October 18th, 2009
Question:
I need the position of the rotor caps. I assumed they were indexed and did not note position upon removal twice. 1987 Porsche 928 S4 32v V8 (2) rotors on end of camshafts.
Answer:
I dont have a specific procedure for your vehicle, but its pretty
much the same for any car. You first need to bring the engine to TDC
(top dead center) TDC is when cylinder #1 is at the top of the
compression stroke and the spark plug is ready to fire. You can pull
the spark plug from cylinder one, feel for compression by placing your
finger over the spark plug hole and turn the engine until the timing
mark comes up to TDC. The timing mark should be close to the
crankshaft pulley and is usually cast into the front cover. If you
dont feel air escaping the spark plug hole, you are coming up to the
top of the exhaust stroke, rotate the engine another 360 degrees and
you should then feel the compression.
Once you know you are at TDC, you can align the rotor so that it
points towards cylinder #1s plug wire. As for the other rotor cap,
you would need your firing order to determine which other cylinder is
firing at TDC.
Check out the following site for some specific instructions…
http://jenniskens.livedsl.nl/Technical/Tips/Files/pirtle_tbelt.pdf
Permanent link to this post (224 words, estimated 54 secs reading time)
Posted in Engine | No Comments »
July 23rd, 2009
Question:
Hi, I have a 1996 honda civic automatic 2dr coupe… my a/c belt on the engine is completely gone, and I have no idea where it went..anyways I want to fix it cheap, is this a do it yourselfer or a mechanics job? and how much would it cost?
Answer:
The belt should be no more than $30 and its not a difficult job that can be accomplished with basic mechanics tools. (socket wrenches etc.) I do not have specific instructions but you can check out http://www.autoeducation.com/alldata.htm for an online manual which will have step-by-step instructions. I would also check to make sure the A/C compressor is not frozen, as this could cause the belt to be thrown or broken.
Permanent link to this post (123 words, estimated 30 secs reading time)
Posted in Engine, Heat & AC | No Comments »
July 20th, 2009
Question:
What is the firing order for a 1953 olds 88 with a 303 CI Engine.
Answer:
I dont have a manual that goes back that far, but I know where you can get a factory service manual on CD…
http://www.classicjunkyard.com/store.htm
I did a quick search online, and could not find anything for that year either.
Permanent link to this post (58 words, estimated 14 secs reading time)
Posted in Engine | No Comments »
July 20th, 2009
Question:
I have a 1999 Honda Civic LX, and beginning about two oil changes ago, at the end of the last winter, my vehicle has been draining less oil than it should be. According to every oil change i have done in the past and the manual my vehicle is supposed to drain and then accept 3.8 quarts of oil including the filter. For the past two oil changes it has only drained 3.3 quarts of oil, and so that is all i have added, and the dipstick reads full. Could this be a sludge problem? My oil change intervals have always been approximately 3000 miles. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Answer:
I would not think sludge, but rather oil consumption due to engine wear. Overtime the piston rings will wear and there will be oil that gets into the combustion chamber. 1/2 quart in 3000 miles is not excessive in any case, and I would not be too concerned about it. Keep changing oil at regular intervals and check your oil level 1/2 way through your oil change interval to make sure consumption does not get out of hand.
Permanent link to this post (190 words, estimated 46 secs reading time)
Posted in Engine, Oil & Lubrication | No Comments »
July 10th, 2009
Question:
I have a 98 Jeep Grand Cherokee w/ approx. 219K mi. When I start it up it takes 15 to 30 seconds before the oil pressure gauge comes up to about 40#. After it runs for a while (5 to 10 min) the oil pressure drops to zero, and in another 5 to 10 min (idling) I start to hear light valve knock. Is it the oil pump or main bearing wear? Is there a way to determine which?
Answer:
Probably a little of both. No way but to remove the oil pan and measure the bearings by removing a bearing cap and using plastigauge to measure bearing clearances. Its almost as much work to get to the oil pump, so its worth investigating the bearings while you are there. I would suggest that if the bearings are within spec, replace the oil pump and consider yourself lucky to get another 50,000 – 75,000 miles from the engine. If the bearings are out of spec, I would look into a rebuilt or used engine from a reputable source like www.gotengines.com.
Permanent link to this post (183 words, 1 image, estimated 44 secs reading time)
Posted in Engine | No Comments »
