Engine Swap complete! Engine started right up. Some issues.

[exitwound]

If you'd be following, I had to snag a new engine at the Hershey Swap Meet and finally got to the point today where I could start the engine. I worked on it myself, for the most part, having no help. A second pair of hands could have shortened the swap by a week or so.

Today:

• Installed Air Conditioning compressor
• Installed Alternator
• Installed power steering belt
• Installed primary belt
• Installed Radiator (again). Had to correct the mounts. The original owner was an idiot.
• Installed hoses.
• Filled with coolant.
• Filled power steering.
• Looked over for anything missing.
• Looked it over again.
• And again...
• Nervous...
• And again...

And when we turned the key....it started right up! Took 10-15 revolutions as it needed to build fuel pressure but it started right up.



Problem #1:
It ran for 5-10 minutes without any issues. The idle was set to 1200 (from the last engine due to a low cold idle) so we knew it was high. But once the engine got warm, the engine RPM would dip to 500RPM, instantaneously as if something was turned ON, then it immediately revved back to 1200. Then approximately 20-30 seconds later, it did it again, as if something was kicking on (or off), and then immediately went back to normal. This continued over and over. Any ideas what this is?? I'll get a video of it tomorrow.


Problem #2:
There's an oil leak coming out the rear of the engine that wasn't happening when it was on the engine crane. GRR. This is frustrating. It's either the rear oil seal, or the rear of the oil pan gasket. But it's a pretty good liquid leak as opposed to a seep. why couldn't it leak when we had it out of the car??? What do you think it is?





Problem #3:
We had to disconnect the front suspension to swap the engine, both from the car and from the engine itself. We installed a new tie rod end on the driver's side, but the passenger side is having issues. When the wheel is turned to the right, there's a LOUD rubbery squeal emanating from the strut tower. In fact, you can see the strut tower spinning from the engine bay as the wheel is turned to the right. As you turn back left, it returns with the wheel back to normal. From under the car, you can see the spring rotating slowly when the steering is turned to the right. Why is this spinning?? What can I do to stop it? It didn't do it before the removal of the suspension.

[SuperXRAY]

#1 - Vacuum leak and/or or TPS not adjusted correctly.
#2 - Judging by the amount, I'd say pan gasket. Did you replace rear main and pan gasket before install?
#3 - I'd say this goes away once the car is on the ground. Perhaps not, but I would check.

Congrats on the successful swap. I'm starting a HG replacement soon.

[earlr85944]

listening to that purr I take it we are cool

the idle flux seems to be aux equipt to the motor, check all connections are tight

oil leak can be pan gasket due to being weak and disturbed, try to retorque

[TibetanT]

Patrick:

congrats on the install.

Question: What is the big red wire coming to the block attached near FPR? Is that your ground wire? Just wondering.

As far as the oil leak, is it getting worse?

[exitwound]

Yeah, that's a temporary ground wire. The negative cable off the battery was corroded and weak, leading to a no-start. At the time, to get the car running, we just reground the block back to the battery that way. Has worked quite well. It should go back behind the engine with the other grounds, but the wire is too thick to bend that way. So yes, red is ground, and black is power. Let's just hope no one else ever has to jump it!

As for the oil leak, well I'm not sure yet. The car only ran for 10 minutes maybe last night. The leak didn't occur on the ground but did start to show itself when the car was off as we were putting it in. I noticed some wetness around the back of the oil pan as the car sat on the lift. I cleaned it off, and a few days later it was wet again (before the engine even ran).

We didn't change the seals when we had the engine out because it would have taken too long to wait for shipping and they all looked dry (minus maybe the oil pan gasket). I don't have a daily driver at this point.

I don't think the idle flux is a vacuum leak. I say this because it's an instaneous shutoff or turn on of SOMEthing. The engine basically sounds like something is engaged and the engine compensates for it immediately, but the result is that the engine drops to 500RPM for a split second, then recovers and idles smoothly again. I'll get a video of it.

