*Sigh* So very, very tired.
07-10-2002, 12:23 PM
#1
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*Sigh* So very, very tired.
Last night I completed my TB/BB/WP/Front Seals/New T'stats/New Temp Switch install. The car started almost immediately, and seemed to be running great - success with the timing belt! No whining, no vibration - I guess I did the balance belt right too. I looked under the car - no leaks.
I had the bleeder bolt open, and the filler cap off. I figured as soon as the engine gets warm enough the thermostat will open, and coolant will start circulating, allowing me to add more coolant. I noticed it was smoking a lot more than usual. I went to the back of the car to smell the smoke - hmmm doesn't smell like coolant - smells more like regular exhaust. The car has been sitting for a month, but still, I've never seen that much smoke coming out of the exhaust!
The temperature got to about 2/3 of the way between the 1st and second mark. I noticed the coolant level hadn't dropped yet - where is the thermostat supposed to open?
I back the car slightly out of the garage so the smoke goes outside, and get out. Big puddle of brown oil on the ground. ****.
I look under the car - there is a steady stream of drips, although it doesn't look like oil. I take a rag and dip it into the puddle. Coolant. ****! ****!
So. After all that work, I now have to figure out where the oil is coming from, where the coolant is coming from, and find out whether or not I have a blown head gasket.
Also, the fans did not come on at all (even though I replaced the thermo-switch, and know for sure that I reconnected the fans and the switch), and the strange thing is that the coolant does not have oil in it, the oil does not have coolant in it. The oil on the dipstick is fairly clean (100 miles since oil change), yet the puddle of oil on the ground was a dirty brown.
I'm so sick of this crap. With the way things have ben going, I kind of expected something like this to happen. I changed all the front seals, and I'm 99% sure I did everything right. I am paranoid, so I'm sure all my hoses are tight. I always double, triple, and quadruple check everything - that's why it always takes me so long.
Knowing my luck: Blown head gasket which caused my original overheating problem. Bad waterpump (even though it's brand new), and the oil leak is from the crank seal.
I guess I'll find out tonight. Buying this car was the worst mistake I ever made. I can't believe I actually paid more than average because it appeared extremely well maintained. So much for that.
Thank God I didn't sell my honda.
I had the bleeder bolt open, and the filler cap off. I figured as soon as the engine gets warm enough the thermostat will open, and coolant will start circulating, allowing me to add more coolant. I noticed it was smoking a lot more than usual. I went to the back of the car to smell the smoke - hmmm doesn't smell like coolant - smells more like regular exhaust. The car has been sitting for a month, but still, I've never seen that much smoke coming out of the exhaust!
The temperature got to about 2/3 of the way between the 1st and second mark. I noticed the coolant level hadn't dropped yet - where is the thermostat supposed to open?
I back the car slightly out of the garage so the smoke goes outside, and get out. Big puddle of brown oil on the ground. ****.
I look under the car - there is a steady stream of drips, although it doesn't look like oil. I take a rag and dip it into the puddle. Coolant. ****! ****!
So. After all that work, I now have to figure out where the oil is coming from, where the coolant is coming from, and find out whether or not I have a blown head gasket.
Also, the fans did not come on at all (even though I replaced the thermo-switch, and know for sure that I reconnected the fans and the switch), and the strange thing is that the coolant does not have oil in it, the oil does not have coolant in it. The oil on the dipstick is fairly clean (100 miles since oil change), yet the puddle of oil on the ground was a dirty brown.
I'm so sick of this crap. With the way things have ben going, I kind of expected something like this to happen. I changed all the front seals, and I'm 99% sure I did everything right. I am paranoid, so I'm sure all my hoses are tight. I always double, triple, and quadruple check everything - that's why it always takes me so long.
Knowing my luck: Blown head gasket which caused my original overheating problem. Bad waterpump (even though it's brand new), and the oil leak is from the crank seal.
I guess I'll find out tonight. Buying this car was the worst mistake I ever made. I can't believe I actually paid more than average because it appeared extremely well maintained. So much for that.
Thank God I didn't sell my honda.
07-10-2002, 12:55 PM
#2
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Come on man.. worst mistake ever? Think how much you will appreciate it when you get things worked out.
Now for the leaks. Check balance shaft covers and oil lines first. Since you were in there, you may have disturbed them somehow. If there is no mixing, and it is not coming out the exhaust, then it must go somewhere else. A blown gasket to the outside of the motor is not common at all, and I am sure if it leaked enough to make a mess, you could track it down.
Pull the plugs and get a flashlight to see into the cylinders. If there is oil or excesive moisture, you found your problem. If not, a seal somewhere is kaput. Not much else it can be.
FYI, my old Eagle Talon TSI spit out 4 quarts of oil in about 30 seconds on my way home one afternoon. I towed it back to the house, cleaned it up, filled it up, and it never leaked again. I have no idea where it came from, or why it happened. I say filler up and run it, you'll find the leak, or it will not leak at all.
