Rosie's return to glory

[esprit888]

It’s very common for a new or rebuilt engine to burn some oil in the first 1,000 miles as the rings ‘bed in’ to create a full seal with the bore. It is VERY important to use the correct break in oil to create this seal, regular dinosaur oil is what should be used (that or a specific break in oil) Under no circumstances should you use synthetic oil for the first 1000 break in miles as this polishes the bore causing excessive oil consumption.

[TorqueHorse]

Thanks folks. Live and learn, I guess
I just used a synthetic blend so that very well could be the culprit. I changed the oil out around 600 miles in, but I just replaced it with the same 10w40 synth blend.
I did use new rings at the rebuild. Is it worth trying to change oil again? Seems like that ship has sailed...

And if you think 1k over a month is quick, you should see Harry's new video of getting his Emira...1k in 24 hours

[esprit888]

Well at least its a blend Personally i would change it out for dino oil and hope its minimal, run it for another 1000 and see what happens (nothing to lose really)

[TorqueHorse]

Well I was having so much fun driving, I kinda forgot to come back and share what's been going on.

The engine still has some annoying response behaviors in that it takes a few tries to start, when not warm (warm starts right up though) and it also has a rev dip when you slowly accelerate. I was chasing down the gremlin troubleshooting list and taking elanscans but started to just compensate my driving style and moved on to other stuff (where I left off I think it might be one of the new injectors...).

The valve cover came loose and the oil pan is leaking, so I still don't know if it is actually 'eating' oil or if has been leaking out, but I had needed to top it up every few hundred miles. I got the valve cover back on tight and I plan on redoing the oil pan in my current series of works, so we'll see how this progresses.

I did need to change the clock spring / rotary connector for the steering wheel (special FED/SIR version). The horn was working intermittently and then finally yelped and then went silent in the middle of a turn. Per JC's advice, I was able to find that a GEO Storm one was a direct replacement.


While I was in there I managed to accidently bust one of the plastic tabs on the signal canceling bush, so I fabricated a new tab out of some plastic that came with my plastic welding kit. Seems to work well enough now.



Then onto the fun stuff! I had to do some work to dial in the turbo. I replaced the boost vacuum solenoid valve but in the end I think it was just tightening up the hose clamps all along the air run is what got me up to full boost. Still, the new one looks nicer so it can't be all bad.

Then with the turbo system running up to spec and the engine compression and leakdown numbers looking good, I was able to unwrap and install what might possibly be the last of the new FED mountain chips.

But it's not all roses as I do find this bit of oil residue sometimes if I undo the intake. Could be blow-by from the engine? Or maybe when I rebuilt the turbo something was beyond spec tolerance, or I just did it wrong?



Now the car is up on jacks though (and has been for a few months while I did other stuff) because it was just slinging too much grease from the CV boots. So now its time for refurbing the suspension and tackling that leaking steering rack. Finally got all these bits off the car this weekend to start inspecting and see which bits need replacing and what just needs refurbing.


Should be a busy spring as I'm really trying to get all this done AND get it water tight(ish) for some extended road trips late in the summer.

[FunElan]

You work FAST, or at least that's what your post makes it seem like!

Curious what you think of the performance after the chip. I still don't know if mine has the chip, but boosting up to .9 is fun

Any special tricks you used to remove the driveshafts? I'm about to do that job.

[378S2]

G'day Matt, sorry to hear about the oil leak. I hope the sump and rocker gaskets fix it. I recently bought the Impulse sump gasket from RA for $3, plus about a thousand dollars postage. I bought it because it looks less messy and more likely to go on correctly than I would be able to manage with silicon.

I have almost the exact same amount of oil in my air intake, it will be coming from the oil separator to air intake drain. I recall Toby's video (buyer's guide?) that is is normal so I have not worried about it.

I have a steering kit seal set to go on if I ever manage to remove the rack. Please take a few photos and let me know how you go? Will you DIY the seals or pay a professional to do it? I also keep putting off the bush replacement on all 4 corners, so plenty of photos please mate!

[TorqueHorse]

You work FAST, or at least that's what your post makes it seem like!

I mean most of that work was from last year, so I have been sandbagging I guess

Curious what you think of the performance after the chip. I still don't know if mine has the chip, but boosting up to .9 is fun

Once I put it in and went down my normal 'test stretch' to exercise the turbo and acceleration, I suddenly started shouting Italian superlatives and giving chef's kisses to the air, and I don't know any Italian...so I'd say it's pretty good And if you are getting .9 as well, then you def have something extra in there!

