help me diagnose my engine - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

darioavila · 04-28-2010, 11:22 AM

I installed the engine that i bought from a shop that told me that he guaranteed me the engine was good or else he would fix it.

Install went easy, i started up the car and drove it around the block and i noticed it was smoking a bit when i accelerated. So i did a compression test and go the following numbers 50.150,150,50. i added oil to each cylinder and it raised the compression to 60,160,160,60. I called the guy i bought it from and tell him the results i got and he says its happen to him that the motors have low comp. and after he installs them and break them in the comp goes up. Because the motor was sitting for a long time.

I removed the intake pipe and hot pipe and there oil dripping from there, i think the turbo is bad too. I think thats y it smokes so much. Could i have bad engine and bad turbo?

obsolete · 04-28-2010, 11:27 AM

tell the guy to fix it

sirfallsalot243 · 04-28-2010, 11:35 AM

Oil being in the intake pipe isnt 100% definitive of a bad turbo, but those compression test results arent going to change. Youve got two bad cylinders, and should be looking to the salesman the replace the motor.

darioavila · 04-28-2010, 11:35 AM

He told me the engine had been built by doluck in japan. The head is really clean theres no carbon build up or nothing so i know it was recently rebuilt.

Iron_Zenki · 04-28-2010, 11:36 AM

uhm. you could be a bit specific like type of engine ect..
..noobs

xpertsnowcarver · 04-28-2010, 11:37 AM

Assuming you did your compression test correctly, 50.150.150.50 warrants a rebuild. So, who ever assembled it screwed up. And yes, if your seals in the turbo are no good and oil leaks into the exhaust, it will cause smoke to come out of your exhaust.

http://zilvia.net/f/chat/297481-smal...w-threads.html

darioavila · 04-28-2010, 11:37 AM

oh sorry it s13 redtop.

sirfallsalot243 · 04-28-2010, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darioavila

He told me the engine had been built by doluck in japan. The head is really clean theres no carbon build up or nothing so i know it was recently rebuilt.

Maybe just the head was rebuilt... no guarentee that the block was. And with compression numbers of 50 150 150 50.. somethings obviously not right. A leak down test will give you a better idea of where your compression is going. Try that, and check for air coming out of the dipstick tube. If you feel air coming out if there, your rings are shot. (which means the block needs rebuilding, which would mean youd wanna just replace it).

Ive heard of compression numbers being low on an engine thats been sitting, but usually i hear that in reference to a motor sitting on a pallet. Once the car has been started and run a bit, those numbers should have returned to normal by now if the engine is healthy.

darioavila · 04-28-2010, 11:51 AM

yeah the engine had been sitting for a while, i thought driving the car around would increase the comp. but it smokes too much to be driving it in the street. spark plug number 4 looks like there's a little bit of oil but its barely noticeable, all the other spark plugs are just black but no oil.

darioavila · 04-28-2010, 11:58 AM

im gonna do a leakdown test today. If there air coming out of dipstick it means the rings are bad?

sirfallsalot243 · 04-28-2010, 12:01 PM

What color is the smoke?

Blue = burning oil, rings are shot
White = burning coolant, usually bad head gasket
Black = running rich

And yeah, as you force air into the cylinders, if that air is getting by the rings, it will go into the bottom end. Removing the dipstick and feeling if air is coming out of the tube will tell you if thats your problem.

nissan240 · 04-29-2010, 07:08 AM

most likley your rings are shot! tell the guy to replace the damn motor!

Hashiriya415 · 04-29-2010, 07:50 AM

Lesson is, do compression check first, anything below 140 for an SR is not worth putting in. Unless it's your daily driver and you don't care. Next one you get do the compression first, and also take off the pan and check the rod bearings, very easy for someone to sell you an engine with rod knock.

darioavila · 04-29-2010, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nissan240

most likley your rings are shot! tell the guy to replace the damn motor!

im gonna have him replace it, took out the motor yesterday.

sirfallsalot243 · 04-29-2010, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darioavila

im gonna have him replace it, took out the motor yesterday.

I assume that means you did the leak down test, and that the rings are shot?

darioavila · 04-29-2010, 02:34 PM

yeah did a leakdown test and cylinders 1 and 4 had air coming out of valve cover. and the other two had very little leakage less than 5 percent.

brian3676 · 04-29-2010, 03:03 PM

nice nice so gunna rebuild it or get you a new one?

darioavila · 04-29-2010, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brian3676

nice nice so gunna rebuild it or get you a new one?

I'm trying to get a hold of him but he doesn't answer the phone and doesn't respond to my messages or emails.

Brian do you know Jerry personally or just thru nwn?

sirfallsalot243 · 04-30-2010, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darioavila

I'm trying to get a hold of him but he doesn't answer the phone and doesn't respond to my messages or emails.

Brian do you know Jerry personally or just thru nwn?

Sounds like hes tryin to give you the run around. Id show up at his shop with the old motor and not leave til i got a new one. Thats fuckin bullshit IMO.

brian3676 · 04-30-2010, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darioavila

I'm trying to get a hold of him but he doesn't answer the phone and doesn't respond to my messages or emails.

Brian do you know Jerry personally or just thru nwn?