Now for the leaks. Check balance shaft covers and oil lines first. Since you were in there, you may have disturbed them somehow. If there is no mixing, and it is not coming out the exhaust, then it must go somewhere else. A blown gasket to the outside of the motor is not common at all, and I am sure if it leaked enough to make a mess, you could track it down.
Pull the plugs and get a flashlight to see into the cylinders. If there is oil or excesive moisture, you found your problem. If not, a seal somewhere is kaput. Not much else it can be.
FYI, my old Eagle Talon TSI spit out 4 quarts of oil in about 30 seconds on my way home one afternoon. I towed it back to the house, cleaned it up, filled it up, and it never leaked again. I have no idea where it came from, or why it happened. I say filler up and run it, you'll find the leak, or it will not leak at all.
07-10-2002, 12:55 PM
#3
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Man, I'm sorry... I know exactly how you feel- it seems that everything is slightly off for me- the seating position doesn't feel right, the sunroof is set too far back and really sucks to begin with in SEVERAL different ways, my car runs hot all the time, anything stereo related is a mega PITA, and mine can't even stop it's way out of a paper bag, and I'm paying about 5 times what I would to drive a more normal car <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" />
Is that anything how YOU feel? Yes, I just went through the front seals myself. I also got Iceshark's headlight kit installed- to the battery, instead of the alternator, like it SHOULD have been, not to mention the short shift kit that doesn't reduce throw any but still makes a lot more noise OR the fuct that I added a Momo wheel and now I can't get the fu**ing horn to work AND I've PAID to get most of this done- I should have my head examined!!!
But, you DO have at least two advantages that I don't- you STILL have your Honda to drive when your 951 is screwed up AND it sounds like you can do at least SOME work on your car to save you SOME cash. If nothing else, it's better to screw your car up by yourself (for free) than to pay someone else to do it. I got ripped on mine from the very beginning and THEN, took it to a mechanic who screwed me some more- this was 2.5yrs ago, and I JUST found out that he didn't put the front seals in correctly- he did manage to charge me correctly though...
EDIT: of course, it's all relative- yes, I have it pretty bad w/this car, but, I gues I COULD have it as bad as Perry951
Good luck...
Is that anything how YOU feel? Yes, I just went through the front seals myself. I also got Iceshark's headlight kit installed- to the battery, instead of the alternator, like it SHOULD have been, not to mention the short shift kit that doesn't reduce throw any but still makes a lot more noise OR the fuct that I added a Momo wheel and now I can't get the fu**ing horn to work AND I've PAID to get most of this done- I should have my head examined!!!
But, you DO have at least two advantages that I don't- you STILL have your Honda to drive when your 951 is screwed up AND it sounds like you can do at least SOME work on your car to save you SOME cash. If nothing else, it's better to screw your car up by yourself (for free) than to pay someone else to do it. I got ripped on mine from the very beginning and THEN, took it to a mechanic who screwed me some more- this was 2.5yrs ago, and I JUST found out that he didn't put the front seals in correctly- he did manage to charge me correctly though...
EDIT: of course, it's all relative- yes, I have it pretty bad w/this car, but, I gues I COULD have it as bad as Perry951
Good luck...
07-10-2002, 01:08 PM
#5
Nordschleife Master
If you have the belly pans on the oil and coolant could be leaking and mixing there then overflowing onto the ground.
As far as the fans not working, you know the thermal switch doesn't work so good if there is no liquid covering it so it can take a temperature reading. This can also be a real danger in the block with the temperature senders, though one usually seizes the engine before the coolant drops so low that it doesn't at least occasionally touch the temp sender to tell you that there is a major problem.
Time to get the car up on jack stands, remove the belly pans, refill with coolant (opening the bleeder screw, refill the reservoir, blow into the reservoir until you see coolant squirt out of bleeder, milk radiator hoses, etc.), start car and look under to see general area where things are leaking and track down the leak. Don't let that engine run long at any one time as last thing you need is to overheat it.
As far as the fans not working, you know the thermal switch doesn't work so good if there is no liquid covering it so it can take a temperature reading. This can also be a real danger in the block with the temperature senders, though one usually seizes the engine before the coolant drops so low that it doesn't at least occasionally touch the temp sender to tell you that there is a major problem.
Time to get the car up on jack stands, remove the belly pans, refill with coolant (opening the bleeder screw, refill the reservoir, blow into the reservoir until you see coolant squirt out of bleeder, milk radiator hoses, etc.), start car and look under to see general area where things are leaking and track down the leak. Don't let that engine run long at any one time as last thing you need is to overheat it.
07-10-2002, 01:20 PM
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Ouch! Man you guys aren't making my purchase any easier. I'm just sealing the envelope with my $1K deposit for my 86 951 right now.. Nothing like a little pre-purchase dose of reality.