Any special tricks you used to remove the driveshafts? I'm about to do that job.

I just followed the tips from Toby's videos and Dave's write ups. For the one at the jackshaft, you can wail directly on the butt of the tulip (see paint scratches in photo below). For the one at the tranny, I wedged a large screwdriver between the tranny and the butt of the tulip and then you can whack the screwdriver (see photo). Make sure to use a hammer or something to give a sharp blow (i.e., not a mallet)

I recently bought the Impulse sump gasket from RA for $3, plus about a thousand dollars postage. I bought it because it looks less messy and more likely to go on correctly than I would be able to manage with silicon.

That's what I have on now (its a cork gasket), and I was hoping that going to silicone, per the manual, would yield better results
I'm really hoping it isn't the output shaft seal area thingie causing the leak because I am not taking that tranny out again unless I have to.

I have almost the exact same amount of oil in my air intake...

That's good to hear (I think), thanks

Will you DIY the seals or pay a professional to do it?

I'm struggling to even get the rack off at this point. When I had the engine out I thought to myself "should I go ahead and crack the bolts now and coat 'em in copper eze so that it's easy to get off in the future?" and of course I didn't, and am kicking myself now. But once I do, then I'll be able to get a quote from someone local about rebuilding it. It might be so much that just getting a replacement rack would be worth it. But if I do attempt to rebuild it myself, I'll be following tips from this post, and I'll take photos for sure.

[dapinky]

I'm really hoping it isn't the output shaft seal area thingie causing the leak because I am not taking that tranny out again unless I have to.

The good news is that the output shaft seals on the transmission can be replaced without removing the whole shebang - it is by no means a quick and easy job, but it certainly isn't difficult and impossible!

I only know this because the first gearbox/engine replacement I did, I was foolish and thought the old seals looked good enough to go again...... they weren't!

Since then, I now always replace them as a matter of course whenever I disturb the shafts - because they are cheap enough to do so, and can prevent lots of annoyance later.

I decided that the problem (maybe only in that one car, but a sample of 1 means it was 100% failure rate) was that the seals become hard over time, and removing the shafts was enough to disturb the flexibility of the rubber forming the seal.

Anyway, getting the old ones out is just a case of using a bent pick to pry the old one free, and then fit a new one by lining it up by hand, and drifting it into place. It took me a while to work out how to do it, but now it is quick and easy, as I have a special tool for the job.

Basically, I created a wooden stick out of an old piece of 3"x3" fence post, so the end is round and the correct size to bear on the metal outer sleeve, but reach far enough towards me that I can smack it with a mallet to seat the seal. I probably wrecked a couple of seals over the years due to failure to seat them properly and deforming the outer seal, but it is something that could be seen before fitting the shafts and filling with oil.

I think I paid something like £3 or £4 each for the seals, but can't remember as I bought a dozen many years ago...... quick look at Roackauto shows lots of choices (makes/part numbers) and it is a common GM part from the era - bear in mind that the Impulse lists different ones for left and right side, but the Elan uses the same one each side, so you need the ones listed for the left side of an Impulse....... SKF13750etc

[TorqueHorse]

Ahh! That's great Dave, and I actually will follow that advice! ...but sorry I used the wrong term before
I meant the Rear Seal Housing


I was reading and thinking "how did you jam a fence post between the back of the flywheel and the engine block AND get a seal on and off without disturbing the crankshaft." Shafted again, I'm afraid.

[dapinky]

Ah, that makes sense - I have to agree, getting a fence post in there would be interesting..... I'd probably be putting up with the leak as long as it doesn't contaminate the clutch!!!

[TorqueHorse]

I got the power steering rack almost completely rebuilt now.

Getting it off was a bit of a stumble because the diagrams and descriptions don't match terminology exactly, and for the FED version, you have to cross reference between the SIR supplement and the original work manual.
Here is a diagram that I added to, to make it clearer.


Main thing to know is that the intermediate shaft/column, and the all-important lower UJ pinch bolt are hidden behind this shroud (which usually has a rubber boot on the top - removed in this photo).


The one bit of good news for the FED version is that with the pinion housing being on the LHD, that bolt is shorter already, and you can juuuust get it out without having to screw around with the transmission or engine mounts (I had already gone to the trouble of having the engine secured on the hoist and free of one of the mounts, but never really had to move it.)


