Alright, so for the longest time the RX has been down. Either rebuilding the engine or working on brake stuff.

 

 

I would like to say, that I have a complete working rear ebrake. Corky helped me finalize the bracketry on Sunday. I did this so I could run larger front brakes... JDM WRX brakes (only 2 pots). The rear brakes are from a 1980 Supra. Pictures and demonstrations will come in another post at a later date...

 

 

Now that I have your attention, riddle me this:

 

 

Drove the car on sunday, just felt off. Boggy under boost till 3500, then it would open it up. The car was still incredibly quick. I checked and found the driver side timing belt to be one tooth off.

 

 

Tonight, Danbob99 and I fixed the timing belt and went for a drive. The car was pretty quick. It was running just off the tdo4 wastegate and stock boost solenoid ~ 7psi. We stopped and through in the MBC. It had already been set, and was pushing ~10psi. The car hauled balls. It was amazing. Until... we heard a pop.

 

 

We heard a *pop* I immediately got off the go pedal, engine died. Coasted to the service station down the hill. While coasting I notice liquid between the front left fender and hood coming out.

 

 

At the service station, we observed a couple of things:

A. Radiator cap blown off, water everywhere.

B. Radiator was cold to touch, engine was lukewarm at best (before the pop, it had be operating in the right range, about quarter gauge).

C. Engine wouldn't start, just turn over and over.

D. After cranking engine, what little coolant was in the overflow would bubble.

E. Oil appears clear and new, no water, kinda smells like exhaust.

F. Crank engine with oil cap off, exhaust smelling smoke comes out.

 

 

So... what could it be? I haven't torn into it yet. I just got it home.

Jeez Tex, I want to scream as much as you do(or did). The first thing that comes to my mind is a freeze plug. Might be wrong tho, but I cant think of anything else right now.

At this point i've learned screaming doesn't help me any.

 

Freeze plugs... hmmm, good thought.

After some more thought on this I dont think its a freeze plug. The pop you heard was the rad cap coming off, and the water running out was what was coming out of the rad too.

The engine was producing back pressure in the cooling system, or maybe the cap wasnt on tight? Maybe a bad thermostat that wouldnt open caused it? But then the temp gauge would go up if that was the case. What kind of HG's did you use on the rebuild? How old is the Rad? Yeah, I know. Just more questions....

Gee, 10 psi isn't too much for this engine, but....... Do a compression test.

 

Did anyone notice that he said REAR E-BRAKE????

Gee, 10 psi isn't too much for this engine, but....... Do a compression test.

 

Did anyone notice that he said REAR E-BRAKE????

 

YES! I SEEN THAT!

 

My guess is t-stat and air in the cooling system....get a compression check done, put it all back together and see whats what.

 

I've done those types of things too many time...when i get something running again...i usually have it running and reving it in place where its put back together for atleast 30 mins before test drive...and the first test drive it usually no more than 1/2 mile away....then I bring it back, shut it down...and check for any and all problems...then repeat the process...and let the car sleep overnight...then...in the morning...warm it up...and haul rump roast!

 

Are you sure the timing belt didnt come off? I know ive had several come off/break and its usually associated with timing belt when I hear the POP and no power/no engine run.

mmmm rea ebrake, I'm interested in this one. It should make my RX fun to drive as well..... Best bet is pull the plugs and turn it over to see if anything comes shooting out. If not, get the gauge on there and check the compression. Still good you might say? I know where you can get an EJ20T........ just kidding:D

i will be the bad guy here

my best off the wall guess

is cracked heads between exhaust port and water jacket

after all... 100 or so psi will pop a radiator cap and make stuff bubble

 

best guess..

10 psi = to much killed a head gasket maybe had a bit of undetected detonation

and poof cracked head

 

as far as the no starting.. umm smalll amount of water in the cylinders wetting down teh plugs and thus grounding them out so no spark?

 

this is all totally off the wall-in-the-morning-after-work-on-2nd-22oz-high octane-beer so i may be just totally wrong

 

 

oh and whats this you speak of rear e brake?

this whole front e brake thing buggs me very much i mean after all

if the hydralic system fails on most cars you could use the ebrake to slow it down if done right and locking up a back tire under ebrake in a emergency is easy to compensate for but.. locking up a front tire now that seems like a whole lot of bad news when your trying to do a controlled emergency stop type thing

I must confess, the rear e-brake that Tex installed was my idea and parts, but since I sold my sedan, I didn't have a car to put them on. Tex figured out how to use the existing e-brake cables, so that part is fairly easy. But bracing the ends of the cables so that there is no flex when you pull the hand brake is the trick. Tex ended up using brackets from the front e-brakes. But I'm telling his story, I'll let him fill in the rest.

so they fit right on the existing stuff or do we get all new stuff?

