Lifter Tick... Running rich... Failed Emissions...

[pozican]

The lifter tick is pretty loud. I'm fairly worried about it. It's not an exhaust leak (plugged muffler, and it didn't get louder). Does this have hydralic lifters? (951)

I'm running REALLY rich. Under load at shifts it'll do small backfires out the tailpipe. So rich if I crack my window I can smell unburned fuel.

I failed emissions. For a couple reasons. First, I almost didn't get to run because I idled at 1200 rpm, and the highest you are allowed is 1100 (turned on heat and it dipped to 1090).
Passed at 'cruising' speed (which was surprisingly slow, when it said cruising I assumed 60-80 )
At idle though, the carbon monoxide limit is 1.2 and mine was 2.2

Anyone recorded price for a rebuild? (want a ballpark)
What was the hourly labor cost?

I can probably still get a decent price for this if I sell it and put it towards a new one... Not my perferred option though.

I'm running 92 octane fuel.
Here's the list of aftermarkets:
Autothority power chip, a Lindsey racing boost enhancer and an adjustable bypass valve by Stratmosphere.
3" turbo-back Magnaflow exhaust and a cold air intake.

Most of bottom end has been rebuilt.

Thanks for your feedback.
Alex


[edit]Also if I idle stopped for a while the temp will go up to the third bar on the gauge (one right before red) -- I need to move a couple feet and it will go back down to center. When I'm just cruising on freeway, or even 30 mph it'll stay at the bottom bar...

[JivenJim]

You Got Hydraulic lifters. (buckets) They are normally kinda loud, ticking. Add an extra 1/2 qt oil above the top line and it helps alot. If it's been run really hard you may have a crack lifter head. Like a Broken Drum.

I think Lindsey Racing has a Head Swap/rebuild program if it's done. Probably under $1500.

Those after market chips often make it run richer. Swap chips to double check that it is not the only problem.
Search and do the standard Rich to lean problem solutions.... O2 sensor, Air Flow Meter (AFM), Fuel pressure Regulator..
Should get you started.

[pozican]

Well now I feel stupid.

What's the first thing you do when you start getting problems?
Check the easy stuff.
Like say oil?

I put in A LOT of oil to get a half quart above the line, but now I can no longer hear a tick, my idle speed is down, and I have less small backfires (I keep saying small because when I say backfire I think "Uncle Buck") -- Less backfires means it's running more lean. Which means I can pass emissions?

Dun dun dun.
Stay tuned to find out -- I'll test again thursday.

[jgp0rsche]

I had a LOUD lifter tick in my 944S (16 valve). changed the oil, the sound went away

[Razorback1980]

I don't think oil by itself is going to do it. If you are running rich, you need to look into that. Maybe replace the O2 sensor. Or maybe put the stock chip back in there.

[JivenJim]

Glad your tick is down. But don't think that will help your Rich problem.
At best it more masks the symptoms rather then solve the problem.
Would still do Standard pre-smog stuff. New spark plugs, Rotor and Cap for distributor, O2 sensor. Mod chips make cars run rich and advance the timing. Both very bad for Smog test but good for HP. Guess you can try those if you flunk again.

Maybe JGPorsche or Socal could throw us some leads there.

[pozican]

Originally posted by JivenJim
Glad your tick is down. But don't think that will help your Rich problem.
At best it more masks the symptoms rather then solve the problem.
Would still do Standard pre-smog stuff. New spark plugs, Rotor and Cap for distributor, O2 sensor. Mod chips make cars run rich and advance the timing. Both very bad for Smog test but good for HP. Guess you can try those if you flunk again.

Maybe JGPorsche or Socal could throw us some leads there.

Unfortunatly I wasn't given the stock chip (to my knowledge)
I'll check in the box, but if I remember right, it's just the sunroof motor.

O2 sensor and spark plugs are things I can do.

Don't know if I can afford a rotor and cap so soon after buying the car -- I'm lucky to have a job and a car like this at 18, but my job isn't quite THAT good

Man, Flunking tests, and going into the second one barely changing anything and just hoping for a pass....
Sounds like high school!

[Razorback1980]

LOL...hopefully it doesn't cost each time you go in. But I can relate to tight budgets....most of us have/had them at your age. Talk to your friends...here I have a favorite inspection place or two. I still find it amazing how they can pick on twenty year old cars and leave the chemical plants alone but I guess we have to start somewhere. Let us know how it goes.

[jgp0rsche]

my tick problem was due to being about 1 quart low on oil.

[pozican]

I replaced my heater control valve with a brass straight through fitting. And plugged the vacuum line.

