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Posted by: KJJ-74-914 Nov 30 2003, 06:36 PM

I just stripped the engine of the harnesses, vac lines, intake amnifold/injectors and sheet metal. The reason for pulling the engine was oil leaks. Engine runs great, has only 3000 or so miles, but stated leaking oil so i wanted a winter project of sealing it up better.

Now I have the following list of questions/concerns:

1. The engine was caked with oil under the air intake butterfly area, where would oil come from to end up here?

2. The engine cooling system (flaps and thermostatic tensioner) had been disconnected by the previous owner, there is a ton of caked up oil under the flap. Where can I get parts to make this system functional and where would this oil come from? The oil cooler seals?

3. What is the stock color of the sheet metal, mine is near perfect, but could use some touch up. What paint matches factory?

4. The intake manifold itself had quite a bit of oil in it. Where would this be from?

5. I plan on blasting and painting or powder coating the intake runners. What color is stock and what is acceptable (I dont' want to de-value the car)

6. The injectors look good, but who do you recommend for cleaning and flowing, or what should I clean them with?

7. Where can I get new injector seals, manifold runner tube seals, and new plastic clips that hold the hoses and wires to the engine?

I realize this is alot of info, but if you have an answer or two, maybe several people could help answer them all.

I'll post pictures of the car when my DSL is back working. The car is near mint!

Thank you in advance for your help.

Kirk

Posted by: SirAndy Nov 30 2003, 07:07 PM

what size is the engine? 2.0L?

from the breather hose. the case is ventilated back into the air-cleaner.
if you have ALOT of oil in there, there might be something wrong with your engine.



cooler seals is very likely if most of the grime is on the pass. side, near the cooler. on the drivers side could be a leaking oil-filler.



black



same as 1.



no specific color i'm aware of. just a grey-ish metal look.
if you're going to powdercoat, get creative. a lot of people use either the body color for engine sheetmetal and fan-housing and intake runners or a color that complements the body color well. like red goes well with a white car.


later,
Andy

Posted by: KJJ-74-914 Nov 30 2003, 07:44 PM

Thanks Andy -

I know its black, but does someone know the brand or close match for the painting of the sheetmetal? I can't tell if its gloss or semi gloss paint. Id' prefer to touch it up rather than refinish it all, it really looks good now.

What are the most common causes of oil blow-by? Valve seals?

Who do yuo guys recommend for a valve job?

Thanks,

Kirk

Posted by: seanery Nov 30 2003, 08:09 PM

being in IL, you should contact Brad Mayeur.
He's the local 914 Guru for folks like you and me.

Posted by: Brad Roberts Nov 30 2003, 08:18 PM

I say answer his questions here where he posted them instead of sending him to a wrench. Its obvious he is a DIY'er.

The tin is not painted any color. The factory used a powder coating method similar to what is used today. Anything you put over it will flake off or come off over time. Not many options on touching it up (others will chime in). I personally havent found anything that works as well as the powder coating.

All engines have blow by. Your intake setup pulls a vacuum on the oil breather... it will always have oil in the intake plenum (if it is working properly). If you dont pull a vacuum on the engine breather... it will leak oil *badly* past the oil return tube seals and everywhere else you can think of. Some people with carbs attempt to run the breather lines into breather boxes... but it is no where near as efficient as pulling vacuum on the engine.

If you have a camera.. shoot pics of the oily mess.


B

Posted by: rick 918-S Nov 30 2003, 09:07 PM

I second the powder coat statement on the tin. Also on the intake runners. I've used bumper trim paint sold at the Auto Body Supply Stores. They sell it in Trim Black and trim Grey. It's not as good as powder coating but the match is pretty good. Specially the grey. I would try to spot paint the Tin. You'll never get a close enough match that way.

Posted by: Brad Roberts Nov 30 2003, 09:10 PM

Typically.. I end up making a bigger mess that what I started with when I try to "spot" anything in..

B

Posted by: KJJ-74-914 Dec 1 2003, 06:09 PM

I appreciate the input. I can powdercoat it at a friends house, just hate to remove the good finish just to touch up the screw holes. Maybe I'll try touching them up, if it doesn't work I'll blast it all.