On the bench, taking it apart wasn't too hard. The hardest part was getting the screw ring off the non-pinion side. First, you need to unpeen the ring from a tiny hole. I couldn't get any leverage and just ended up grinding out the peened area. Then, the provided flats on the carrier are pretty narrow so I had to fab something effectively grab it. I ended up putting this metal section in a big long clamp to create a big 'wrench', while I had a real wrench on the ring turning the other way.


Also, the manual insists not to use the pinion as your reaction leverage to break free the inner tie rods. Easy enough when you have both sides still on the rack bar, but once you have one off, there isn't anything to hold onto. What I ended up doing is on the non-pinion side, the rack bar narrows right at the end, and I put some vice clamps on it. It marred the bar (either that or it kept slipping no matter what I used), but since it is on the narrower area, it isn't interfacing with any orings, so I just 2000 grit sanded the marks so there weren't any sharp bits and called it done.

The seal-kit that I got from SJ worked well enough, but it was a little intimidating for a first-timer because you have to figure out which is which on your own. I keyed them out to the included piece of paper, for others going forward.


And here are all the parts (mostly) cleaned up and splayed out, to help aid anyone wondering what it looked like.


I didn't need super special tools to put the new teflon rings on, or assemble it. I did end up using the neck of a bottle I found in the fridge to expand the rings enough to put them on. I warmed them up by having them sit on the dash of a car in the sun for a bit first, then they stretched just fine. Once on, to shrink them back down I wrapped them in a bit of thin plastic acetate film (to protect them) and then put a jubilee clip over each one. Tighten down and let them sit for a couple hours, voila.
I've got an older rack with the bigger diameter, and replacement gaiters aren't easily found, so I'm having to refurb my old ones. Just need to put them on and fill up the pinion area with oil and it should be done. (I am still a bit confused because the pinion area takes .14l of EP80 oil, and I don't see how it won't leak into the bellows on that side of the rack. But I'll report back on that, and if any parts of the new thing leak, in future updates).

[Tuga2112]

now that you publicly said you done it. your the expert at steering racks...

dont be surprised if your getting PMs from me sometime in the future when i finally get mine out and decide to DIY it instead of just handing over to someone else.

[TorqueHorse]

now that you publicly said you done it. your the expert at steering racks...

dont be surprised if your getting PMs from me sometime in the future when i finally get mine out and decide to DIY it instead of just handing over to someone else.

While I'm far from an expert, with any advice, I promise to steer you in the right direction.

Seriously though, you could do it for sure; happy to help.

[Steve A]

Excellent write up TorqueHorse

[JethroGreenfinger]

that's tremendous. Thank you

[TorqueHorse]

Racked with grief
So, the irony is that the rebuilt rack is now leaking from the other side (but at least not from the original side?). Either I messed up the reinstallation and scratched something, didn't seat something right, or the replacement seals - being from the 90's themselves - need time to plump up. For now it's manageable and I'm trying one of the "seal a rack" fluid additives. Will keep this space updated.


One good turn deserves another
Got all the suspension parts back in and the car is back on the road. Alignment was horrible, and chewed through a chunk of tire before some eyeballing and turns of the outer ball joint on the rack smoothed it out. Now I picked up a castor camber level and will give it a go here in a few days for final adjustments. Already feels really nice on the twisty turns. Also, just took it back to get checked out for registration again and passed for another year . Will update with the pics, just behind on other stuff.


Huff and puff
This last part, I could really use some help on, as I am banging my head against the wall on what it could be.
Trying to find the culprit leading to this slight rolling surge in RPMs while in service mode. Every second or two it jumps/drops about 25-50 rpms. You can see/listen here

I've taken off every vacuum line, checked they hold vacuum, and plugged the ports too for good measure, and it still behaves the same.
Compression and leakdown tests all looked healthy.
New coils, plugs, wires
New injectors, fuel filter, regulator, and pump
New IAC valve working to spec
EGR valve checked not leaking
No Exhaust blockage checked via higher manifold vacuum at higher revs
MAP, MAT, Coolant, TPS signals all look per spec via elanscan
(if there is an elanscan scenario you want me post, let me know and I'll record it and post)

I reset base timing and tickover...(don't know, but this feels related, but when I take it out of service mode, the RPMs drop about another 25-50 RPMs (no matter how much I adjust the tickover screw up or down, its always a little bit higher in service mode).


I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel for causes here per the diagnostic troubleshooting sheet.
I couldn't get to the underside of the intake manifolds to spray those gaskets for leaks...(any tips for how to do that?)
Also, I could still take the injectors out to see how they spray and if they drip (but pretty sure it had the same behavior when I had the old injectors in)
Any other electrical things that stand out to folks that I should check?

