Didn't bleed lifters - 90 cold compression new engine

trunks11 · 07-30-2010

So I installed hks cams on the a new engine and was ignorant about bleeding lifters since the rre write up doesn't mention it. So I bleed them last night and waited until tonight to try again and still 90.

The car won't start from the low compression and cranking it by hand is pretty hard on the compression stroke with my 1/2 socket. So bent valves for sure? I'm going to verify timing is correct before pulling the damn thing apart.

Anything else it could be on an engine with 7 miles? I know it's low until the rings seal but this is way too low.

Argh...

**Goat Blower** · 07-30-2010

Who built the engine?

Pushit2.0 · 07-30-2010

How are you doing the compression test? What brand compression tester? I would guess your cam timing or CAS is not right. I have had an engine run with 100psi compression.

~John

blackawdtsi · 07-30-2010

Yeah, brand of compression tester is key.

Also, doing a leakdown test will tell you right away.

desolate · 07-31-2010

90 is a little low, I had an engine rebuilt on 2g pistons that started at 140psi and went up to 180psi after 2k easy miles.

trunks11 · 07-31-2010

I checked the timing belt last night and it was off a tooth on the crank. So I redid it and put some oil in the cylinders and compression started at 120 and after cranking a while went up to around 170 or so in all four.

So it tried to start it and it fired a couple of times and then wouldn't fire anymore. So I'm thinking fuel now. I assume the oil in the cylinders ignited a few times and that was it? Link gives me a -1 for the injectors which should mean they are firing so now I'm reading on how to check them physically. My afpr shows fuel pressure is okay. I also blew a 100 amp fuse on the battery after cranking a while so I'm not sure if that's related.

My cas is working since it will cycle the pump when I rotate it by hand. I've got a cheapo harbor freight compression tester but I don't think that's the issue now.

Thanks for the respones, I'm getting a little frustrated at this point.

trunks11 · 07-31-2010

Okay after some research I looked a my fuel pump rewire and it was done incorrectly. So I fixed it and the plugs are definately seeing fuel. I've got spark, fuel and compression and still no starting.

I've read coolant temp sensor so I guess that's next. What's wierd is before I could turn on the fuel pump with link and now it doesn't turn on when I check the box. I can here it running when I crank though. I had miswired the relays with 30 the out put and 87 the hot wire input. I wonder if something could have gotten fried from that? My alternator relay is still hotter than hell with just the ignition turned on?

trunks11 · 08-03-2010

So I messed with everything and it started up and purred beautifully for about 3 minutes 14.9 a/f then died. Since then it will only start occasionaly cold when I hit wot and run very rich only if I keep on the gas smoking pretty good. Let it die warm and that's it for the night.

I have changed or tried a different cts, cas, coil pack, power transistor. Link says cts is working, isc is trying to change the airflow, tps is .63. I'm told it's a maf issue possibly and my engine is flooding from too much fuel and flooring it stops the injection which enables it to start occasionally.

My gm maf is registering hz as well. It's about the only thing I haven't changed at this point but when I originally bought the car it had a 1g mas and did the exact same thing except would stay running. I thought it was because the headgasket was toasted but obviously not. WTF is the deal? Any ideas welcome - I'm going to trailer the bitch soon and take it in. I'm tired of driving my 15 mpg truck every day.

Oh - I got the engine off of VR4.org from darksideracing - IA.

Thanks for listening. Aaron

trunks11 · 08-10-2010

Calling MAP tomorrow. I've fucking had it. Put new injectors and plugs in tonight and it won't fire. Floor it and it wants to start but doesn't make it. Fuel on plugs, spark and compression seem to all be there.

jrohner · 08-11-2010

If it is the MAF, just unplug it and it should run.

trunks11 · 08-11-2010

Yeah, I tried that too and no change. Dave on ecm said it looks fine.

trunks11 · 08-12-2010

Looks like I've got a bum motor. Blow by is shooting oil into the exhaust making it smoke like crazy. After talking to Julian sounds like the guy put acl bearings in and didn't clearance them. I think that would explain why it ran good for all of 3 minutes.

MAP didn't bother to call me back and local shop wants a fortune so looks like I'll be pulling the motor again.

95talonracer · 08-12-2010

I would have it looked over more then once by more then one person before you just yank the motor.

trunks11 · 08-12-2010

I'm going to bring it home and run it for a while longer to make sure. They did say after running a while it wasn't smoking as bad until you give it some throttle. It's also leaking a lot of oil from what seems to be the rear main. I read somewhere that blow by will do that though.

He told me 25 hours to do the ring job which seems ludacris to me.

CarPsyco84 · 08-13-2010

I thought this motor had 7 miles on it? how does it have excessive blow by and need a rebuild? Does it turn over really hard or something to signal bad bearing issue? or are you just trying to point at an issue that you can blame someone else for? I think its an electrical issue, either fuel delivery or spark not on time, or not the right amount of fuel.

trunks11 · 08-13-2010

I"m not trying to blame anyone, just find the problem, fix it, and get the car to run. The 02 housing is caked in oil, and leak down test pointed at the rings not seating.

I was hoping it was electrical, that's why I took it in. Every component of the system has been replaced or tested with a known working unit. I've tried two sets of injectors, new plugs, swapped out cas, coil pack, power transistor, injector power pack (silver box on firewall), the ecu was checked when link was installed. I have an afpr base fuel is at 38psi. There is no cel at any time.

CarPsyco84 · 08-13-2010

you said it had 140psi of compression though right? It could be a valve seal issue also... what was the leak down %?

trunks11 · 08-13-2010

I will ask them % leak down when I pick up the car tonight. They told me it was leaking past the rings.

I had those high compression readings cold with a cap full of oil, but they told me around 100 +/- 5 psi when they did it warm. I've got a cheap testor and I assume they can at least do that correctly and I was wrong.

Would a valve seal allow all that oil into the camber? Am I back to my original problem with the lifters and I have bent valves? I guess I'm going to try to run it a while and see if it improves. If not, pull the head and see what's really up. Also, when I've tried boost leak tests, the car doesn't hold pressure and it sounded like it was going right out the exhaust no matter how I had the tb turned - not sure if that's relevant.

trunks11 · 08-14-2010

Shop didn't have there leak down test numbers but said it was way over 30. I ran it today for about 15 minutes reving it around 4000 rpms and checked compression again. 100 100 90 120. It stopped smoking so much after running a while, but I had to crank for ever, pump the peddle, and keep jumper cables on it. Car actually idles now when warm.

I would take out and run it hard for a little bit to try to get the rings to seat, but its leaking oil like crazy. I'm hoping a crack in the oil pan since I just did the rear main. I'm not sure if it's worth fixing it - if indeed the engine really had 7 miles on it they should be seated by now?? When I was reving it actually got hot - fan wasn't turning on, but I figured that might help them seat too.

CarPsyco84 · 08-15-2010

If the valves are leaking, the exhaust ones leak into the exhaust port, and intake ones leak into the intake port which then goes through the combustion chamber... Leaky rings tend to smoke more under power and then go away at an idle... valve stuff tends to smoke consistantly.