Went out for a drive in her last night, to start clearing the smoke, and failed miserably :(

 

I knew that buying a car that's been sat as long as this was was asking for trouble. I knew it'd be one thing breaking after another, and alot of teething problems....

 

Tonight, I was nippin about with my nephew, and she was running good, pulling nice, still smoking from the pcv's being done, but that's fine, I know why, and I know it's fixing itself the more I drive, so every now and then, I was giving it the beans for a few seconds, and I was being dead impressed by the way she just zips off up the road when you floor the go button. Then some chav in a vxr decided he'd try his luck, I floored, she shot off, he tried to keep up, then poom... masses of smoke out the back, and she started driving like she's dropped a couple of cylinders.

 

Lucky, I was less than a mile from home, and the oil pressure gauge wasn't reading low, so we limped home... If I touch the gas at all, the smoke out the back was thick, not black, but not white, we were looking at it under them stupid orange streetlights, so it could've been pink for all I know....

 

and so the list grows.... The list of things broke/fixed so far is....

 

Drivers Door window stuck

PCV Valve's screwed - FIXED

Drivers Door lock fubar

Boost pipes leaking major - FIXED

High pressure Power Steering fluid pipe split

Intercooler split - FIXED

delimiter screwed

THE NEW PROBLEM

 

I'll win though... I always do....

 

Anyone got any ideas as to what might have gone? I'm home now to check her out, but I'm havin a cuppa first, and hoping someone can point me in the right direction....

turbo seals could be one reason for huge smoke

sounds like a boost pipe popped off

Missing cylinders after a hard run and smoke....mmmmmmm, maybe HG failure. Get a compression check done asap and also look for any possible hoses that may have popped off.

Had a good long look at her yesterday, can't see any oil in the bay, or dripped on the floor, belts all seem fine, fired her up, she's lumpy as hell, sounding like a petrol lawnmower, so I shut her off, had another look for leaks, none.

 

So it's lookin like HG to me, can't see any oil in the water, and oil level is normal.

 

HALP?? :(

Compression test or hg sniffer test will tell.

could have split a piston? will smoke like mad under boost?

 

as its been said get s compression test done or a leak down test

 

Mike

just done compression test. 3 cylinders are reading low to zero, 2 others are normal and the last one was reading double what it should be.....

 

Is there a how to for head gaskets?!

Best recheck those compression levels - one reading double does not make sense but if 3 cylinders on the same bank are on zero its a pig pointer to the head gasket going between cylinders.

 

Was the boost pressure way up?

Boost was below +7 on the standard gauge, and the compressions read as follows (reading from top cylinder drivers side down engine then top on passenger side down engine)

 

125 = normal

1 practically zero

2 175

3 275

4 75

5 115

6 125

THe high reading will be because you never released the pressure from the last cylinder test i should imagine.Put a teaspoon of oil in the low cylinders and see if it rises.If it does your pretty much assured its the rings/piston.Id say its highly unlikely with what you,d described its head gasket.

Edited September 18, 200916 yr by jimmer

that's a bummer... :(

I did the 275 cylinder twice.... exactly the same both times.... *headscratch*

I'm gonna take her apart anyway, and do a heat gasket set, I'll check for the rings, and touchy-feel my way through it, it might take me a while and a few hundred photos, but I'll do, and know more about my engine, and have the best "how-to" ever seen in the process.....

 

I'll be asking for hints and tis, and paying my subscription in due course.... I aint expecting a free ride lol......

I did the 275 cylinder twice.... exactly the same both times

Water doesn't compress like air. Just a thought

Water doesn't compress like air. Just a thought

 

so would that mean that cylinder is filling with water?

so would that mean that cylinder is filling with water?

 

If the cylinder was full of water it probaly wouldnt turn over.

I agree. Take all the plugs out and spin the engine over. I bet you get a load of water fly out of that cylinder. Also, chack the plugs to see if they're wet

 

I still think it could be head gaskets. They are fairly common on these. I own 3 300zx's and 2 of them had blown head gaskets.

 

Easiest way to do them is to take the engine out. It took me 3 1/2 hours to take mine out. It's sooooooooooo much easier to work on when its out.

 

Also, a handy tip is to drop the front subframe out by releasing the 4 bolts that hold it. This will allow you to get access to the top of the bell housing and pipes really easily.

She started today like this...

 

She's now like this....

 

Engine out as soon as I can get hold of a hoist.... I'm doin the rings as well, as I've a sneaky suspision they're gonna be fubar as well. I'm taking no chances, and replacing every gasket, seal, rubber, pipe and piston ring she has....

 

Hints tips and prayers should be added below.....

lol bit of a tme gap, but I've moved from Coventry to Skegness in the mean time.....

 

I spoke to jeff @ zedworld today, and it looks like I'll have her in for an engine in the next few weeks, so watch out Lincolnshire... redzed is coming out to play this summer.....

 

it's gonna be the best £1,500 I've ever spent....

 

Oh and the Volvo's been sold for a G.... not bad for a 14 yr old Volvo estate with 205,000 miles on her, eh?

Nice to see a update mate! Did you put new rings etc in it or did you just buy a replacement engine?

just gonna get replacement off jeff, it's the easiest option, with a guarantee, and someone who knows their stuff doin the work.

 

A supposed pal has already ripped me off for a few hundred quid over this car.... :(