[s-cars] Re: Rays car woes

[Mike Platt]

eeks, just saw your post. Bummer. Well, we can always
pull the head in my garage. Since I'll be rounding up
timing belt tools, the same will be needed for pulling
off the head. I've pulled overhead camshaft heads
before. Wasn't too bad if I recall. 

I did an old Nissan Sentra once cause stupid Mike
figured he never needed to change his timing belt when
he was 19 years old. The old girl made it to 80k
before she let go. Interference motor and all made me
realize how much mechanics charge to rebuild a head. I
towed her home and did it myself for about $300
instead of dealer $1500. 

This may be a good time for ARP head studs and a beefy
head gasket to hold her down if your gonna keep that
crazy turbo setup:)

I remember my days of watching IMSA races and such at
Lime Rock. When turbos went, they did the same thing.

Mike (who has decided to keep the 150k avant motor
stock after hearing these horror stories, except for
MTM1+ chipset of course:))


In a message dated 4/28/2004 10:34:09 PM Eastern
Standard Time, 
ray at s-cars.org writes:


> Patient:  95.5 S6, 149k miles.  RS2, Garrett hybrid.
> 
> With only small K&N crankcase breather (direct vent
to atmosphere)
installed
> and daily driving, no measurable crankcase blowby. 
At the track,
however, I
> would "preserve" the EM with a nice misting of Mobil
1 (here, here,
Brian
> and Trevor . . .).
> 
> About 2 weeks ago, I install a GReddy catch can
(15mm) with sight
glass.
> Normal driving with bursts of heavy boost, no track
time, absolutely
NO oil
> registering in the sight glass (tube, actually). 
Even with GReddy
catch
> can, still venting to atmosphere.
> 
> First day at track (yesterday), I am running the car
hard.  Real 
hard.
> Catch can registers about 75% in one session (about
1/2 quart), with
another
> 1/2 quart blowing all over the damn engine bay out
of my trusty
breather.
> Check dipstick - 1 quart low.  I have never noticed
this quantity of
blowby.
> To further compound the situation, I notice that the
damn nipple on
the
> radiator expansion tank decided to give up the
ghost, but a ziptie 
and
> racer's tape will fix anything.  (okay, the racer's
tape was simply
for
> effect).
> 
> I empty the catch can and replace the expansion
tank.  Head back out
on the
> track.  Climbing up the hill out of Turn 3 at NHIS,
I look behind me
to see
> thickest white smoke known to man, filling the
entire turn.  Sure, I
was
> working the tires, but this seemed ridiculous. 
Crowd cheers.  A 
quick
> glance at the gauges shows normal water temps and
moderate oil temps,
but no
> coolant smell.  After the crest of the hill, no more
smoke.  Good
throttle,
> boost and brakes.  Pull into the hot pit,
(worthless) coolant light 
is
> blinking at me.  Pull into the paddock, coolant tank
about 1/2 full,
> bubbling, below min, but visible in tank.  At no
time did the car
overheat,
> and both electric and viscous fans operational.  Car
has lumpy idle,
and
> obvious lifter chatter.
> 
> Catch can AGAIN has about 1/2 qt. of oil in it. 
Dipstick reads about
1
> quart low.  I'm beginning to think that my PCV valve
is stuck, or
something
> is causing excess crankcase pressure.  Car was
running like a champ,
so no
> reason to believe low compression in one or more
cylinders.
> 
> Quick shout to NEA, and a new expansion tank is on
the way, along 
with
some
> more coolant, thinking that "if I have it, I won't
need it."  Wrong.
After
> the car is cool, I replace the expansion tank and
drain the catch 
can.
> Start car - lumpy idle, LOTS of white smoke.  Blip
throttle - still
white.
> Coolant level doesn't drop, temps come up to normal,
smoke 
disappears.
Shut
> car off, cool down for 2 hours.  At end of day,
start car.  Lumpy
idle, lots
> of white smoke.  Exhaust doesn't smell rich with
coolant.  I begin to
think
> fouled plug, faulty injector or failing coil/POS. 
After car is warm,
smoke
> disappears and idle smooths out somewhat (7A exhaust
cam is a little
lumpy
> with the big turbo).  Decide that test drive is in
order.  Shut car
off for
> a few minutes while I clean up my mess.  Car starts
hard (barely),
lumpy
> idle, and lots of white smoke.  Idle for 20 minutes
or so, drive
around
> paddock, no coolant loss or usage, but I did not get
into the boost.
Smoke
> disappears, idle smooths out.  Everyone agrees that
I am simply
paranoid.
> Maybe they were right?  WRONG.
> 
> Leave track for drive home.  Despite lumpy idle, car
pulls just as
strong as
> always and holds boost.  Turbo sounds fine.  Under
heavy boost on the
road,
> I see the same rich puff of smoke that I have always
seen with this
turbo
> and Uncle Bob's RS2 software.  NO oil blowby
registering in the catch
can,
> but I only got into the boost twice, and for brief
spurts only.
> 
> Trip back from NHIS to Boston takes about 1 hour 15
minutes while
observing
> MOST traffic laws.  After 3o minutes, coolant light
comes on.
Reservoir is
> again at 50%, just enough to trigger the switch.  I
grab a burger and
allow
> car to cool for 2 minutes.  I top off the coolant,
fire it up.  Lumpy
idle
> and misfire immediately returns on startup, plenty
of white smoke.
After
> warm, misfire, lumpy idle and white smoke disappear.
> 
> NO, I have not YET performed a leakdown or
compression test.  Car
pulls like
> hell.  NO, I have not YET pulled the plugs.
> YES, it drinks coolant (1/2 gallon in 1 hour).  And
YES, I can now
smell
> coolant in the exhaust.  NO, I am not seeing any
coolant foaming on
the
> dipstick.
> 
> I'm thinking that a blown head gasket is causing
coolant to fill one
or more
> cylinders, causing the lumpy idle.  Assuming that
the head is still
fine,
> any reason to believe that a blown headgasket is
causing excessive
crankcase
> pressure sufficient to push 1 quart of oil out of
the head in 30
minutes of
> track time, or is it possible that my PCV is stuck
or otherwise
faulty???
> (Yes, I will check the valve's operation when I have
the head off the
car).
> 
> Aside from tearing down the motor, am I missing
anything obvious?
Tomorrow
> is a new day (for some people, that is).
> 
> TIA,
> 
> Ray Tomlinson



	
		
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