Ha i dont even know him through NWN, i just now he is a sponsor and thats where you got the motor, So sorry :-( i cant help you contact him

darioavila · 04-30-2010, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirfallsalot243

Sounds like hes tryin to give you the run around. Id show up at his shop with the old motor and not leave til i got a new one. Thats fuckin bullshit IMO.

yeah that's what im gonna do if he doesn't return my call. But its a 10 hr round trip drive to his shop. another road trip lol.

brian3676 · 04-30-2010, 11:26 AM

How much did you pay for the motor? you bought it as a front clip or a motor set? Depending what you paid you can ask for a credit and then just rebuild it and have a brand new motor. My supplier offers to send me a new motor or give me a credit if something is wrong. But then again I have a business licence and a account with them so my warranty/refund might be different then jerrys policy.

darioavila · 04-30-2010, 12:01 PM

i bought it as a long block, it was missing a couple things, cas,tb,water pump and a few other minor things. I just swapped them over from my other motor. I paid 1200 for it. He assured me it was good because hes never received a bad motor from his supplier in the 9 years hes been supplying him.

brian3676 · 04-30-2010, 12:03 PM

If you paid 1200 i'm not sure that he will be able to credit you enough for the cost of a full rebuild. But Good luck on your adventure! Let us know what happens.

04-28-2010, 11:22 AM	#1
darioavila Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: woodburn or Age: 40 Posts: 32 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	help me diagnose my engine I installed the engine that i bought from a shop that told me that he guaranteed me the engine was good or else he would fix it. Install went easy, i started up the car and drove it around the block and i noticed it was smoking a bit when i accelerated. So i did a compression test and go the following numbers 50.150,150,50. i added oil to each cylinder and it raised the compression to 60,160,160,60. I called the guy i bought it from and tell him the results i got and he says its happen to him that the motors have low comp. and after he installs them and break them in the comp goes up. Because the motor was sitting for a long time. I removed the intake pipe and hot pipe and there oil dripping from there, i think the turbo is bad too. I think thats y it smokes so much. Could i have bad engine and bad turbo?

04-28-2010, 11:37 AM	#6
xpertsnowcarver Post Whore! Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: LA, CA Posts: 2,667 Trader Rating: (44) Feedback Score: 44 reviews	Assuming you did your compression test correctly, 50.150.150.50 warrants a rebuild. So, who ever assembled it screwed up. And yes, if your seals in the turbo are no good and oil leaks into the exhaust, it will cause smoke to come out of your exhaust. http://zilvia.net/f/chat/297481-smal...w-threads.html __________________ My YouTube Channel

04-28-2010, 11:27 AM	#2
obsolete Zilvia Addict Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: NJ Age: 44 Posts: 717 Trader Rating: (8) Feedback Score: 8 reviews	tell the guy to fix it

04-28-2010, 11:35 AM	#3
sirfallsalot243 BANNED Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Doylestown, PA Age: 36 Posts: 468 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	Oil being in the intake pipe isnt 100% definitive of a bad turbo, but those compression test results arent going to change. Youve got two bad cylinders, and should be looking to the salesman the replace the motor.

04-28-2010, 11:51 AM	#9
darioavila Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: woodburn or Age: 40 Posts: 32 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	yeah the engine had been sitting for a while, i thought driving the car around would increase the comp. but it smokes too much to be driving it in the street. spark plug number 4 looks like there's a little bit of oil but its barely noticeable, all the other spark plugs are just black but no oil.

04-28-2010, 11:58 AM	#10
darioavila Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: woodburn or Age: 40 Posts: 32 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	im gonna do a leakdown test today. If there air coming out of dipstick it means the rings are bad?

04-28-2010, 12:01 PM	#11
sirfallsalot243 BANNED Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Doylestown, PA Age: 36 Posts: 468 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	What color is the smoke? Blue = burning oil, rings are shot White = burning coolant, usually bad head gasket Black = running rich And yeah, as you force air into the cylinders, if that air is getting by the rings, it will go into the bottom end. Removing the dipstick and feeling if air is coming out of the tube will tell you if thats your problem.

04-29-2010, 07:08 AM	#12
nissan240 Zilvia Addict Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: socal Posts: 690 Trader Rating: (6) Feedback Score: 6 reviews	most likley your rings are shot! tell the guy to replace the damn motor!

04-29-2010, 07:50 AM	#13
Hashiriya415 Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: San Francisco Age: 36 Posts: 1,007 Trader Rating: (22) Feedback Score: 22 reviews	Lesson is, do compression check first, anything below 140 for an SR is not worth putting in. Unless it's your daily driver and you don't care. Next one you get do the compression first, and also take off the pan and check the rod bearings, very easy for someone to sell you an engine with rod knock.

04-29-2010, 02:34 PM	#16
darioavila Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: woodburn or Age: 40 Posts: 32 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	yeah did a leakdown test and cylinders 1 and 4 had air coming out of valve cover. and the other two had very little leakage less than 5 percent.

04-29-2010, 03:03 PM	#17
brian3676 Zilvia Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: portland Age: 36 Posts: 205 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	nice nice so gunna rebuild it or get you a new one?

04-30-2010, 11:26 AM	#22
brian3676 Zilvia Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: portland Age: 36 Posts: 205 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	How much did you pay for the motor? you bought it as a front clip or a motor set? Depending what you paid you can ask for a credit and then just rebuild it and have a brand new motor. My supplier offers to send me a new motor or give me a credit if something is wrong. But then again I have a business licence and a account with them so my warranty/refund might be different then jerrys policy.

04-30-2010, 12:01 PM	#23
darioavila Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: woodburn or Age: 40 Posts: 32 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	i bought it as a long block, it was missing a couple things, cas,tb,water pump and a few other minor things. I just swapped them over from my other motor. I paid 1200 for it. He assured me it was good because hes never received a bad motor from his supplier in the 9 years hes been supplying him.

04-30-2010, 12:03 PM	#24
brian3676 Zilvia Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: portland Age: 36 Posts: 205 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	If you paid 1200 i'm not sure that he will be able to credit you enough for the cost of a full rebuild. But Good luck on your adventure! Let us know what happens.