The cracked heads are plausible, but then why is there "exaust" coming out the breather filters and the oil filler? The tail pipe, while being cranked also blows water (steam) straight out of it....this new engine fresh rebuild only has, what, like 50 miles on it? at most?

 

I can vouch...it hauled balls, it was very fast. And...i got to drive it being towed though...

 

My guess is that he just instantly blew a head gasket... why? detonation mabey? could you blow a head gasket from detonation? I thought i was hearing a lil bit of it, but tex is thinkin it was just stuff movin around in the back....i dunno.

 

Is a blown hg, to oil ports, and coolant, i.e. a major blow, possible after so little time? Why? How?

 

I'll leave explaining the brakes up to tex, but they are gorgous, we spent alot of time getting everything to work, and they do work.

 

"Two steps forward...one step back"

I want a rear e-brake! great idea, corky/tex.

 

I have no idea, never heard of SUCH a spontaneous combustion, sounds mad, i'm sorry

stripped timing belt, popped head gasket, or bad water pump?

Hurry up and figure out what it is Tex! My 170k mile throw together at the last minute engine should not outlast a freshly rebuilt one! (1000 miles on it so far+6 autox runs )

thats the same problem with mine..last time i was in eugene we had it running for a little. fumes were coming out my breather filter and it was purkalating <--?

far be it from me to be a smart rump roast,but aren't you supposed to "break in "a fresh rebuild before pounding on it.from what i always understood was that the engine gaskets and seals have to have time to either soak up their fluids to expand properly or gain pressure in a regulated way.that way,in the case of hg's,they wouldn't form a non-uniform seal and whatnot.......just a stab

thats the same problem with mine..last time i was in eugene we had it running for a little. fumes were coming out my breather filter and it was purkalating <--?

 

blow by and oil being shot out of the breather filter?

 

OH NOES!!!~1!! My current one is doing that....where's my catch can...

This engine was run for quite some time while only on stock boost and not beat on. I followed the directions of the guys that built my block. Put it together, put it in, and drive it.

 

After asking around I got lots of different break in procedures. Varying from what I read above, to the whole break it in like a chevy 350 route.

 

As of now, the engine is still in the car, and diagnoses has really yet to begin. I expect to start on that next week. I'm going to do these things:

 

1. Check spark plugs

2. Check timing belts

3. Compression check

 

I can forsee nothing but bad horrible things. In my mind, I probally lost a chunk of piston, cylinder wall, or rings. 3 months ago I dropped $800 on this brand new block. If the block wasn't able to take modest boost from a TD04, perhaps Fuji was right in abandoning the EA series engines.

Hurry up and figure out what it is Tex! My 170k mile throw together at the last minute engine should not outlast a freshly rebuilt one! (1000 miles on it so far+6 autox runs )

 

 

WJM, you should have knocked on wood before posting that....I guess it did outlast it but by just a day.....

 

Tex, hang in there and don't assume the worst until you see big chunks of aluminum in the oilpan.... I bet you would have heard a lot more than a pop if you lost a piston or rod or rings....It could very well be (and we are all hoping it is) something simple like a timing belt.....

 

Get into it and let us know what the deal is.......

 

good luck

 

garner

I'll keep my chin up!

 

ON the HG issue... it is a good probability it is that. Studs will be in order for sure. I was so close to doing them last time, but I didn't want to wait, nor spend the money.

 

Calebz was showing me those timeserts. Those are badass... yet more money to spend.

 

Calebz was showing me those timeserts. Those are badass... yet more money to spend.

If you decide to go with the timeserts, let me know. I can probably save you about $100 by loaning you the bits and taps and such. That should keep the total investment around $40

 

Mine are all done. Am going to put it together tonight.

so how do these "timeserts" work? What needs to be done when you do it and what does it require? Maybe this would be a good idea with my new motor when I do the TWE up pipe and downpipe, TD04 turbo, cams, etc. The list goes on and on and on....and the price gets bigger and bigger and bigger:rolleyes:

I've been slain!!!!!!!!!

 

I think these engines can handle it...its just a matter of...not having bad things happen.

 

My reasoing is...the block was already dead...and i abused before hand. Ask JWX...he seen the block before it went in...

I've been slain!!!!!!!!!

 

I think these engines can handle it...its just a matter of...not having bad things happen.

 

My reasoing is...the block was already dead...and i abused before hand. Ask JWX...he seen the block before it went in...

Meh its half melted inside the cylinder walls. It should work!

Meh its half melted inside the cylinder walls. It should work!

 

Not really....