It's just so weird to me that is has that regular, rolling pattern of going up and down in the revs while in service mode. Hoping it might spark an avenue in folks for me to look down.
TIA

[Tuga2112]

althouhg you said you already replaced it...
im thinking the regulator may open and close with some kind of "jerk" dropping pressure when it opens (giving you that drop in revs) and then closing back and building up the pressure at a constant rate, repeating the cycle.
i dont know how they work internally.but they are vacum operated, having a closer look around there may be worth just the peace of mind.

since you have an elanscan. i would suggest just putting the rev graph and interposition it with all the other graphs. just to see if there is something that happens before the drop in revs, that would opefully give you some

im actually curious about this one. because i have experienced the same in some cars in the past. but i never really bothered to look into it in detail because they worked just fine with that little exception.

and... as usual. something comes to mind after writing a wall of text.
years ago my 4runner (NA v6 petrol engine) had a regular idle trouble where it would drop revs and regain them when warm at a very predicitable rate.... it turned out to be a dirty air intake... i am not sure if the IAC valve or the throtle bipass, i just know when i saw the butterfly with gunk around i cleaned the whole thing with a generous dose of brake parts cleaner and the problem went away

[TorqueHorse]

Thanks for the thoughts Tuga!

I actually pulled my own vacuum on the regulator to isolate it while the car was running, but I'll keep noodling on that, thanks.

I did clean the throttle body recently and when I had the intake manifold off, I cleaned the return channel for the EGR valve...but with everyone reporting EGR troubles of late, its reminding me I didn't clean the inside of the EGR. That channel on the intake manifold was packed with gunk, so the pintle for the EGR could have crap on it too and could be letting a little bit of air in, even though the diaphragm is 'closed'. I don't feel the heat in the return pipe by the valve when at idle, but I guess taking it off and plugging it would be the most definitive check.

After I posted, I reread the manuals again, and it looks like for a closed loop system that it is also looking at the oxygen sensor when in service mode. So I'm going to try and unplug that and run service mode again and see if that changes anything. We'll see what the results are before I start hypothesizing on what I learned from it.

Onward

[TorqueHorse]

Ahhh, sorry, it's been a minute since the last update.
Progress being made, slowly but surely on the rolling restoration. Problem now is deciding between fun driving time, or working on the car time...so working on the car gets the backseat

I did just hit a bit of a rough patch this past week with what seemed like dead cylinders 1 & 3. Wanted to go ahead and post this before I forgot and moved on to other stuff. So, since it was 1&3 I was thinking it was the injector circuit, or injector related. Especially since when I took the spark plug leads off the plugs I could hear clicking when I held it to the valve cover...But after a lot of messing around with the injectors, it did end up being the spark plug cables, and the points on the coils.



It ends up that when I took it in to a mechanic to do a pressure/combustion gas test, they just let the coolant bubble everywhere and it soaked all the electrics beneath. I can't say for sure it wasn't from another leaking event in that coolant expansion tank, but the timing was suspicious. Anyways, with a different set of plug wires and cleaning up the points on these coils, the spark is now strong enough to get the plugs working again. Back to normal now, but quite a circuitous path.

[Tuga2112]

Ahhh, sorry, it's been a minute since the last update.
Progress being made, slowly but surely on the rolling restoration. Problem now is deciding between fun driving time, or working on the car time...so working on the car gets the backseat

I did just hit a bit of a rough patch this past week with what seemed like dead cylinders 1 & 3. Wanted to go ahead and post this before I forgot and moved on to other stuff. So, since it was 1&3 I was thinking it was the injector circuit, or injector related. Especially since when I took the spark plug leads off the plugs I could hear clicking when I held it to the valve cover...But after a lot of messing around with the injectors, it did end up being the spark plug cables, and the points on the coils.



It ends up that when I took it in to a mechanic to do a pressure/combustion gas test, they just let the coolant bubble everywhere and it soaked all the electrics beneath. I can't say for sure it wasn't from another leaking event in that coolant expansion tank, but the timing was suspicious. Anyways, with a different set of plug wires and cleaning up the points on these coils, the spark is now strong enough to get the plugs working again. Back to normal now, but quite a circuitous path.

someone else posted an issue in exactly the same 2 cilinders. they posted on facebook initially but i think theres a very recent thread in here, its definitely worth pointing them here to check this