** HELP - My GSi sounds like a Imprezza!!! **

[Jules]

Shame it doesn't go like one though.....

Anyway, a few weeks ago the GSi was running rough and taking in water (No water leaks) - Changed the head gasket (Head was pressure checked and given the all clear) and it has been better since but still not as good as usual, the main gripe is that it doesn't start as easily as it used to and now needs a little dab of the throttle to get going (And pops from the exhaust), the idle speed is also a cause for great concern because it idles at around 400-500 rpm on it's own and is always on the brink of stalling, It's got to the point where at junctions I'm having to rev the car to about 1100rpm to stop it trying to stall.

Once above 1700-2000rpm it runs fine but it's the bottom end of the rev range where the problems are, it sounds like it's missing and runs like it too, to be honest it sounds like the head gasket has gone but I only renewed it 3 weeks ago plus there are no other head gasket signs to suggest it has gone.

I read on www.topbuzz.co.uk that the CTS (Coolant Temperature Sensor) have been known to fail and this sends false readings to the ECU for the ignition timing and injector pulsing, well as it seems my timing is wrong (Which it isn't) and it's also using much more fuel than normal I thought that this was the problem........?7 later for a brand new one and it's just the same as before - lumpy and 'chuggy'.
I've been told that the ECU doesn't need reseting after changing the CTS so I haven't, although it has been stood for a few hours and it's just as bad as before.

The ECU warning light doesn't come on (apart from stage 2 ignition) so I can't even find out where the problem might lie from there.

Any ideas? Someone? Anyone?
:roll:

PS. It's a E16SE 1991 GSi, Only engine mods are a drilled airbox with Jetex panel filter and a PowerBlow exhaust.

[mikeyredtop]

well it could be ur flappy airflow meter as they are prone to mess up, but by the sounds of it sounding like an impreza i get the same when its running on 3 cylinders.. check ur injectors, isolate which one ot is by pulling of the injector plugs when idleing and when u take the right one off (faulty1) it should idle the same if its a working injector it will shudder, idle lower etc, so move on to the next injector.. or like mine air is leaking in thru one of the valve seals and causing missfire at low revs. do a compresion check rule out the other factors.. and if u have had the inlet manifold off make sure its not leakin air in thru the gasket..

[m.d.]

mine was doin this and it was because of the afm but it could well be the dizzy cap and rotor arm as this can cause problems at low revs when they start to detieriorate. see if you can borrow an afm off a mate or even a scrappy and plug it in to see if it runs any better with the new one. if not its not that so try the cap and arm.

[Jules]

I'll try and get hold of a AFM but I don't actually know anyone else local to me with one but I'll have a look around, bit costly to buy one only for it not to be it (Typical thing is that I slung out a whole GTE injection system including AFM a year ago from my old 1.6 Nova on twin 40's!!)

I'll probably give the dizzy cap / rotor arm a go first as it'll be cheaper if that's not the problem.

Cheers - keep 'em coming.

[dave.gsi]

ignition coil? mine ran on 3 cylinders and chugged along nicely lol

changed the coil and it was fine

[Jules]

10 points and a browny point to MickeyRedTop - I unplugged each injector in turn as it was chugging away - turns out that one of them has no bearing on how well or how bad it runs - so either that injector is blocked or chuffed.
I'm doubting that it's blocked because I change the fuel filter quite regularly and it's only been run on Optimax for the last 2 years or so (no cheap petrol cr@p).

So I assume that the injector is knackered, do I get a brand new single injector or is it advisable to get a set of 4 (Thinking that if one is knackered now then it might not be long before the others start playing up)?
Do I replace them with std 1.6 GSi ones, or would I see any gains from using larger ones (From a 1.8 for example)?

Any ideas?

[Aragorn]

interesting - mine did the exact same when i first built it - ran like an imprezza and it was a "stuffed" injector

i just robbed one off the gte lump i baught for spares and it worked

you could prolly take it to a bosch injection specialist and get it cleaned

[Jules]

Yeah I was thinking that aswell Aragorn, but I don't want to pay to have them cleaned if the injector itself in knackered, I don't suppose there is anyway of testing it if I take it our is there?

I reckon I'm just going to have to take a chance one way or the other.
:roll:

[krobinson]

Then, when its all fixed and running proper.. u can take some pics of that front splitter...

:D

Keith

[Jules]

/me makes mental note - Next time I'm at my Mum and Dads, *steal* Dads or Brothers Digi camera and take a pic for Keith!!!
:oops:

[mikeoxford]

/me makes mental note - Next time I'm at my Mum and Dads, *steal* Dads or Brothers Digi camera and take a pic for Keith!!!
:oops:
sorry to post hi jack - guess ull read it in your own post though

u still work for the PO matey?

[Jules]

Nein!! I left that hell hole about 16 months ago - Port of Felixstowe are my lucky employers now, where I enjoy the easy life!!
:D

Back on to subject related matters:

Today I'll hopefully be sorting it out, but before I go ordering new injectors I'd like to eliminate the possibilty of a broken wire to the injector in question.

I was thinking of unplugging the next injector along and plugging that into the offending injector just to make sure that the problem lies with the injector and not the loom - Is it OK to do this? I'm just thinking that if it is the wiring and the injector I suspect of being goosed does actually work then surely the injection timing will be wrong (for that cylinder) and could it cause any damage?
:roll:

And, yes, I know I worry far too much!!!
:lol:

[mikeyredtop]

cheers :oops: i think the injectors run in banks of pairs so if u were to do that, u would have to utilse the pair..if u want ive got about 12 injectors off late gsi (multec) sri's which are all the same, but i know gte's were a diffrent colour, which may differ slightly... i doubt it will be the loom or wire but its worth a try just so ur not wasting money if it is... ive put in 2 gte and 2gsi and a sri engine in my car and a previous 1... and most of the time an injector goes funny, but ive always had 1 spare which is good, dont know why they do it really, its not as if ive knocked em or left them in the rain...