Brad Mayeur is a great guy down in Peoria. I already left him a message about possibly honing the cylinders and installing new rings to tighten the engine up if I decide to go that route.

I'm also buying a stock 1.8L as a winter project, I plan on installing larger cylinders, pistons/rings, freshening the heads and using the fuel injection. I've built many V-8s in my time, but never one of these motors. Seems straight forward if I keep it mild. Anything I should be aware of before diving in?

Also, there are numerous plastic clips on the case of the engine that I need to replace. Wherecan I source these.

Hope I'm not driving you guys crazy, but I love my car and want to make it as close to perfect as possible!!

Here's a picture of my messy engine:


Attached image(s)

Posted by: KJJ-74-914 Dec 1 2003, 06:11 PM

Heres the flap above the oil cooler. i think this is where most of my oil was coming from:


Attached image(s)

Posted by: KJJ-74-914 Dec 1 2003, 06:14 PM

What do you recommend for cleaning this mess? Carb cleaner and Wd-40 have always worked well for me. Have you guys ever polished or brush finished the case?

Posted by: SirAndy Dec 1 2003, 06:23 PM

first of all, that engine is NEITHER messy NOR dirty
trust me, i've seen much worse.


use brake cleaner. get a few cans, use generously.
all the grime will just wash off.


didn't you mention the cooling flaps were disconnected?
in the current position, your oil cooler will not get any air!
so, either fix the system or glue that flap DOWN, so the cooler gets some air.


later,
Andy

Posted by: Brad Roberts Dec 2 2003, 12:28 AM

He flipped the tin up so we could see the oil.

I cant tell if you have the oil cooler support brackets in place or not. If they are not in place.. the seals will leak.

We use a lot of break cleaner to get things cleaned up. I used to think it was all created equal... but Berrymans seams to have more pressure in the cans pushing the cleaner out... which in turn "blows" the grime away.


B

Posted by: DrifterJay Dec 2 2003, 12:58 AM

GOODLORD, I wish my motor was that clean...when I pulled it out, I had a burnt up rat nest under the tin...plus over a quarter inch of gunk in some recessed areas....your motor looks really good for just pulling it...jerk..

Posted by: KJJ-74-914 Dec 2 2003, 09:58 PM

Though I appreciate your support, this is not what I consider clean!!

What color should I paint the cylinders? I plan on removing the rust with a wire wheel and spraying a light coat of paint.

As far as the flaps. Am i better off locking the flap down or trying to repair the thermostatic system with the cable and everything? If so where can i get those parts? I think I'm just missing the cable.

No one answered the polishing or brushing of the case...any ideas?

Posted by: sj914 Dec 2 2003, 10:14 PM

I'm cleaning my engine case right now with castrol(purple stuff) degreaser and a scotchbright pad. It seems to work great.

As far as painting the cylinders, I thought of doing that along time ago and someone told me that it would hinder the cooling of the cylinders. Just my .02cents on that. Some might think differently though.

Posted by: Brad Roberts Dec 3 2003, 02:38 AM

I see no reason to polish the case.. you cant see it onec all the injection is on it. Clean it up and leave it stock.

As far as the flaps go. I suggest you get a cable and make them work. Your engine will like you for it later (faster warmups).


B

Posted by: ChrisReale Dec 3 2003, 02:41 AM

Paint on the cylinders will just retain heat( might only be a small ammount, but ...). Leave 'em raw and naked.

Posted by: redshift Dec 3 2003, 11:15 AM

Well then, you are screwed!




M

Posted by: KJJ-74-914 Dec 3 2003, 08:04 PM

Screwed...I don't think so, this engine will be spotless when I'm done.

I plan on powdercoating the intake manifolds and injection Red to match the car color. Would this hurt the value of the car at all?

Any ideas on the questions I asked about the plastic wire harnesses and other question here?

Posted by: redshift Dec 3 2003, 08:21 PM

Hey, detail away! Really.

Value? Any time you are throwing hours at it, do it for love, and nope, making something very nice doesn't hurt the value, these aren't those kind of cars.

I like the sound of polishing the engine, you are a freak, welcome to the mental ward!


M

Posted by: swood Dec 3 2003, 11:09 PM

A-HAH! I knew yous was lokked up somewheres!!