Would this change anything?

I have to part, it will be installed soon.

[JivenJim]

Heater Valve bypassed with plugged vacuum line is no problem I'm aware of. Long as you don't have a vacuum leak. Leaks, crack lines, or ones that pulled off, can cause all kinds of probs. Like idle and fuel air mixtures.

FYI You can buy a generic o2 sensor (Check the number of wire before ordering) and splice into your old. That's like $45 compared to $125. If the Cap contact are not excessively warn down and notched you can just lightly file clean. Same for rotor. (if rotor contact is near the plastic on leading edge then it's time to replace. You can also probably just clean plugs and regap if they're of known age. There's alot of stuff about plugs. I like NGK (copper if you can find them). wouldn't waste money on Platinum or anything.

Also you may consider cleaning the contacts on the ARM (Air Fuel Meter) Its' a little work but Clarks Garage has a write-up.

Put a WTB for a stock or smog legal chip. Someone will have one.
They're also some Fuel additives that help curve your emission for Smog testing. Google that, and check on the Turbo site for they're tricks.

Also keep you car running for 20+ minutes prior and Don't turn off prior Unless the make you.

If you search here, I'm sure you'll find better explanation of all this things.

Good luck..

[Razorback1980]

I agree with JivenJim...

1. Clean plugs
2. Use additive (Blue Sky I think is the name I have heard of but there are others)
3. If you know how to clean the dist and rotor
4. Very important for the car to have run for quite a while before inspection.
5. If you do buy a generic O2 sensor, do not solder the wires together, do not twist them together either....should be a crimped connection covered with a good insulator.

As JivenJim mentioned, these things will probably help more than anything else.

[JivenJim]

Hey Razorback,

I've heard that about the not soldering the 02 sensor but never why. They come with a couple of feet of pig tail wire, so I wouldn't think soldering would transfer much if any heat. Is there a known thing there or is it folklore.

[pozican]

I checked here on pelican and everything isn't TOO expensive...

There's a rotor for like $50 -- without some adapter? Will I need this adapter?

I overheated this morning in traffic -- Something weird with coolant system....

[Razorback1980]

First...thanks for asking as I noticed my post said to twist but was suppose to say NOT twist.

Hey JivenJim...here is what I know and I'll try to leave out any personal opinions I have until the end. I know the connection between the wires must be a good one to carry the proper voltage up to the computer, you don't want to lose voltage as this is a pretty important reading which is why twisting is NOT sufficient. That is a poor connection and will lose voltage through that connection. I know the oxygen sensor reads the oxygen content in the exhaust and it reads it on the oustide of the exhaust and compares the two which regulates the voltage sent to the computer. That's oversimplified but I'll give you the science behind that if you like.

Now for my opinions....Most of what I have read says to crimp the wires although the really good car people I hang with say solder. Unless the wire was a special alloy of some type, I really don't think solder should reduce or lose voltage in the connection which is the only concern but I don't know that for a fact...I would actually think it would be much better. Should be an easy thing to check though. Here is where I THINK it came from. The oxygen sensor reads the oxygen content of the air on the oustide of the exhaust. It does this by circulating the air from outside of the exhaust into the sensor and if anything plugs that circulation, it will not be able to read the oxygen content of the inside exhaust gases correctly. So if you decide to splice the wires close to the sensor and some solder runs down the wire and plugs any of that circulation, you have just damaged your O2 sensor and it will not work properly. If you splice the wires on the bench, it really shouldn't be a problem at all. Using a crimp splice will always work...using solder will only work if done correctly, so I think that is why they suggest to crimp over solder. Personally, I always use the OEM one, but if I were to replace mine, I would solder but do it on the bench away from the sensor and then check it with an ohm meter. If you do it that way, you should be ok. I have heard the wire intices the oxygen from the exhaust into the sensor but I don't believe that is true at all...in fact you wouldn't want to do that as it would give you a false reading since you are trying to determine the PERCENTAGE of oxygen in the exhaust gases. If you pulled every oxygen molecule into the sensor, you wouldn't know the percentage, you would only know the total count of oxygen molecules and you couldn't compute air/fuel ratios with that.

Another thing I believe you do not want to do is buy the three wire and then not connect the heater wires. If you do that, the oxygen sensor will not work correctly. Those sensors are designed to operate at a specific temperature and the heater doesn't just run to warm it up, in most cases it runs constantly. If you do install a three or four wire sensor, make sure you hook up the heater properly. If your car was designed for a single wire, it's best to get a single wire sensor.