[Jules]

Cheers Mickey for the help and offer of an injector, but I need the car done today really (Appricate the offer though bud).

I'll be ringing up the local motor factors place soon to price them up injectors, I'll go for standard 1.6 GSi ones are I can't be arsed looking into replacing them with bigger ones.

[mikeyredtop]

heres the part number 4 e16se injectors (90349872) epc say they are diffrent to c16se.

[Jules]

After ringing Vauxhall and being told that a new one (That's a single injector) is ?77 plus VAT and would have to be ordered from Germany - I thought that I'd be able to get it much cheaper at a Motor Factors - ?81 plus VAT
:o

Luckily for me when I converted my old GTE engined black SR to twin 40's I kept all the inlet manifold and fuel injectors - So later today I'll be putting 4 GTE injectors in the GSI.
Hope it goes OK - I guess I'll find out one way or the other later!!
:lol:

[mikeyredtop]

just change the one thats broke? or ive got 4 inlectors on ebay

[Jules]

Just to update (and to bump it back up!! :lol: )

I had a compression test done last week and it seems that No.1 cylinder has almost no compression, so this is obvisouly where the problem lies, but what could be the cause?
The head was pressure tested and given the all clear, the same company re-assembled the valves and cut them in.
The head gasket was new as were the stretch bolts and all gaskets (inlet / exhaust etc etc).

The enginering firm that done the headwork have years and years of experience (I'm talking 20+) and if one of the valves on No.1 cylinder had burnt out or the seat burnt out then he would of noticed and informed me (If this turns out to be the cause then he can sort it for free cos I ain't paying him again!!).
Another option could be that I got somethig between the head and head gasket (Or block and head gasket) which is causing it to not seal - something like a washer for example - The only problem with this is that it was running shit3 before I did the head gasket first time round and I wasn't missing any washers / nuts / bolts once I'd finished puttig it back together.

All that leads me to think one of four things:

1) Valve(s) on No.1 cylinder burnt out (causing it not to seal)
2) Valve seat(s) on No.1 cylinder burnt (again causing it not to seal)
3) No1. Piston rings broken
4) The head is cracked and they missed it

I looked at and felt the piston walls last time and there seemed no indication of any damage to the linings and it doesn't burn oil from the exhaust so there's no evidence of the piston rings being shot.

Any ideas as to what I can expect?
:roll:

/me get's ready to order a head from Ben!!
:lol:

[mikeyredtop]

ive been thru 2 gte engines and the reason was the piston rings went 3 times on me, ive got a set of rings spare if u want them...

[Aragorn]

maybe the block face is slightly warped?

[Jules]

Head was skimmed before putting it back on so I'd hope it's not warped!!
:o

Is there anyway of telling if the piston rings have gone other than stripping the bottom end down?
:roll:

[2litreturbo]

Head was skimmed before putting it back on so I'd hope it's not warped!!
:o

Is there anyway of telling if the piston rings have gone other than stripping the bottom end down?
:roll:

Drain oil, take sump off. Now put a little petrol into the cylinder and look underneath to see if it comes through.

[mikeyredtop]

petrol, no its called the wet or dry test to check everything leave it dry, but to check the rings u squirt lashings of oil in the spark plug hole then this gives a good seal round the rings if the compression shoots up then u have identified the problem, ring sting! if it doesnt then its a valve, gasket or cracked head or block...

[Jules]

Yesterday:
Took head off, Poked a feeler gauge between cylinder wall and piston on No.1 cylinder - goes down further than it does on No.2, No.3 and No.4 cylinders - Hmmm

So off comes the sump, oil pickup pipe and baffle plate, punch the bottoms of the conrods for ID and direction, undo No.1 conrod, push piston out...........

FUXOR3D!!! :o

The 2 compression rings were in about 40-50 bits, they had ended up 'doubling up' in the channel on the piston (Kind of double height piston ring), because of this I now need 1 new piston.
Took the remaining 3 pistons out, No.2 and No.4 both had broken compression rings, only No.3 piston was intact!!

The work is being done today and will be completed tomorrow when I'll re-assemble the engine - 1 new piston, 4 sets of piston rings, 4 sets of shells.
I'll hone the bores before putting them back in aswell.

Any tips on how to run the car in or isn't it needed? also any tips on honing? Do I just stick it in and give it a spin?

Well at least it should run better when it's done anyway!!
:lol:

[mikeyredtop]

ive got a set of new rings on old pistons..

[Jules]

Cheers Mickey but like I said - the work is underway and will be back together this time tomorrow with any luck - ?90+VAT for all the work and parts (Not as bad as I thought it was gonna be!!)

[mikeyredtop]

vaux bits are usually cheapish

[Jester]

Just out of interest, would there be any benefit from larger injectors?

Would it need to be rolling roaded after fitting them??

[mikeyredtop]

with any car with a lamda senser there is no real diffrence in fitting any thing to alter fuel coz the lamda and ecu will always adjust to give the right 14.7/1 air fuel ratio

[Jules]

Next problem - Fitted the pistons back in today, looked in Haynes manual for the torque setting for the con rod shell bolts - Found the one's for the 1.0L and the 1.2/1.3L but nothing in the revisions section for the 1.6L

Now do I torque them to the 1.3 settings or is the 1.6 going to be different? If so what settings are they?
:roll:

[mikeyredtop]

i had the same problem couldnt find them but i did them to the 1.2-1.4 i think.. why theres a diffrence i dont know