[HondaDustR]

Originally Posted by exitwound

We didn't change the seals when we had the engine out because it would have taken too long to wait for shipping and they all looked dry (minus maybe the oil pan gasket). I don't have a daily driver at this point.

...and now you'll have oil sprayed all over the bottom of the car, dripped all over the driveway, empty oil bottles piling up like McDonalds trash in a work truck, and maybe even a crankcase vacuum leak, which will pass oil through the breather into the intake, using more oil, caking burnt oil all over the inside of the intake manifold, screwing up the catalytic converter, leaving a cloud of oil smoke that makes you wonder if there's a bad cylinder, and then the world will end shortly after all of that. All of this is from personal experience, except I'm still waiting for the world to end.

Now it will take a really long time to drop everything again to fix it. Seems to me the only time you should not change the rear main seal when you have the engine out is if you already did it last week. Exaggerated, but true, much older than that isn't worth leaving it since it's such a pain to access otherwise. If you're lucky, it's the oil pan gasket, which still would have been an infinitely easier job with the engine out, especially if it was weeping oil before the engine even went in.

Oil leaks suck. Just when you get them fixed, a new one pops up that's even more of a PITA to fix than the previous one. And a quart every 2 weeks of anything good gets kind of expensive after awhile.

[landrover88]

pat

glad you are running.

landrover88

[exitwound]

After some inspection and such, we're coming to the conclusion that it's not the real main seal. The car does not leak when running, at least, not to the point that the real main would indicate. It seems as if the engine leaks more when off, after the engine has stopped running. There were absolutely no indications of a wet rear seal when we had the engine out. The oil pan gasket was a little moist, but it wasn't indicating anything wet either.

We have two thoughts. 1.) the oil pan gasket is leaking near the flywheel. 2.) the crankcase isn't ventilating properly and it's pushing the oil out as the pressure grows. The second one is far easier to test and we'll do that soon.

[TibetanT]

Patrick:

Sorry for the delay. I have been under the car for a few days now. But in thinking about your prognosis, that makes good sense.

I just finished-up my 60K (mile) maintenance installing new seals, water pump and belts and had a thought about this "leak" that you have noticed. Upon reinstalling my starter, last part of the procedure after removing the flywheel lock, I noticed my oil pan was a little dirty. I started thinking about where it might be coming from and my thoughts are the balance shaft housing may be loose, or the BS end seal may be bad causing some leakage of residual oil. Just thought I would mention this in view of your situation.

I will be investigating further as to the cause in the next week, so if I find that the end-seal is the culprit, I'll let you know. It does look like your pictures shown.

BTW, I like you, get a little nervous when she is all buttoned-up and then have to start for the first time. I always wonder...did I forget to torque something properly.

[HondaDustR]

+1 on the balance shaft housing plug seals. Mine were shot and did make a similar mess from the exhaust side housing. Total PITA to fix, though... all the crap that's got to be removed just to get to them.

[exitwound]

I got a hold of the original owner of the engine who believes it's a rear main seal installation error, rather than the oil pan gasket like we thought. I think I'm going to go with his conclusion that he installed the rear main seal flush with the engine casing and not indented into the recess.

Doesn't look to be balance shafts. They appear as dry as can be, both the sides and the rear plugs.

[mikepellegrini]

Originally Posted by exitwound

I got a hold of the original owner of the engine who believes it's a rear main seal installation error, rather than the oil pan gasket like we thought. I think I'm going to go with his conclusion that he installed the rear main seal flush with the engine casing and not indented into the recess.

Doesn't look to be balance shafts. They appear as dry as can be, both the sides and the rear plugs.

When I did the clutch in my 83, I made the same error - installed it flush. Now it leaks in the same place as yours. I kick myself daily, but am just going to live with it.

[exitwound]

Could it just be pressed into place, or should I get a new seal? It's apparently not that old.