set up as I sit. But if my job works out and I come back next year this time, ill be doing a fully built LSJ and TVS build no question. Just wish I could have gotten to enjoy the car after all this work.


04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.

Those numbers were the best they got, any more psi and the crushed 1g dsm bov was leaking.


Tvs? Awesome, hope everything works out, waiting for kyle to finish with his tvs or wizzard over at ecotecforum.

Do a running compression test and lets see what those numbers are. And make sure to do a leakdown test to see whats f'ed up. Do you have a borescope?
Also get a stethoscope and locate the noise.

Anyways I think everyone who has ever done work on a car at home has felt this pain before. Don't let it stop/discourage you if its something you did incorrect just learn from it!

Dont give up!

Schnupper wrote:Do a running compression test and lets see what those numbers are. And make sure to do a leakdown test to see whats f'ed up. Do you have a borescope?
Also get a stethoscope and locate the noise.

Anyways I think everyone who has ever done work on a car at home has felt this pain before. Don't let it stop/discourage you if its something you did incorrect just learn from it!

Dont give up!

agreed im wrenching on my buddies civic blown freaking head gasket






GOT ECOTEC?

The sound is absolutely horrible and even starting it is probably doing some additional damage. The next step will prob be a leakdown test but I only have the compression test equipment and I don't want to buy anything at this point with limited time. At most I might end up just pulling the head, we'll see. I have a mechanics stethoscope but regardless the head will have to come off to fix the issue either way. Its just so loud..it sounds like a huge piece of metal banging against the car...much worse than the L61 that simply had a torn up piston and pieces shredded up and went everywhere. This one shows no signs yet of pieces in the cylinder, no pitting, rattling, just that really LOUD horrible banging. Ill try to maybe get a short video.

Im not disappointed or discouraged in the fact that Ive got to do work on it, I enjoy wrenching. I don't enjoy the part where im pressed for time and the investment was a waste up to this point. Sadly I WANT to do it right and just do a full race quality build given the time and money are there. So maybe its just a blessing in disguise. But I wont even be able to drive it to storage which really sucks..it felt good cruising in it and just feeling like a fun car to drive again even if I never really got on it.


04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.

Hey man, I'll sell you my motor. $5000 and I'll even toss in an entire car with it!

It does suck that issues surfaced right off the bat, but like you said, just a reason to build it bigger and better.UUnfortunately set backs like this are just part of the game when it comes to modding cars.

Does it happen to sound like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQl9GkPYVXs

Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Monday, October 28, 2013 4:17 AM

that video does sound like a couple of boards being beat together. that low compression number isn't good either, do a leak-down test before you remove the head. The tool isn't too pricy at your favorite store (HF). look in their comments section for the tool, there are lots of ways to make it a better tool on the cheap too.

I was thinking the head got checked out at the machine shop before you put it on, is that right?

Philly D wrote:Does it happen to sound like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQl9GkPYVXs

pretty much..but mine almost sounds a little worse. The hits are a bit more amplified. But it was bad to the point where when I went to stop after trying to drive it home as easy as I could, it wouldn't even stay running. Then wouldn't want to start without 5 or 6 attempts at turning it over.


04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.

That is the sound of a bad bottom end.

Cinny, no the head was not checked out. The one I used was a separate head from the original seller of the LSJ engine. The PO of the LSJ removed the head to get the stripped timing chain guide bolt hole tapped because he stripped it out. So I bought a new head that happened to have new ZZP valve springs in it (so I didn't have to even use mine that are still sitting in box).

Im still debating what I want to do before it goes in storage, but Im running out of time. I already have my storage unit paid for through part of next year and I have to get the garage cleared out. When I tackle it again its going to be done right since I wont be using the cav as a dd until its done...so it may be a few months for the build once I start it, but its going to get a really good build this time.


04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.

Any updates? I know prolly not, just a little bummed

Snowman wrote:Any updates? I know prolly not, just a little bummed

x2



"In Oldskool we trust"

Im actually pretty upset the more I see the car sitting there...

No updates as far as it being worked on or a full diagnosis of what happened, but an update on why its not being done right now.

I was all set to go to Kuwait for an over seas contract and already signed my offer letter and got all the medical/dental exams and immunizations taken care of. the company changed their requirements at the last minute to where I need another certification and I told them Im going to wait since I don't have time to play around and them not have their crap together. Didn't burn any bridges, but Ill reapply in a year or two. The reason is I got a local offer working at the same base I was at before doing developer work for SharePoint, which is what I was looking for. So I am staying local for now.

My living situation and ability to work on my car has changed. I rented a house from my parents that lived over seas for a long time. Since they just moved back, they need the garages for their cars. I have already paid for long term storage for my car and all my stuff, but have yet to move the car into the storage unit. Once I find a more suitable place with a garage, the engine pull and inspection can be done.

So right now, for the first time in a lonnnng time, Im living at home without my own garage again. Kind of thought it would be odd but being grown up its more like having roommates than anything lol. My parents are awesome. But I prefer my privacy and my OWN GARAGE.

She's down but not out. I will not sell her any time soon, I want this project completed. And after my prepaid storage is up I may find a facility that allows you to work on your car there or find a roommate or two and rent a nice sized house.


04 Cav. 2dr. 5spd. My DD. 'Nuff said.

Nice plan.. Yeah, I'm bummed too. Both my '02 and '03 J's broke down in exactly one week. One last Tuesday and my Yellow yesterday. I hate fixing things that should not be broke.




Did you say my car looks slow??