Lately my car (EA82 2wd 5spd sedan) has been running rough on startup, sounds like it's running on 3. So this morning when I'm leaving work I start it but it doesn't clear up like it usually does within the first 10 seconds. So I get out of the car to sniff the exhaust a little. Guess what I smell!!! Burning jell-o!!!! It clears up about a minute later. So... I'm gonna pull the plugs if it stops raining and do a compression test too. The headgaskets only have about 10,000 on them, so if it's headgaskets I'm definitely dumping the EA82 probably in favor of an EA81 and doing the EJ22 swap later on down the road when I'm ready for it.

 

Wish me luck on it not being headgaskets!!!

yea good luck with headgaskets. Is your car SPFI? When and if u swap in the EA81 just drop your SPFI intake as well as a modded EA82 distributor (maybe there is more?) and go. SPFI EA81. Best of both worlds.

I have a weber carb on my EA81 and always thought about doing the SPFI mod to it. I don't have any trouble with cold start ups with mine though, guess just how I got it setup.

 

Jordan, that sucks with your luck with the EA82. Might want to look at your intake manifold gaskets just incase. You can't go wrong with an EA81 though.

Yep going out right now and having a look, just got outta bed. If it passes the compression test, then it must be intake. I will be back with compression #'s.

Okay, on 1, 3, and 4 the #'s were between 135 and 140 which is a relief. BUT on 2 I got a whopping 170psi!!!! I cranked it 4 times just to make positive because I'm kinda baffled? Anyway, the #4 plug was fouled and smelled like fuel but who knows why it's fouled, intake manifold perhaps? Maybe it's the cheapo NAPA champion wires. Anybody know why compression in 1 cylinder would be so high? And is it bad? Doesn't seem like it would be but... that's awfully strange.

 

I did also notice my coolant is a bit low so I am suspecting intake manifold gaskets.

Carbon built up in the combustion chamber will effectively raise compression. That cylinder might just be really gummed up.

Carbon built up in the combustion chamber will effectively raise compression. That cylinder might just be really gummed up.

 

Do you think pulling the plug and pouring seafoam and turning it over a few times would help that out? I don't want too much strain on the headgasket, seems like that could cause it to pop eventually.

 

UPDATE: Compression test lead me to believe it wasn't headgaskets. Yesterday I hanged the plugs and wires and drove it about 5 miles. I started it today and #4 is fouled again. That cylinder held about 135 psi. Coolant is lower than it was yesterday too. How do I test for intake manifold gaskets? I've tried spraying it with brake cleaner but nothing about the way the engine ran changed. Just a reminder on the car-EA82 SPFI FWD 5spd.

bump. Read above post.

bump. Read above post.

 

Just some thoughts here:

 

#1 135 or 140 psi > see note to #3

#2 170 psi

#3 135 or 140 psi- make the call at the highest sustainable psi

#4 135 psi

 

SPFI compression limits from 128- to 156 or 139 to 168 psi depending on the engine rpm.

 

None of those are out of limit, "mabie", so...liquid in the cylinder on #2, either antifreeze or fuel, you would see it, feel it, when you bleed the gage. It would raise the compression, but you "should" know it, if you did the test and bled the gage.

 

Hell, I don't know:)

 

Edit: "Smells like fuel", leaky injector? But in one cylinder? If it's oil, may be seized oil ring in that cylinder. #2 might also have bad oil rings creating "deposits". Told you. I don't know.

 

Doug

Do you think pulling the plug and pouring seafoam and turning it over a few times would help that out? I don't want too much strain on the headgasket, seems like that could cause it to pop eventually.

 

UPDATE: Compression test lead me to believe it wasn't headgaskets. Yesterday I hanged the plugs and wires and drove it about 5 miles. I started it today and #4 is fouled again. That cylinder held about 135 psi. Coolant is lower than it was yesterday too. How do I test for intake manifold gaskets? I've tried spraying it with brake cleaner but nothing about the way the engine ran changed. Just a reminder on the car-EA82 SPFI FWD 5spd.

 

It might be between the coolant part of the intake and the air part of the intake around the gaskets..that way you wouldnt know if its leaking unless you pulled the manifold. Spraying might not show you anything if this is the case since its that little strip of gasket that divides the air intake with the coolant section.

Drove it a little while on 3 cylinders and kept an eye on the coolant. It was definitely using it... so I checked #4 for any liquid and I could see it when I pulled the plug out. Stuck a straw down inside and smelled it... coolant for sure. I JUST changed the intake manifold gaskets today and burped the cooling system of any bubbles and so far all seems good and well. I'll go outside in a few hours and restart it and see if it fouls the plug again. That's what it was doing before... let it sit and it would foul that plug.

 

Haven't done a compression check on #2 yet.

Have driven it much today and it's still running on all 4. So far so good...